WATCH | Live Stats | Game Notes
Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College football team will play host to LIU on Friday night at 7:00 pm in a game nationally televised on ESPN3 and NECFrontRow.
Backfield Gets A Boost
Freshman
Zachary Palmer-Smith and sophomore
Rickey Spruill both ran for touchdowns against Merrimack. This marked the first touchdown of Palmer-Smith's collegiate career and Wagner's first game of the season with multiple rushing touchdowns.
Leo And Vallar Hit Milestones
Titus Leo and
Tre Vallar both hit milestones on Saturday. Leo recorded his 200
th career tackle, while Vallar made the 100
th tackle of his career.
Leo is Wagner's leading tackler on the season with 33 stops, while Vallar is tied for second with 30 total tackles.
Passing Game Remains Efficient
On Saturday, the Seahawks threw for over 200 yards for the second consecutive game and third time this season.
Senior
Nick Kargman's 12.49 yards per completion ranks among the top-40 in the country as he is approaching 1000 yards passing this season despite missing one game due to injury.
Kickoff Return Team Gives Seahawks A Spark
Wagner sits first in the NEC and 26
th nationally with 22.83 yards per kickoff return. Junior
Jordan Murrell leads the league and is 16
th in the country with 25.4 yards per return.
Staying Disciplined
On the season, the Seahawks are 10
th in the country in fewest penalty yards (231), 22
nd in fewest penalties (30), and 24
th in fewest penalties per game (6).
Simmons Shines Again
Junior
Naiem Simmons once again showed why he is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NEC, hauling in four catches for 92 yards against Merrimack.
Simmons is among the top-40 nationally in receiving yards (455) and receiving yards per game (75.8) while leading the NEC in yards per reception, as his 18.96 yards per catch rank 28
th nationally.
Leo Continues To Impress
Titus Leo once again led the Seahawks in tackles against Merrimack with seven total stops and one sack.
Leo has been the recipient of numerous preseason awards, taking home HERO Sports First Team Preseason All-America, STATS Perform Second Team Preseason All-America, and Preseason All-NEC honors. Leo also earned a spot on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, which Stats Perform presents to the national defensive player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision. Most recently, Leo was named to the watch list for the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl. Leo joins an elite list comprised of the best seniors and graduate students across all of college football.
Following the 2021 season, Leo was named a Stats Perform FCS Third All-American, First Team FCS All-American by HERO Sports, and Third Team All-American by Phil Steele.
After earning his Bachelor's Degree in Sociology in May, Leo has re-enrolled at Wagner, where he is pursuing a Master's Degree in Business Administration.
Leo was also named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. No player has ever won the NEC Defensive Player of the Year award three times.
This marked the fourth straight season a Seahawk has won the highest honor for a defensive player in the NEC, as Leo follows Super Bowl LV Champion and former All-American
Cam Gill, who won the award in 2018 and 2019 and was a HERO Sports FCS Second Team All-American in 2019.
Wagner is the first school in NEC history to win four consecutive NEC Defensive Player of the Year awards. Leo, Gill and defensive lineman Bill Sommers, who earned the distinction in 1996, are the only Wagner players to earn NEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The Series
In the Division I era, the Seahawks and Sharks only met in 2019 and 2021, with Wagner coming away with the 24-14 victory in 2019.
Graduate student quarterback
Christian Alexander-Stevens completed 27-of-36 passes for 267 yards, ran for two scores and threw for another, and the Wagner defense recorded six sacks while allowing just 18 net rushing yards en route to a 24-14 victory over the Sharks.
Last season, both teams went into the half tied at 14-14, before the Sharks pulled away for the 28-14 win in the second half.
Scouting The Sharks
LIU enters Friday's contest with an 0-6 record, most recently falling 57-7 at home against Saint Francis U.
The Sharks sit at 0-2 in NEC play.
The Schedule
Four more conference games will round out the 2022 schedule, with a home contest against Sacred Heart Sacred Heart (November 12) and road games at Central Connecticut (October 29), Stonehill (November 5), and Duquesne (November 19).
