Pictured Above: DB David Thomas (photo by Dave Saffran)
Pittsburgh, PA - Coming off a thrilling 37-20 victory over Patriot League member Lehigh, the Wagner football team will look to make it two in a row when the Seahawks travel to the Iron City to meet traditional Northeast Conference (NEC) linchpin Duquesne on Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field.
WAGNER VS. DUQUESNE
THE MATCHUP
With the win, which came in the Seahawks' first home contest since the 37-7 season-opening victory over NCAA Division II Saint Anselm, Wagner broke a three-game losing streak, all on the road, in improving to 2-3. The first of those three losses came in the NEC opener back on September 7 at Saint Francis U (31-7). While the Seahawks are 0-1 in league play, the game against Wagner will be the conference opener for Duquesne. Coming off a 38-13 win over Division II member, West Virginia Wesleyan, the Dukes enter Saturday's play with a 3-1 record, with wins over Valparaiso (45-40) and Dayton (28-23). Their lone loss came at now 8th-ranked South Dakota by a count of 51-13 in the August 31 season opener.
WAGNER VS. DUQUESNETHE SERIES
The Seahawks and the Dukes will tangle for the 13th time with Duquesne holding a slim 7-5 edge in the all-time series. Duquesne came out on top last season, earning a late-season 28-20 comeback win on November 5 at Hameline Field. The Seahawks jumped out to a 10-0 lead and led 17-14 at halftime, before Duquesne mounted a second-half comeback in earning the win. In the last five meetings, the Dukes hold a 3-2 edge. On November 17, 2012, these teams met in the regular season finale with everything on the line, with Wagner eking out a 23-17 win in claiming its first NEC Championship. These teams have met as NEC rivals in each of the last 10 seasons with Duquesne holding a 6-3 advantage. Prior to the Dukes joining the NEC as an associate member in football 2008, Wagner and Duquesne met three previous times in the mid-1990's with the Seahawks holding a 2-1 edge in these meetings. The Dukes got the upper hand in the most meaningful of these three contests, however, as Duquesne earned a 44-20 win on November 18, 1995 in the ECAC-IFC Division I-AA Bowl in Pittsburgh.
THE COACHES
JASON HOUTAGHLING - WAGNER
Jason Houghtaling (say it Ho-tal-ling) is in his third season as the head coach of the Seahawks and, at age 36, is the third-youngest head coach in the FCS. Houghtaling (9-18), who guided Wagner to a 6-5 record (4-2 in the NEC, third place) in 2016, 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.
JERRY SCHMITT- WAGNER
Four Northeast Conference championships in the past six seasons, and the University's first trip to the NCAA FCS Playoffs in 2015, highlight the resume of 13th year Duquesne football coach Jerry Schmitt (79-55). A finalist for the 2015 STATS FCS Coach of the Year, Schmitt has seen seven players invited to NFL rookie camps over the past two seasons. Last year, Duquesne, which tied for the NEC title, was one of just four FCS programs with players among the finalists for the three major FCS individual awards.
DENZEL KNIGHT, DAVID THOMAS NAMED NEC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Redshirt-junior running back
Denzel Knight (Rochester, NY / Salisbury School) was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Offensive Player of the Week, while sophomore strong safety
David Thomas (Buffalo, NY / South Park) was tabbed the conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week, for their efforts in
Denzel Knight David Thomas
Saturday's 37-20 victory over Lehigh. Knight, who needed just 17 touches to gain 199 yards from scrimmage, rushed for a career-high 152 yards on 14 carries, highlighted by touchdown runs of 60 and 24 yards, in the win. In the opening half vs. Lehigh in what was the first-ever meeting between the schools separated by just 87 miles, Knight had just 20 yards on four carries as running mate
Ryan Fulse (Fort Meade, FL / Fort Meade) ran for 102 first-half yards on 15 carries and two TDs, one of which was a 50-yard score.
In half number two, Knight's number was called early and often and the 6-2, 220-pound tailback carried 10 times for 132 yards in the second half alone. Knight closed out the game with his long TD run in the fourth quarter, finishing with 153 yards.
On the other side of the ball, Thomas tied the Wagner school record with three interceptions, first accomplished by Tony Smith vs. Iona on October 16, 2004, in helping the Seahawks match the school record with five interceptions vs. the Mountain Hawks. Now one of five players in the FCS to record three interceptions in a game this season, Thomas also tied the NEC single-game record that was originally set by Central Connecticut's Chris Blackshear in 2002. In addition to earning player of the week honors, Knight and Thomas were named #NECPrimePerformers, as was junior inside linebacker
Quintin Hampton (Moultrie, GA / Colquitt County / UCF), who recorded a game-high 11 tackles to go along with two sacks.
WAGNER IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
• The Seahawks rank third in the country with nine interceptions on the season, including three by sophomore defensive back
David Thomas (Buffalo, NY / South Park). Wagner is seventh in NCAA FCS with 12 turnovers gained.
• Linebacker
Quintin Hampton (Moultrie, GA / Colquitt County / UCF) ranks fifth in the country with 2.0 tackles for loss per game and 1.2 sacks per contest.
• Running back
Ryan Fulse (Fort Meade, FL / Fort Meade / Monroe CC) sits eighth in NCAA FCS with six rushing touchdowns on the season. He had a pair of touchdowns runs against both Columbia (9/16) and again vs. Lehigh (9/30).
MASSEI SETTLING IN AT QB
Starting his third straight game in place of All-NEC Preseason selection
Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ / Keyport), who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at Saint Francis U on October 7, junior quarterback
Luke Massei (Cary, NC / Green Hope) turned in his best performance to date against Lehigh. Remaining poised despite facing early deficits of 7-0 and 14-7, the North Carolinian completed 20-off-32 passes for 205 yards, all career highs, in the 37-20 win over the Mountain Hawks. The 6-1, 190-pound Massei tossed one touchdown, a 30-yard strike to redshirt-junior wide receiver
Willie Dale (Staten Island, NY / St. Peter's), and was picked off twice.
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