WATCH | Live Stats | Game Notes
Photo by Jeff Romance
North Easton, MA - The Wagner College football team will travel to Stonehill on Saturday, October 5, with kickoff set for 1:00 pm on ESPN+, SNY, NESN+, and Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Last Time Out
Wagner forced three turnovers in the first half and cut its deficit to one possession at 17-10 at the midway mark, but it wasn't enough, as FAU pulled away for the 41-10 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Brown Earns Weekly Honor
Senior
Joshua Brown earned Northeast Conference (NEC) Special Teams Player of the Week honors, the league announced on Monday.
In Wagner's loss at FAU, Brown punted eight times for 367 yards, including four punts of 50+ yards and four punts inside the Owls' 20-yard line.
Averaging 45.9 yards per punt, Brown's longest punt of the day traveled a career-long 62 yards.
The senior became the first Seahawk to earn an NEC weekly honor this season.
On the season, Brown is averaging 44.64 yards per punt on 14 attempts.
Taking The Ball Away
Sophomore
Zachary Ricci recorded his second interception of the season on Saturday against FAU, earning him NEC Prime Performer honors, while graduate student
Christian Davis also added a pick before the end of the first half.
As a team, Wagner has intercepted six passes on the season, which is 11
th in the country and leads the NEC.
Ricci's interception on Saturday occurred in the end zone, helping Wagner's defense get another red zone stop. The Seahawks' red zone defense ranks 18
th in the nation at 68.2%.
The Seahawks recorded two interceptions in week three at Delaware State, as Ricci and junior
Jordan Johnson both picked off Delaware State quarterback Marqui Adams.
Wagner is 6-4 in the last two seasons when recording at least one interception in a game and 3-0 against FCS opposition when recording two or more interceptions.
Reilly Leads The Way
Graduate student captain and 2024 Lia Trophy winner
Justin Reilly is Wagner's leading tackler with 28 stops on the season and recorded a season-high 10 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss against Robert Morris. Against FAU, Reilly was second on the team with seven total tackles.
Defense Standing Strong
Wagner is 28
th nationally in total defense at 329.8 yards per game. Allowing 179.0 yards per game through the air, Wagner is 31
st nationally in pass defense.
Aerial Attack
Wagner has at least two touchdown passes in every game against non-FBS competition this season. Sophomore
Jaylen Bonelli ranks 22
nd in the country with 347 receiving yards and is tied for 10th nationally with four receiving touchdowns.
Despite only having three starts on the season, graduate student quarterback
Jake Cady ranks 16
th in the country with eight passing touchdowns.
Taking Care Of The Football
The Seahawks have won the turnover battle in four games this season and rank 29
th nationally with a turnover margin of 0.6 while leading the NEC with only five turnovers lost.
The Series
Saturday's game marks the fifth all-time meeting between the two teams.
Behind three interceptions and three touchdown passes by graduate student
Steven Krajewski, Wagner earned a convincing 28-17 victory over Stonehill at Hameline Field a season ago to earn its first-ever win over the Skyhawks.
Down 14-0 in the first quarter, the Seahawks fought their way back into the game with 21 points in the second quarter.
Zachary Ricci had a crucial interception return for a touchdown, while
Jaylen Bonelli caught two touchdowns on the day.
The Key
In both victories this season, Wagner has scored on its first possession, has had more than 300 yards of total offense, and allowed 10 points or less on defense.
Jaylen Bonelli eclipsed 100 yards receiving in both Seahawk wins on the season.
Scouting The Skyhawks
Saturday's game marks the conference opener for the Skyhawks, who enter play with a 1-2 record. Most recently, Stonehill recorded a 35-21 victory against Sacred Heart.
Spreading The Wealth
Five weeks into the season, six different Seahawks have a touchdown reception, matching last year's total of six different receivers who caught a touchdown.
Robb and Lia Trophy Tradition Continues
At the conclusion of the Seahawks' game against Robert Morris, Wagner continued its tradition of handing out two homecoming awards. Graduate student
Jake Cady received the James Robb Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the offensive MVP of the game, and graduate student
Justin Reilly received the Nick Lia Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the defensive MVP of the game.
Cady threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns, while Reilly recorded a team-high ten tackles.
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.
Next Up
Wagner will return home to Hameline Field on October 12 against Columbia, with kickoff set for 12 pm.
