Smithfield, RI - The Seahawks will look to remain atop the Northeast Conference standings when they tangle with the Bryant Bulldogs on October 22 at 1:00 p.m. Heading into Saturday's play, Wagner is tied for first place in the  NEC standings with Saint Francis U, with each team possessing 2-0 league marks.

Wagner vs. Bryant: The Series

This will mark the ninth meeting all-time between the schools with Bryant holding a 5-3 edge in a series that began in 2008. In that time, neither team has won more than two consecutive games. Last season, the Bulldogs posted a 40-10 win on Grymes Hill. The last time the teams met in Smithfield, RI was in the final game of the 2014 season when the Seahawks earned a 23-20 comeback win, which secured the Green & White a share of the NEC regular season title with Sacred Heart 

Last Time Out for Wagner:

Wagner outscored Central Connecticut 15-0 in the fourth quarter in posting a thrilling 25-21 come-from-behind Northeast Conference (NEC) road victory last Saturday. Junior quarterback Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ / Keyport) led Wagner on fourth-quarter touchdown drives of 90 and 54 yards en route to a 270-yard passing performance. Thomson's second-highest career passing day came on 19-of-28 accuracy, with senior wide receiver Andre Yevchinecz (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) corralling four receptions for 88 yards. Junior running back Denzel Knight (Rochester, NY / Salisbury School) rushed for a career-high 150 yards on just 13 carries, an effort buoyed by first quarter runs of 51 and 70 yards with the 51-yarder coming on Wagner's first play from scrimmage and the latter which gave the Seahawks an early 7-0 lead. After leading 10-7, CCSU  took a 21-10 halftime lead, which is the way the score remained until the Seahawks posted their 15-0 fourth-quarter rally.

The Coaches 

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 (5-12) was the Seahawks' associate head coach and offensive coordinator when the 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. 

Bryant

Marty Fine is in his 13th season at the helm of the Bulldog football team and has amassed a record of 77-59 in that time. His teams have won seven games five times and eight games on three occasions (2006, 2007, 2014). Fine was also responsible for guiding the Black and Gold through the transition to the Division I level, beginning in the 2008 season. In seven seasons at the DI level, Fine's teams have won seven games four times and have finished with a .500 or better record all six years as a member of the NEC.

2-0 NEC Start

Junior running back Denzel Knight, (Rochester, NY / Salisbury School) and junior free safety Jesse Flaherty (Oceanport, NJ / Red Bank Catholic / The Peddie School) were named NEC Primetime performers for the their efforts in last Saturday's 25-21 comeback win at Central Connecticut. Knight rushed for a career-high 150 yards on just 13 carries, an effort buoyed by first quarter runs of 51 and 70 yards with the 51-yarder coming on Wagner's first play from scrimmage, and the latter giving the Seahawks an early 7-0 lead. Flaherty, meanwhile, spearheaded the Seahawks defense, tying for game-high honors with nine tackles while coming up with his second interception of the season.

Greg Senat: Two-Sport Athlete