Photo by Dave Saffran
Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College football team nearly erased an eight-point fourth quarter deficit, but could not complete the comeback, falling 21-19 against Central Connecticut on Saturday afternoon in front of 2,271 fans at Hameline Field.
With the loss, the Seahawks fall to 0-2 on the year and 0-1 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play, while the Blue Devils even their record at 1-1 on the year and improve to 1-0 in conference play.
Trailing 21-13 with less than six minutes to play, the Seahawks' offense orchestrated a six-play, 60-yard drive that included multiple big gains by quarterback
Jaalon Frazier and freshman running back
Rickey Spruill. With 5:34 to play, Frazier found junior
Jayvin Little for an 18-yard strike, but the two-point conversion attempt failed to make it 21-19.
Needing a stop, the Wagner defense delivered, as a sack by sophomore
Lennox Lamar pushed the Blue Devils back and eventually forced them to punt with 3:17 to play.
Frazier and the offense were on the move once again in the final minute, as a fourth-down catch and run by fifth year senior
Jeremiah Lorick and an ensuing personal foul on Central Connecticut moved the ball into the red zone, where a last-minute field goal attempt sailed wide left, giving CCSU the victory.
Frazier finished as the game's leading rusher with 77 yards, while also throwing for 146 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore
Naiem Simmons scored the Seahawks' first touchdown of the contest, a six-yard run to give Wagner a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Defensively, the Wagner defense racked up five sacks and 10 tackles for loss, with sophomore
Andre Crawley leading the way with two sacks, while seniors
Titus Leo and
Tre Vallar along with Lamar finished with one sack apiece.
Freshman
Austin Hosier finished the contest with two field goals and one extra point for his first collegiate points.
Next Saturday, the Seahawks will travel to Loretto, PA to take on Saint Francis U.
