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Loretto, PA - Following the bye week, the Wagner College football team will travel to Saint Francis U for a nationally televised contest on CBSSportsNetwork on Thursday night, with kickoff set for 7:00 pm.
All Eyes On Conference Play
Wagner's next five games will be against Northeast Conference (NEC) competition, starting with the road contest against the Red Flash.
With the win over Merrimack, Wagner has started 2-0 in NEC play for the first time since 2016, when the Seahawks earned a 45-20 win over Sacred Heart and a 25-21 victory at Central Connecticut.
The win also gave Wagner its first win streak since 2018, when the Green and White earned wins over Bryant and Robert Morris to conclude the season.
The Seahawks are the lone team in the NEC at 2-0.
Wagner On National TV
Wagner's matchup at Saint Francis U will air on CBS Sports Network as part of the NEC's TV package.
This marks the NEC's first-ever nationally televised linear football game.
The Bye Week
In a season full of firsts, the Seahawks will look for their first win after a bye week since 2014, when Wagner earned consecutive wins over Saint Francis U and Central Connecticut.
Playing In Front Of The Chains
Wagner remains one of the best teams in the country in tackles for loss allowed. The Seahawks lead the NEC and were 36
th nationally with 4.8 TFLs allowed per game entering their bye.
Liszner Leads Special Teams
Freshman
Ryan Liszner added another field goal against Rutgers. On the season, Liszner has converted on 80% of his field goal attempts, which leads the NEC. Liszner set consecutive career highs against Sacred Heart and Merrimack with a 42-yard and a 43-yard field goal.
Gioia Leads The Way
Graduate student captain
John Gioia paces Wagner with 42 tackles on the season. Gioia entered the bye week 44
th in the country with 8.4 tackles per game.
The Cookie Jar
With another interception against Merrimack, Wagner has four picks on the season, which ranked first in the NEC and 39
th in the nation entering the bye week. With interceptions in consecutive weeks,
Junior Wily ranksed 25
th in the country in interceptions per game.
The Magic Formula
Wagner's two wins this season and three wins under
Tom Masella all have multiple things in common. Both wins this year and last year's victory over LIU included a
Junior Wily interception and earned Wily NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
This season, Wagner is 2-0 when leading at halftime, winning the turnover battle, and rushing for more than 100 yards as a team.
Scouting The Red Flash
SFU sits at 1-4 on the season and 1-1 in NEC action. The Red Flash earned a 15-10 victory over Stonehill last weekend after falling 37-34 against Sacred Heart in SFU's conference opener. The Red Flash will also be coming off a bye week against Wagner.
The Series
Saturday's game will be the 32nd meeting between Wagner and SFU, with the Seahawks holding a 22-9 advantage in the all-time series. 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 year, Wagner took a 7-0 lead before falling to the Red Flash by a score of 27-7.
The Ping Pong Effect
In his commencement speech at Wagner College's 2023 graduation, Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo '90 pointed out the importance of the Ping Pong table in Cincinnati's locker room. Thanks to a donation by Wagner College employee Gloria Malchiodi, the Seahawks received a Ping Pong table for their new locker room. Not only did Wagner's win over Merrimack mark the first home victory since the opening of the new facility, but also moved the Seahawks to 1-0 in conference play with the Ping Pong table.
The Schedule
Following the bye week, the Seahawks will play five straight conference games. After a road contest at Saint Francis U, Wagner will host three straight home games against CCSU (10/21), Stonehill (10/28), and Duquesne (11/4), before traveling to LIU on November 11 for the final conference contest of the season.
The Seahawks will round out the 2023 season against Post University on November 18 at Hameline Field.
