Photo by Matt Kipp
WATCH | Live Stats | Game Notes
Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College football team will host Saint Francis U this Saturday at 4:00 pm as part of Wagner Weekend.
Double Trouble
The Seahawks' dynamic duo of
Naiem Simmons and
Jayvin Little once again had a productive day at Rutgers.
Simmons led the Seahawks with 55 yards receiving. Through two weeks, he ranks first in the Northeast Conference (NEC) in receiving yards per game (108.5), which is also 15
th in the country. Simmons is also first in the league in yards per reception at 19.73, which ranks 41
st nationally.
Little caught his second touchdown in as many games on Saturday, which ranks 17
th in the country and second in the NEC. The junior was on the receiving end of an eight-yard touchdown pass from senior
Nick Kargman.
Davis Always Around The Ball
Junior
Christian Davis has been flying around the football. In week one, Davis scooped up a fumble for a defensive touchdown and followed it up with another solid performance against Rutgers, where he led the way with eight total tackles along with an interception, as he picked off Rutgers' Gavin Wimsatt in the second quarter.
Protecting The Football
Through two games, Wagner is one of 33 programs in the country without a fumble lost.
Converting In The Red Zone
Wagner once again scored in the red zone against Rutgers. The Seahawks are one of just 28 teams this season to convert every red zone trip into points.
The Series
Saturday's game will be the 31st meeting between Wagner and SFU, with the Seahawks holding a 22-8 advantage in the all-time series. Wagner has won eight of the last 13 meetings including seven straight between 2008 and 2014. In 2016, the Seahawks were the only team to defeat eventual NEC Champion SFU. In 2018, senior wide receiver
D'Erren Wilson tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end
Chris Woodard with six seconds left to play to complete a nine-play, 65-yard drive, lifting Wagner to a remarkably improbable and exhilarating 23-22 comeback victory over Saint Francis U in a game that the Seahawks led most of the way.
Last season, Wagner led 14-6 at the half and 21-19 midway through the third quarter behind three total touchdowns by quarterback
Jaalon Frazier, but it wasn't enough, as the Seahawks fell 39-24.
Applying Pressure
The Seahawks rank 27
th in the nation and second in the NEC in tackles for loss, averaging seven per game. Against Rutgers, four different Seahawks recorded a TFL.
Conference Opener
Saturday's game will be the Northeast Conference (NEC) opener for both teams.
Robb And Lia Trophies Up For Grabs
A Wagner Homecoming tradition will continue on Saturday when two Seahawks are selected to receive special awards for outstanding play. The James Robb Memorial Trophy is annually presented to the outstanding offensive player at Homecoming while the Nick Lia Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Seahawks' outstanding defensive player. Established in 1949, the Robb Trophy was named in memory of James Robb, a Seahawk gridiron star who was killed in action during World War II. It was presented to Wagner's outstanding individual player in the annual homecoming game until 1969. In that season, the Lia Trophy was introduced in honor of another Wagner football player, Nick Lia, who was killed in the Vietnam War. An outstanding defensive player and team captain, the Staten Island native was a graduate of Curtis High School. Today, the Robb Trophy goes to the offensive MVP, with the game's defensive MVP taking home the Lia Trophy.
Head Coach
Tom Masella won the Lia Trophy in 1979. Last season,
Naiem Simmons was the recipient of the Robb Trophy, while
Titus Leo earned the Lia Trophy.
Hall Of Fame
As part of the festivities, Wagner will honor its 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame Class this weekend: 2022 Seahawk Hall of Fame class:
Andrew Bailey (Class of 2006, Baseball),
Morgan Miller (Class of 2007, Softball),
Phil Thies (Class of 1980, Football), and
Heather George (Class of 2006, Women's Lacrosse).
Reunion Weekend
The Seahawks will welcome back the 1967, 1987, and 2012 teams as part of Wagner Weekend.
1967 Lambert Bowl Champions
The undefeated 1967 Seahawk football squad won the Lambert Bowl as No. 1 small-college team in the East. The 1967 team led Division III collegiate football in rushing yardage, recording four shutouts and allowing opposing teams an average of just 4.67 points per game. The Seahawks posted their third undefeated season in eight years at 9-0. Behind head coach Bob Hicks and captains John Gloistein, Mickey Vaughn, and Bob Malizia, Wagner earned a 13-0 win at Upsala in the final game of the season to seal the undefeated season.
1987 Division III National Champions
It's a story that's been told many times. It's the story of a tiny college in New York City that defied the odds...and won it all. It's the story of the 1987 Wagner College Seahawks football team. A group of tough, yet wide-eyed young men, guided by an energetic, enthusiastic, and driven 36-year old head coach
Walt Hameline in his seventh season. The greatest day in the long and illustrious gridiron history of Wagner College came on a sunny December 12, 1987 in Phenix City, Alabama when the Seahawks captured the 1987 NCAA Division III National Championship with 19-3 victory over the University of Dayton in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The Seahawks, winners of seven straight and 12 of 13 heading into the championship, rose to the challenge in the Stagg Bowl. Wagner jumped out to a 19-0 first-half lead and never looked back in cruising to the College's first and only national championship in any sport.
2012 NEC Champions, 2nd Round NCAA Playoffs
The Seahawks' sprint to a historic 2012 NEC Title featured a nine-game winning streak and the first-ever FCS Playoff win by an NEC team, a 31-20 victory over Colgate (11/24). The superlatives for Wagner were many, including a final national Top-25 ranking in both major FCS Polls, and a pair of National Coach of the Year Honors for Head Coach
Walt Hameline. Running back Dominique Williams was named to the College Sports Journal (CSJ) All-America Team while defensive tackle Daevonte Barnett was tabbed a CSJ Freshman All-American.
Scouting The Red Flash
Saint Francis U enters the weekend with an 0-2 record. After an impressing showing at FBS member Akron in week one that ended in a 30-23 overtime loss, the Red Flash fell 31-21 at Richmond this past weekend.
Against Richmond, true freshman Makai Jackson had a game-high eight catches for 123 yards and a touchdown, earning him NEC Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week honors.
The Schedule
Following a bye week, the Seahawks will travel to ACC member Syracuse on October 1.
Wagner has played 14 games against FBS teams and faced off against at least one opponent from college football's highest division in each of the last ten fall seasons.
Wagner will play two FBS opponents for the fifth time in program history in 2022. In 2015, the Seahawks played at Rice and at BYU while in 2016 the Green & White traveled to UMass and Boston College. In 2019, Wagner faced UConn and Florida Atlantic. During the 2021 fall season, Wagner took on Buffalo and Temple.
The Seahawks nearly pulled off their first upset of an FBS opponent in the 2019 opener against UConn, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Huskies before falling 24-21. Thanks to an interception return for a touchdown by defensive back
Myron Morris and two rushing touchdowns by
Dymitri McKenzie, the Seahawks were within striking distance late in the fourth quarter but fell short in the final minutes.
In their first-ever meeting against an 85-scholarship opponent, the 2012 Seahawks dropped a hard-fought 7-3 contest at FAU in Boca Raton. That 2012 Wagner team opened the season 0-3, before reeling off nine straight wins en route to the program's first-ever Northeast Conference (NEC) championship and an ensuing NCAA FCS first-round playoff win over Colgate.
The final non-conference game of the season will take place on October 8, when the Seahawks travel across New York City to take on Ivy League member Columbia.
Six conference games will round out the 2022 schedule, with home contests against LIU (October 21) and Sacred Heart (November 12) and road games at Merrimack (October 15), Central Connecticut (October 29), Stonehill (November 5), and Duquesne (November 19).
