GAME NOTES

Wagner and first-place Albany will meet in the Seahawks' 2008 season finale at 1:00 pm on Saturday. Click HERE To listen to the free live adio stream of the game.

A season that began with great promise has fallen under the weight of a string of injuries that have severley depleted the Wagner lineup. The Seahawks have continued to play a gritty brand of defense and are coming off a 14-0 home loss to Duquesne. The Seahawks enter the contest with Albany ranked No. 1 in the NEC and No. 11 in the nation in total defense. Wagner is also ranked No. 1 in the NEC and No. 3 nationally in pass defense. While Wagner has lost three consecutive games, Albany, meanwhile, is riding the crest of a six-game winning streak and are fresh off a 41-7 win at Robert Morris.

Gage Emerging as Defensive Leader
Wagner turned in a spirited defensive effort vs. Duquesne, limiting the NEC's No.1-rated passing offense to just 112 yards, which is 128 yards below the Dukes' 240.1 yards per game average. The Dukes came in averaging 31.0 points and 338.5 yards per game but were held to 14 points and 256 yards. The Seahawks struggled to muster any offense of its own in dropping a 14-0 decision in a game played in a steady rain and dense fog on Grymes Hill. Sophomore DB Stefen Gage (Syracuse, NY/ Henninger) was around the football the entire afternoon, recording a game-high 14 tackles, one shy of his career high, four of which were solo stops, and was credited with two pass breakups. He also was a demon on special teams where he forced a fumble with a jarring hit and downed a Wagner punt at the Dukes' five-yard line by beating everyone down the field and snaring the towering Kyle Muir (Spencerport, NY/ Syracause Univ.) boot out of the air. In his second career start, true freshman middle linebacker Justin McKillop (Saugus, CA/ Saugus) turned in the most productive afternoon of his young career, registering a career-best eight tackles, including four solo stops. He was also credited with 2.0 tackles for loss for minus eight yards and forced a fumble. Prior to the game, Wagner honored its 16 seniors in a Senior Day ceremony however four of those seniors were in street clothes having suffered an assortment of injuries during the course of the season. The four seniors unable to play in their final game on campus due to injury were CB Dario Charlton (Lauderhill, FL/ South Plantation), RB Rodney Davis (Bristol, PA/ Mansfield Univ.), LB John Panik(Staten Island, NY/ Ply Prep) and middle linebacker and captain Jeremy Spinks (Tampa, FL/ Chamberlain). Also included among the many Seahawks unavailable due to injury were the team's leading rusher Shane Smith (Susquehanna, PA/ Honesdale), leading receiver Lon Woods (St. Petersburg, PA/ J.P. Taravella), and starting left tackle Zach Johnson (Locust Grove. VA/ Fork Union).

About the Great Danes
Albany clinched a share of the NEC title with a 41-7 triumph over Robert Morris on Nov. 8. The Great Danes earned a berth in the Gridiron Classic for the second straight year and will host the Pioneer Football League champion at University Field on Dec. 6. Albany has posted six consecutive victories, tying the fifth longest active streak among Division I FCS programs. The Great Danes, who have won 12 in a row against NEC foes, have reached the six-win mark in league play for the fifth time. Albany and Dayton share the longest active FCS conference streak with 12 consecutive victories in league play. The Great Danes have won seven games in a season for the 10th time in the last 13 years. Tailback David McCarty rushed for 129 yards and one TD vs. Robert Morris. The junior equaled a single-season record for 100-yard rushing games (9). McCarty who ranks third among the FCS national rushing leaders at 147.7 per game, moved to second on Albany's all-time charts in both rushing yards (2,978) and all-purpose yards (3,589). McCarty can become the school's career rushing leader with 56 yards in the regular-season finale. His 26-yard TD scamper in the first quarter extended his TD streak to 18 consecutive games. Free safety Dave Casale intercepted two passes, including one for a 23-yard TD in the third quarter at Robert Morris. Casale, who also had seven tackles and one pass break-up, tied the program's FCS standard with his fifth interception this season. Albany's defense held its fourth consecutive opponent under 300 total yards, as the Colonials had 215 yards in offense, including 59 on the ground. ILB Chris Simpson had his best game as a collegian with nine tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. OLB Emerson Kinsey blocked a first-quarter punt that led to a TD and had a sack late in the second period. QB Vinny Esposito passed for 153 of his 201 yards in the first half against Robert Morris. Esposito fired a 16-yard scoring strike to WR Daniel Bocanegra with two seconds left in the first half for a 21-7 lead. Esposito became the first UA player to pass for 200-plus yards three times in the same season at the FCS level. WR Tim Bush caught four passes for 72 yards last week. Bush has 48 receptions, the program's fourth-best single-season mark, respectively. McCarty has run for 100-plus yards in 15 of his last 16 starts. Albany will honor its 12 seniors in a pre-game ceremony prior to the game.