New Britain, CT - The Wagner College football team will look to run its record to 2-0 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play when the Seahawks travel to Central Connecticut State to tangle with the Blue Devils in a 1:00 p.m. road tilt on Saturday, October 15. 

This weekend's contest between the two schools will be streamed live on the WatchESPN app (ESPN3).

Wagner vs. CCSU: The Last Time
Senior Otis Wright rushed for a career-high 193 yards on 24 carries while fellow classmate Mike Mentor recorded nine tackles to spearhead a defensive effort that produced five sacks and four interceptions as Wagner produced a convincing 28-7 win over Central Connecticut on Senior Day at Hameline Field. Quarterback Alex Thomson wound up with 64 yards rushing on 11 carries, keyed by a 45-yard first-quarter TD jaunt. The Jersey Shore product was also 7-of-13 passing for 72 yards. Fifth-year senior WR Anthony Carrington added four receptions for a career-high 90 yards on the day, including a 40-yard reception on an option pass thrown by wide receiver Andre Yevchinecz, a former high school quarterback. Defensively, in addition to Mentor's nine tackles, fifth-year senior linebacker Greg Hilliard had seven stops (five solo), linebackers Najee Harris and Randall May finished with six tackles apiece. The Seahawk defensive unit was credited with five total sacks (minus 30 yards), eight tackles for loss (minus 44 yards), six pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, four interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Protecting the Ball
One of the keys in Wagner's early season success has been the Seahawks' ability to protect the football this season, having committed a league-low two turnovers (1 INT, 1 fumble lost) over the first five games.

The Coaches

Wagner
Jason Houghtaling (say it Ho-tal-ling) is in his second season as the head coach of the Seahawks and, at age 35, is the third-youngest head coach in the FCS. He took over for Walt Hameline, who announced at the end of the 2014 season that he would be stepping down as head coach while remaining as Seahawk athletic director. Houghtaling (4-12) was the Seahawks' associate head coach and offensive coordinator when the  Green & White claimed a share of the 2014 NEC title (with Sacred Heart), and overall,  has spent seven years as a Wagner assistant. In his final three seasons as offensive coordinator (2011, 2012, 2014), the Seahawks amassed a 16-6 NEC record with league titles in two of those three years. In 2014, the Seahawks' offense ranked No. 4 nationally in time of possession and did not commit a turnover in the final three games of the season. Houghtaling served as offensive coordinator at Cornell in 2013 before returning to Grymes Hill as associate head coach/offensive coordinator.

Central Connecticut
Head Coach Pete Rossomando, a Staten Island native, is in his third season as the head coach at Central Connecticut and brings a record of 8-20 into today's contest. Rossomando was named the 13th head coach of the CCSU football program on January 22, 2014, after spending five seasons at the University of New Haven in the same position.  Central posted a 3-9 season in Rossomando's first year in New Britain. At New Haven, Rossomando led the Chargers to a 42-13 record and two NCAA Playoff appearances. Rossomando was named head coach of the Chargers in December of 2007 as New Haven reinstated its Division II football program after a five-year hiatus.

Comeback Bid Falls Short vs. Columbia
On its final drive of the game, quarterback Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ / Keyport) tried to keep Wagner's hope alive by lofting a high-arcing 25-yard completion to 6-6 junior wide receiver John Williams (Sewell, NJ / Washington Township/Lackawanna CC [PA]) on a clutch 4th-and-10 hook-up. A pair of completions to sophomore tight end Chris Woodard (North Tonawanda, NY / North Tonawanda) of 15 and five yards, respectively, moved the ball to the Columbia 35. Following a Lions' timeout with 1:43 left, senior RB Matthias McKinnon (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn [Jireh Prep (NC)] was held for no gain on 2nd-and-5 before Thomson was sacked for a seven-yard loss on third down, which brought Wagner back to the 42. With no time- outs remaining and facing a 4th-and-12 situation, and when Thomson's hurried pass attempt to Woodard fell incomplete.

Hampton, Garner #NECPrimerPerformers for Efforts vs. Columbia
Seahawk junior linebacker Quintin Hampton (Moultrie, GA / Colquitt County / UCF), spearheaded the Wagner defense in Saturday's tough defeat, registering a game-high 12 tackles, eight of which were solo. Hampton added three sacks in defeat as well, accounting for a total of 10 yards lost.  Senior Tiquan Garner (Brookville, NY / Long Island Lutheran) came up from his cornerback spot to record eight tackles, all of them solo stops. The senior corner added a sack of his own, which went for a six-yard loss while also breaking up three passes, preventing Columbia to score a touchdown in Saturday's contest. 

