Smithfield, RI – After taking part in the highest-scoring game in Northeast Conference (NEC) history last week, the Wagner College football team found itself in a defensive battle with Bryant, coming up on the short end of a 6-2 decision at windy and soggy Bulldog Stadium.
The Seahawks came into the game ranked No. 2 in the nation in scoring at 41.8 points per game following a 56-48 triple-overtime win over Saint Francis (PA) last week but were unable to muster any offensive points vs. the stout Bulldog defense.
Wagner falls to 2-3 on the season, 1-1 in the NEC while Bryant moves to 3-1 overall, 2-0 in league play.
The lone Wagner points of the game came on a safety which broke the 0-0 tie and gave the Seahawks a short-lived 2-0 lead. With 3:22 to play in the third quarter and Bryant punting from its own 10-yard line, an errant snap sailed into the end zone and Bulldog punter Tim Miscovich wisely booted through the end zone for the safety as Wagner took the 2-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
That's the way the score remained until a bad snap on a punt have Bryant possesson for the ball at the Wagner 37-yard line. From there, Bryant put together a five-play, 37-yard drive, capped by a 17-yard TD jaunt with 10:29 left in the game by RB Jerell Smith, who would finished the day with 178 yards on 31 carries. The extra-point try failed, leaving the Bulldogs with the scant four-point lead. Wagner had its opportunities throughout the second half, taking over several times with excellent field position, but the Bulldogs had every answer on defense.
Bulldog QB Matt Croce completed 10-of-24 passes for 120 yards.
While the potent Wagner offense was held in check, this was clearly the Seahawks' best defensive game of the season. Coming into the game, Wagner was yielding 40.5 points per game. Statistically, Bryant did out-gain Wagner 340 yards to 105.
Freshman RB
Dominique Williams (Bridgeton, NJ/ Milford), coming off three straight 100-yard plus rushing performances, was Wagner's leading ground-gainer with 49 yards on 14 carries. Freshman QB
Nick Doscher (Staten Island, NY/ Moore Catholic) completed 5-of-12 passes for 46 yards and ran for 23 yards on 17 carries, a statistic skewed by being sacked twice for minus 13 yards.
Defensively for Wagner, sophomore LB
Dom Gaston (Phillipsburg, NJ/ Bergen Catholic) and freshman LB Carl-Olivier Prime (Quebec, CA/ The Kent School) led the Wagner defense nine tackles apiece.
Wagner returns to action next Saturday when the Seahawks make the short trek down the Jersey Shore to meet Monmouth on Sat., Oct. 10 in a 1:00 pm kickoff.
FINAL STATS
