FINAL STATS
STATEN ISLAND, NY – Wagner took a quick 7-0 lead before Bryant struck back with a four-yard punt return for a touchdown and a tipped interception at the Seahawk four-yard line that set up another score en route to 24 unanswered points and an eventual 24-14 win at soggy Wagner College Stadium.
With the victory, the Bulldogs improved to 3-2 while the Seahawks saw their two-game winning streak come to an end in falling to 2-2 on the season.
Wagner got off to a fast start when junior QB Adam Farnsworth ( N. Ogden, UT/ Univ of Iowa) hit Pete Zagorski (Matawan, NJ/ Rutgers Univ.) in the left flat and the big senior tight end rumbled up the sideline for an 80-yard touchdown. The Division II Bulldogs, who will be full-fledged member s of the Northeast Conference in 2012, then swung the momentum their way when Andrew Whyte blocked a Kyle Muir punt and Anthony Castelli scooped it up and ran four yards for the game-tying touchdown.
On Wagner's very next drive, Bryant DB Bryce Martins picked off a Farnsworth pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage and returned it 15 yards to the Seahawk four-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage following the pick, which was also the first play of the second quarter, Lindsey Gamble powered his way into the end zone to give Bryant the lead for good at 14-7.
The wet conditions caused more special teams trouble for Wagner as Muir mishandled a snap on a punt attempt and the Bulldogs took over near midfield. The Wagner defense stiffened, holding the Bulldogs to a Chris Bird 20-yard field goal that staked the Bulldogs to a 17-7 halftime lead.
A facemask penalty on the opening kickoff of the second half gave Bryant excellent field position at its own 47-yard line. QB Jay Graber then engineered a crisp nine-play, 53-yard drive that was capped by a seven-yard TD strike from Graber to WR Anthony DiNaso, which gave Bryant a 24-7 edge. Wagner senior QB Matt Abbey (La Canada, CA/ St. Francis) rounded out the day's scoring by connecting with WR David Crawford (Carrollton, TX/ Hebron) on a 19-yard aerial with 1:27 left in the game but Bryant sealed the win by recovering the ensuing onsides kick.
Bryant RB Jerell Smith churned out a 143 yards on 31 carries while Gamble added 44 yards on nine carries. Graber was 8-of-17 through the air for 79 yards and one TD while the Seahawk defense recorded three sacks.
Wagner, which opens Northeast Conference play next Saturday at Central Connecticut St., is riddled with injuries at various positions. Already without freshman RB Prince Young (Neptune, NJ/ Fork Union), who is out indefinitely with an elbow injury suffered in last week's win at Marist, workhorse junior RB Shane Smith (Susquehanna, PA/ Milford) aggravated a hamstring injury suffered in practice this week and left the game for good in the first quarter. Smith, the 10th-leading rusher in the FCS coming into the game and coming off a 130-yard outing last week at Marist, gained five yards on three carries.
In addition, starting left tackle Zach Johnson (Locust Grove, VA/ Fork Union) did not play due to a right knee injury while senior guard Matt Martin (Pennsauken, NJ/ Pennsauken) re-injured his already hurting left ankle in the third quarter and did not return.
As a result of the rash of injuries at RB, freshman DB Ryan Middleton (Winter Garden. FL/ West Orange), a two-way star in high school, was switched to offense last week in practice and wound up as Wagner's leading rusher with 21 yards on nine carries. Farnsworth completed 9-of-18 passes for 124 yards, one TD and one INT, but was under constant duress and wound up being sacked five times. Abbey replaced Farnsworth in the second half and wound up 7-of-17 passing with one TD and interception.
Seahawk sophomore safety Stefen Gage (Syracuse, NY/ Henninger) led all tacklers with a career-high 15, including seven solo stops. Senior LB Jason Haskins (Matawan, NJ/ Kean Univ. ) and junior DT Joe Harkins (Washington, DC/ St. John's College), registered 10 and nine tackles, respectively.
Bryant out-gained Wagner 245-219. The Bulldogs held a huge 201-57 edge in the rushing department while Wagner threw for 236 yards to Bryant's 79.