Seahawk QB Alex Thomson Has Been on the Mark
Junior quarterback Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ / Keyport) has completed 73-of-135 passes (54.1 percent) for 902 yards with eight touchdowns and just one interception in Wagner's first five games. In the 45-20 Homecoming win over Sacred Heart on October 1, the 6-5, 225-pound Jersey Shore product completed 13-of-28 passes for 276 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

About Central Connecticut

Central Connecticut (1-4; 0-1 NEC) leads the circuit in two key special teams categories – punt return average (16.0 ypr) and kickoff coverage (44.1 net avg). CCSU's offensive attack is led by quarterback Jacob Dolegala, a 6-6, 225-pound sophomore, who was named NEC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in last week's 28-16 loss at the University of Pennsylvania of the Ivy League. This marked the program's first 300-yard passing performance since the 2013 season. Dolegala, who hasn't thrown a pick in the last two games, tossed 62-yard touchdown pass which cut the Blue Devils' deficit to 14-7 early in the second quarter. Averaging 8.7 yards per attempt, Dolegala completed passes to seven different receivers in the 28-16 setback.

Northeast Conference Football On ESPN3

The Wagner-Central Connecticut matchup is the NEC's ESPN3 Game of the Week. This is the second time the Seahawks will appear on the NEC/ESPN3 package and third on ESPN3 overall, including the Wagner-Boston College game on September 24. In July, the NEC reached an agreement with ESPN to make ESPN3 the exclusive carrier of eight featured matchups on the gridiron. All seven NEC members will appear at least twice during the eight-game schedule, which will be carried on ESPN's live multi-screen sports network. Five Homecoming game matchups are on the slate. Paul Dottino, a member of the New York Giants Radio Network, will serve as the lead play-by-play voice for the 14th consecutive season. Former NFL head coach, and two-time Super Bowl champion, Kevin Gilbride returns to the booth for the second straight season to handle the color commentary. John Schmeelk will provide sideline coverage.

About ESPN3

ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through WatchESPN. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

Labady Career-Long Run/Top Individual Performance

Following a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, Seahawk junior running back Franklin Labady (Hialeah, FL / Milford Academy), a speedy 5-8, 165-pound transfer from the University of Cincinnati, bolted up the right sideline for 54 yards on first down, racing all the way to the Columbia 21-yard line. Labady's dash set up a 38-yard field goal by, James Cooper (Linwood, NJ / Mainland Regional/ Temple), as the senior forged an early 3-3 tie with Columbia. Thanks largely to his long run, Labady was the team's leading rusher with 64 yards on three carries

McKinnon Delivers Play of the Game/ Top Individual Performance

With the Wagner and Columbia in 3-3 second-quarter tie, following a pair of punts, Thomson found McKinnon in the left flat on a 3rd-and-11 screen pass from the Lions' 47, and the senior did the rest, breaking several tackles en route to a nifty 47-yard touchdown which gave the Seahawks a 10-3 lead.

Defense
Wagner delivered a top defensive performance, repeatedly turning Columbia away in the red zone with a series of defensive stands while holding the Lions without a touchdown, but the Seahawks were unable to generate enough offensively to sustain a 13-6 halftime lead in dropping a hard-fought 15-13 decision on Saturday night. On the evening, Wagner recorded five sacks which went for minus 32 yards. 

Cooper Continues to Excel

Senior placekicker James Cooper (Linwood, NJ / Mainland Regional/ Temple), one week removed from being named Northeast Conference (NEC) Special Player of the Week (Oct. 3), continues to be a major weapon for the Seahawks. Against Columbia on a cold, rainy Saturday night, he was a perfect 2-of-2 on field goal attempts, converting kicks of 38 and 32 yards with three touchbacks. For the season, Cooper has now converted 8-of-9 field goal attempts while registering 15 touchbacks on 30 kickoffs.

Greg Senat: Two-Sport Athlete

A three-year member of the Wagner men's basketball team, who contributed to Wagner's 2016 NEC regular season basketball championship team, Greg Senat (Elmont, NY / Elmont / Marianapolis Prep [CT])  joined the Seahawk football team in March, 2016 and has started the first two games of the season at right tackle. A power forward on the hardwood, the 6-8, 280-pound Senat  competed at tight end for two years during his high school career. A three-sport athlete, who also competed in lacrosse, in addition to basketball and football at Elmont HS, Senat was a member of the Spartans' jayvee football team as a sophomore in 2009 before being elevated to the varsity as a junior in 2010. He then transferred to Marianapolis Prep in 2010 where he focused solely on basketball.

Follow Wagner Athletics on Facebook (facebook.com/WagnerAthletics), Twitter (@wagnerathletics), Instagram (@wagnerathletics) and YouTube (@WagnerSeahawks) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department. Follow @Wagner_Football for all the latest news pertaining to Wagner Football and second-year head coach Jason Houghtaling (@HossWagner). Be sure to follow @WagnerGameday on Twitter for all live in-game updates. #CHAOSonthehill.