Pictured Above: Senior linebacker Matt Barnett goes airbone earlier this season at BYU (photo by Harry Caston)Fairfield, CT – Fresh off a convincing 28-7 Senior Day victor over Central Connecticut, the Wagner Seahawks (1-9, 1-4 NEC) will look to make it two in a row when they travel to Sacred Heart (5-5, 2-3 NEC) to meet the defending Northeast Conference (NEC) champions today in a noon Kickoff.
Seahawks Feature Reigning NEC Offensive and Defensive Players of the WeekSenior running back
Otis Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Dillard) and junior cornerback
Tim Hayes (Los Angeles, CA/University of Wyoming) earned Northeast Conference (NEC) Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week honors, respectively, for their efforts in Wagner's 28-7 triumph over Central Connecticut last Saturday. Wright delivered a performance for the ages vs. the Blue Devils, racking up a career-high 193 rushing yard on 24 carries, highlighted by a 66-yard third-quarter burst up the left sideline which set up the Seahawks' fourth touchdown of the afternoon. The 5-10, 190-pound Hayes, a first-year Seahawk, delivered his top performance of the season, producing a host of big plays to help the Seahawks limit Central Connecticut to seven points, the fewest by a Wagner opponent this season. The University of Wyoming transfer totaled five solo tackles, one pass break-up and came up with a pair of huge interceptions that preserved the Seahawks' second-half lead during the 28-7 conference victory. Hayes denied CCSU on a scoring chance in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, picking off a pass in the end zone.
Superlatives From 28-7 Win Over Central ConnecticutOffenseOffensively, the Seahawks registered high water marks in points (28), total offense (428 yards), yards rushing (316), yards per rush (6.4), and yards per play (6.8). Individually, the 193 yards rushing by Wright are the most by a Seahawk since November 12, 2011, when former All-American
Dominique Williams gained 216 yards on 32 carries and scored four touchdowns in a 38-17 victory at Robert Morris. Williams, a member of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings' practice squad, was on hand for Saturday's game along with a host of other former Seahawk letterwinners.
Defense Defensively, the 267 yards allowed were the fewest allowed on the season as were the 81 rushing yards. The Seahawks also recorded season bests in interceptions (4) and sacks (4).
The Series
This is the 18th meeting between the schools and the Seahawks hold a slim edge in the all-time series. In the most recent matchup, on October 11, 2014, Sacred Heart came away with a 23-7 victory on Staten Island in a game that was carried live to a national audience on ESPN3. This contest ultimately decided the NEC race as Wagner and SHU wound up as Co-NEC regular season champions, finishing with identical 5-1 league marks. But, it was the Pioneers who represented the conference in the FCS Playoffs by virtue of this head-to-head win. This marked back-to-back NEC titles for the Pioneers. Two years ago, the Seahawks gave SHU its only NEC blemish when current fifth-year senior kicker
Bryan Maley (Eagle River, Alaska/Chugiak), subbing for injured All-NEC kicker
David Lopez, booted a game-winning kick to lift Wagner to a 23-20 comeback win.
The Last Time These Teams Met
Staten Island, NY (Oct. 11, 2014) – In a wild, action-packed game that featured several huge, momentum-swinging plays, defending NEC champion Sacred Heart posted a defensive-minded 23-7 win over Wagner on Hameline Field. With the loss, the Seahawks saw a three-game winning streak come to an end as Wagner fell to 4-4 on the season before winning their last three games to finish 7-4. This was a matchup of teams that claimed the last two NEC titles as Wagner captured the league championship in 2012 while the Pioneers were the 2013 NEC Champions with their lone conference loss last season coming in a 23-20 home defeat to the Seahawks. Last season's game turned when Sacred Heart defensive back Preston Sanford returned a blocked field goal 96 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter that gave the Pioneers a 17-7 lead. On SHU's next possession, Seahawk freshman defensive lineman
Jordan Baskerville (West Point, NY/Milford Academy) blocked a field goal but SHU fullback Pat Casey scooped it up and ran it in for a 26-yard touchdown. Junior running back
Otis Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Dillard) carried the ball 16 times for a then career-high 98 yards, highlighted by a 53-yard first-quarter touchdown run that gave Wagner a 7-0 lead. Fifth-year senior linebacker
Max Wassel (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley), who is currently in his first year as inside linebackers coach for the Green & White, delivered a career-high 18-tackle effort, headlined by a career-high 11 solo stops and two forced fumbles. Sacred Heart quarterback RJ Noel completed 13 of 28 passes for 114 G yards and gained 33 yards on 14 rushing attempts. Wide Receiver Moses Webb scored on an eight-yard reverse just before halftime to give Sacred Heart a 10-7 lead at the break, while also coming up with five receptions for 51 yards.
The CoachesJason Houghtaling (Ho-tail-ling) is in his first season as the head coach of the Seahawks, taking over for 34-year head coach
Walt Hameline, who announced last November that he would be stepping down while remaining as Seahawk athletic director. Houghtaling, a 2004 Binghamton graduate who began his collegiate career at Lafayette, was the Seahawks' associate head coach and offensive coordinator last season and has spent seven years as a Wagner assistant. In his last three years as offensive coordinator, the Seahawks amassed a 16-6 NEC record with league titles in two of the last three seasons. In 2014, the Seahawks' offense ranked No. 4 nationally in time of possession and did not commit a turnover in the last three games of the season.
Over the course of his first three seasons as the head football coach at Sacred Heart, Mark Nofri already secured himself a place in the conversation of program greats. With a 5-5 record heading into the final game of his fourth season, 22nd with the program, Nofri has a career mark of 26-20, including back-to-back NEC titles and Coach of the Year accolades. Nofri earned his second consecutive NEC Coach of the Year award in 2014, leading the Pioneers to their first-ever national rankings and second consecutive berth in the FCS Playoffs. SHU defeated nationally ranked Delaware, on the road, and Bryant, at home, for the program's first-ever wins over nationally ranked opponents. Nofri and the Pioneers went 9-3 in 2014, with a 5-1 mark in league play as they earned the league's automatic FCS berth on the strength of the win at Wagner. For the second time in as many seasons the Pioneers travelled to the Bronx to take on Fordham in FCS action, where they fell, 44-22.
Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@WagnerAthletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and @Wagner_Football for all the latest news pertaining to Wagner Football and first-year head coach Jason Houghtaling @HossWagner #CHAOSonthehill. Seahawk athletics can also be followed on Instagram (@wagnerathletics)
