Photo by Brian Foley
Boca Raton, FL - The Wagner Seahawks will face their second FBS opponent of the season, and 11th all-time, when they tangle with the FAU Owls of Conference USA on Saturday, September 21 in a 6:00 p.m. kickoff at FAU Stadium.
All-Time Series
The Seahawks and the Owls, who are coached by Lane Kiffin, are meeting for the second time ever as FAU eked out a 7-3 win on August 31, 2012 in what was the season opener for both teams and the Owls' first-ever game as an FBS member. Wagner, with current head coach
Jason Houghtaling serving as offensive coordinator/offensive line coach, got out to an 0-3 start to that season before running the table, winning eight straight games in claiming the program's first-ever Northeast Conference (NEC) championship. That 2012 squad would then become the first NEC team to ever win an NCAA FCS Playoff game, knocking off Patriot League member Colgate 31-24. The following week, the Seahawks dropped a hard-fought NCAA Round two matchup at 4th-ranked Eastern Washington by a 24-14 count.
Wagner vs. Conference USAFAU, which was picked third in the 2019 Conference USA East Division Preseason Poll, is one of three CUSA opponents that Wagner has ever faced. On September 6, 2014, the Seahawks dropped a 34-3 decision at FIU. The following season, on September 5, 2015, Wagner fell to Rice by a 56-16 count.
FAU Contests Marks 11th Time Seahawks will Face an FBS Foe
The matchup at FAU marks the 11th time that Wagner will face an FBS foe, having played at least one opponent from college football's highest division in each of the last eight seasons. Wagner has the distinction of playing the two closest games vs. FBS teams among all Northeast Conference (NEC) opponents.
August 31, 2012: FAU 7, Wagner 3 (Point Differential: 4)
August 29, 2019: UConn 24, Wagner 21 (Point Differential: 3)
About the 2019 Seahawks
After opening the 2019 campaign 0-3 mark, the 2019 Seahawks are looking to emulate that 2012 team. Following the FAU game, Wagner will face one more non-conference opponent in Monmouth on October 5, with the other seven contests coming against NEC competition in what figures to be a wide-open eight-team league race. Wagner was picked fourth in the NEC Preseason Poll. In its season opener, back on August 29, the Seahawks battled FBS member UConn to the wire before falling 24-21. The following week, Wagner dropped a 24-14 home contest to Division II East Stroudsburg. Last time out, Wagner dropped a 26-10 decision at former NEC rival Stony Brook.
Florida Flavor
The 2019 Wagner roster is dotted with 13 players from the Sunshine State headed by graduate student quarterback
Christian Alexander-Stevens, a Lakeland, FL native (Lakeland Christian HS). The FIU transfer has completed 52-of-92 passes (56.5%) for 508 yards, with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Seahawks' leading ground-gainer is another Floridian in Pompano Beach's
Dymitri McKenzie (North Broward Prep), who has rushed for 206 yards on 32 carries (6.4), and has scored three of Wagner's five offensive touchdowns. His top performance to date was at UConn when he delivered career bests with 13 carries for 115 yards and two TDs, including a 55-yard scoring jaunt. The Seahawks' most productive defensive player from Florida is Miami's
Myron Morris (Booker T. Washington), who has 10 career interceptions, including two this season, one of which was a 71-yard "Pick-Six" at UConn.
