Postgame Press Conference
Pictured Above: Junior Running Back
Ryan Fulse (Photo: Dave Saffran)
Staten Island, NY – Redshirt-junior quarterback
Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ / Keyport) completed 21-of-28 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown and the Wagner defense held Saint Anselm to 139 total yards, including just 10 through the air, as the Seahawks earned a 37-7 victory in the season opener for both teams tonight at Hameline Field.
Junior wide receiver
D'Erren Wilson (Greeneville, TX / Greeneville), a 6'3" transfer from the University of Central Florida, recorded 10 receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown while redshirt junior running back
Denzel Knight (Rochester, NY / Rochester / Salisbury School) ran for three scores as Wagner held an overwhelming 417-139 edge in total yardage.
Following a scoreless first quarter, senior
Gerald Kahari (Lynn, MA / St. John's Prep) returned a punt 51 yards to the Hawks' 11-yard line to set up a five-yard touchdown run by junior running back
Ryan Fulse (Fort Meade, FL / Fort Meade / Monroe CC (NY), who was also seeing his first action as a Seahawk, as Wagner jumped on top 7-0 with 12:15 left in the third quarter.
On Saint Anselm's ensuing drive, senior linebacker Matthieu Louiselle (Quebec, Canada / Vermont Academy) stripped running back Correy King of the ball as senior defensive tackle
Christan Gore (Macomb, MI / Dakota / Western Michigan) recovered at the Hawks' 31.
After Thomson connected with senior wide receiver
John Williams (Sewell, NJ / Washington Township Lackawanna JC) and sophomore tight end Nick Galanti (Howell, NJ / Freehold Township) on receptions of 16 and 13 yards, respectively, Knight barreled in from the two to cap a four-play, 31-yard drive.
This score, following a failed extra point, gave the Seahawks a 13-0 lead at halftime.
Wagner then put the game out of reach by opening the second half on a crisp nine-play, 65-yard drive, capped by a six yard TD strike from Thomson to Wilson in the back of the end zone, which made it a 20-0 game with 10:09 left in the third quarter.
Fifth-year senior placekicker
James Cooper (Linwood, NJ / Mainland Regional / Temple) then booted a 40-yard field goal before Knight capped the Wagner scoring with touchdown bursts of one and 27 yards, respectively.
Trailing by the count of 30-0, Saint Anselm notched its lone touchdown of the night on a three-yard run by Ben Reiffarth with 10:14 remaining in the game.
The Green & White will face a huge test next time out when the Seahawks make the long trek to Loretto, PA to meet defending Northeast Conference champion Saint Francis U on Saturday, September 9 at Noon in a game that will be carried live on ESPN3.
NOTES – With his 256-yard passing game tonight, Thomson enters the Wagner all-time Top 10 in career passing yards, now checking in at number eight with 3,777 passing yards. The 10 passing yards allowed by the Seahawks tonight are just 10 shy of the all-time record for fewest passing yards allowed in a game. On September 23, 1978, Wagner held Hobart to 0 yards passing during a 13-8 victory. Serving as honorary captain and presiding over the pre-game coin toss was retired four-star general, David Rodriguez, who served who last served as the Commander of the United States Africa Command.
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