Staten Island, NY - Wagner opens its 87th season of intercollegiate football by hosting the Saint Anselm Hawks under the lights at Hameline Field on Thursday, August 31 at 6:00 p.m. This marks the second consecutive year that these teams meet in a season opener. In last year's lid-lifter on September 1, 2016, the Seahawks outscored the Hawks 28-6 in the second half in breaking open a game that was tied 10-10 at halftime. Not to be lost among the many offensive superlatives on this night was a virtuoso defensive effort turned in by the Green & White, particularly in the second half.
WAGNER ALL-TIME IN OPENING GAMES
The Seahawks all-time record in season openers is 44-40-2.
WAGNER ALL-TIME VS. NE-10 CONFERENCE
Saint Anselm competes in the Northeast-10, a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level. Tonight's game marks the 12th all-time meeting between Wagner and members of the NE-10 with the Seahawks holding a 6-5 record in these meetings.
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. 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 (7-15), 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. 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.
JOE ADAM - SAINT ANSELM
Joe Adam is in his second season as the head coach of the Saint Anselm football program in 2017 after being named to the position on April 19, 2016. Adam brings more than 20 years of coaching experience with success at all levels of NCAA football, having been a part of two NCAA Division II National Championships, taken teams to bowl games and helped a program reach the NCAA playoffs for the first time in the school's history. He earned his first-career win at Saint Anselm on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 when the Hawks cruised past Pace by a 42-7 score at Grappone Stadium. Adam also led the Hawks to a 28-17 victory over Merrimack on Senior Day the following week.
ABOUT SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE
Saint Anselm, which competes athletically in the NCAA Division II classification as a member of the NE-10 Conference, is la four-year private college comprised of 1,914 students. Located on a hilltop overlooking Manchester, N.H., within an hour of the seacoast, Boston, the White Mountains, and New Hampshire's Lakes Region, was founded in 1889 by the world's oldest religious order, the Benedictines—a Catholic order that has endured and thrived for more than 1,500 years.
ABOUT THE HAWKS
Saint Anselm went 2-9 on the season in 2016 and 2-7 in the NE10 Conference. The Hawks were picked ninth in the 10-team NE10 Preseason Poll.
WAGNER-SAINT ANSELM: THE LAST TIMEQuarterback
Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ/Keyport) passed for 176 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to scoring on a 59-yard run, while running
Denzel Knight (Rochester, NY/Salisbury School) rumbled for 147 yards and a score to lead Wagner to a convincing 38-16 victory over Saint Anselm The Seahawks outscored the Hawks 28-6 in the second half in breaking open a game that was tied 10-10 at halftime. Not to be lost among the many offensive superlatives on this night was a virtuoso defensive effort turned in by the Green & White, particularly in the second half. The only points allowed by the Seahawks following the halftime break came on the game's very last play when Saint Anselm quarterback Yianni Gavalas tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Hill on fourth down as time expired. In the second half, the stingy Seahawk defense held the Hawks to just 166 yards from scrimmage. Linebacker
Quintin Hampton (Moultrie, GA / Colquitt County), who began his collegiate career at FBS member Central Florida, led the Wagner defensive charge with a game-high 10 tackles, including seven solo stops while senior cornerback
Tiquan Garner (Brookville, NY/ Long Island Lutheran) responded to his first start with nine tackles and two pass breakups. Also recording career highs in tackles for the Green & White were junior free safety
Jesse Flaherty (Oceanport, NJ/ The Peddie School) and sophomore inside linebacker
Santoni Graham (Arlington, VA/ Fork Union Military Academy) who recorded eight and five stops, respectively.
WAGNER PLACES FIVE ON 2017 ALL-NEC PRESEASON TEAM, SEAHAWKS PICKED THIRD
Five members of the Wagner football team were selected to the 27-man, 2017 Preseason All-NEC Team, while the Seahawks were picked third in the preseason poll, as chosen by the conference's seven head coaches, the league office announced at the #NECFB Social Media Day at MetLife Stadium in July. Defensive lineman
Jordan Baskerville ((West Point, NY / James I. O'Neill / Milford Academy), kicker
James Cooper (Linwood, NJ / Mainland Regional/ Temple), offensive lineman
Matt Diaz (Edison, NJ/Edison/Milford Academy), quarterback
Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ / Keyport), and wide receiver
John Williams (Sewell, NJ / Lackawanna CC [PA] are the Seahawks tabbed to the All-NEC Preseason Team.
NOTABLE WAGNER FOOTBALL ALUMNIRich Kotite (1963-1965) is perhaps the most recognizable name by Wagner College football fans. Formerly the head coach of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets, Kotite broke onto the football scene as a three-year performer at tight end for the Wagner football program. Kotite graduated with then school-record totals of 119 receptions and 2,065 yards in just three seasons, both of which stood for almost 20 years. Following Wagner, he played six seasons of NFL football with the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kotite also worked for 13 seasons as an assistant coach under coaches as Hank Stram, Sam Rutigliano and Buddy Ryan ,before rising to the rank of head coach for Philadelphia (1991-1994) and New York (1995-1996). A staunch supporter of Wagner athletics, Kotite can often be found in the stands attending a Seahawk event. Of more recent vintage, Wagner has three current former players playing professional football. Linebacker
Julian Stanford is in his sixth season in the NFL and is currently on the New York Jets. Linebacker
Najee Harris is in his first season with the Oakland Raiders while fullback
C.O. Prime is in his fourth season in the CFL as a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
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