WATCH | Live Stats | Game Notes
New Britain, CT - The Wagner College football team will travel to Central Connecticut on Saturday, looking for a second consecutive victory.
Last Time Out
Wagner earned a 37-26 victory over LIU on Friday night at Hameline Field for the Seahawks' first victory of the season.
The win also marked the first win for Wagner under head coach
Tom Masella.
Wagner never trailed throughout the entirety of the contest and scored two defensive touchdowns to pick up the victory.
Wily Named NEC Defensive Player of the Week
Linebacker
Junior Wily was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.
A team captain in his first year on Grymes Hill, the junior played a major factor in Wagner's 37-26 victory over LIU, finishing with four tackles, one sack, and an interception return for a touchdown.
Leading 30-19 with just over 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Wagner's defensive front generated pressure on LIU quarterback Derek Green, with Wily picking up the errant ball and returning it 49 yards for the score.
Wily becomes the first Seahawk to win an NEC weekly award this season.
The Series
Saturday's contest will be the 34
th meeting between these longtime rivals, with CCSU leading the series 17-16. CCSU has won the last four matchups against Wagner, including 21-19 victory at Hameline Field last year. During the last four meetings, the teams have combined for 249 points, highlighted by a 51-45 four-overtime classic on Staten Island in 2017.
Masella's Homecoming
Saturday's game marks another homecoming for head coach
Tom Masella. Apart from helping the Seahawks to a league title in 2012, Masella helped the Blue Devils to NEC Championships in 2004 and 2005. In two seasons at CCSU, Masella compiled a15-6 overall record and 11-3 conference mark, winning two championships in the process.
Simmons Shines
Naiem Simmons once again led Wagner with eight catches for 85 yards and a score against LIU. Simmons ranks third in the NEC and in the top-40 nationally in receiving yards (540) and receiving yards per game (77.1).
Defensive Scores
With three defensive touchdowns on the season, the Seahawks are tied for third in the nation and first in the NEC. Only Houston Christian and Southern U have more defensive scores on the season. Wagner is tied with Colgate, Columbia, and Jackson State with three touchdowns on defense this season.
Backfield Gets A Boost
For the second consecutive week, freshman
Zachary Palmer-Smith and sophomore
Rickey Spruill found the end zone on the ground, marking Wagner's second game of the season with multiple rushing touchdowns.
Wagner's 137 yards on the ground marked a season-high.
Staying Disciplined
The Seahawks continue to be one of the least penalized teams in the country. Wagner is 15
th in the country with 281 penalty yards on the season and is also among the top 25 teams in fewest penalties (34, 19
th), and fewest penalty yards per game (40.14, 16
th).
Special Teams Solidifying
Wagner's special teams played a major impact in Wagner's win over LIU and continue to improve.
Sophomore
Austin Hosier connected on four extra points and a 39-yard field goal. Junior
Jordan Murrell leads the NEC and is 19
th in the country with 24.5 yards per kickoff return.
Leo Continues To Dominate
Titus Leo was named an NEC Prime Performer after a team-leading nine tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble on Friday night.
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.
Scouting The Blue Devils
Central Connecticut enters Saturday's matchup with an 0-7 record, most recently falling 30-6 against Duquesne. The Blue Devils are one of two winless teams remaining in the NEC.
The Schedule
Three more conference games will round out the 2022 schedule, with a home contest against Sacred Heart (November 12) and road games at Stonehill (November 5), and Duquesne (November 19).
