Seahawk junior linebacker Quintin Hampton (Moultrie, GA / Colquitt County / UCF) spearheaded a Wagner defensive effort that repeatedly turned Columbia away in the red zone, and included two goal-line stands, in registering a game-high 12 tackles, headlined by three sacks. Redshirt freshman linebacker Santoni Graham (Arlington, VA / Bishop O'Connell / Fork Union Military Academy) added nine tackles while senior Tiquan Garner (Brookville, NY / Long Island Lutheran) continued his fine play, coming up from his cornerback spot to record eight tackles (all solo), including a sack and three tackles for loss. The 5-9, 165-pound Garner also recorded three pass breakups. 

Columbia freshman placekicker Oren Milstein was a perfect 5-of-5 on field goal tries on this damp, drizzly evening at Hameline Field, with the five made kicks setting a Columbia record. While the Lions were unable to find the end zone, a stout defensive effort allowed the five field goals - a pair of 18-yard kicks, along with makes from 33, 36 and 39 yards - to stand up.

After Columbia came up with a fumble on a strip-sack of Wagner junior quarterback Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ / Keyport) at the Seahawk 28 on the Seahawks' first offensive possession, the Green & White turned in their first goal-line stand when fifth-year senior linebacker Najee Harris (Norristown, PA / Norristown) stuffed Columbia quarterback Anders Hill on 3rd-and-goal from the one. This forced the Lions to settle for a Milstein 18-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead with 8:40 left in the opening quarter.

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 reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) Special Player of the Week, James Cooper (Linwood, NJ / Mainland Regional/ Temple), as the senior tied the game at 3-3.

Following an exchange of punts, Thomson found running back Matthias McKinnon (Albany, NY / Bishop Maginn / Jireh Prep [NC[) 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.

A Cooper 32-yard field goal with 2:50 left in the half extended the Wagner lead to 13-3 as the senior improved to 7-of-8 on field goal tries this season. Columbia answered with a 15-play, 59-yard drive that resulted in a 33-yard Milstein field goal with just three seconds left in the half to make it a 13-6 game at the intermission.

Columbia would knock on the door three more times in the second half, with the Seahawk defense forcing the Lions to settle for Milstein field goals of 39, 18 (following another Wagner goal-line stand), and 36 yards. The latter boot, which came with just 4:40 remaining in the game, gave the Columbia its first lead of the game at 15-13.

On its final drive of the game, Thomson kept 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 4^th-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, McKinnon was held for no game on 2^nd-and-5 before Thomson was sacked for a seven-yard loss, on third down, back to the 42. With no time outs remaining, this set up a desperate 4^th-and-12 situation, and when Thomson's hurried pass attempt to Woodard fell incomplete, the Lions took over on downs and ran out the clock in holding on for the 15-13 win.