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Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College football team will take on Robert Morris as part of Wagner Weekend on Saturday at 4:00 pm on NECFrontRow. Saturday's game will also serve as the Seahawks' Northeast Conference (NEC) opener.
The Wagner College football team will take on Robert Morris as part of Wagner Weekend on Saturday at 4:00 pm on NECFrontRow. Saturday's game will also serve as the Seahawks' Northeast Conference (NEC) opener.
Wagner Gameday
Introducing Wagner Gameday - Wagner's very own pregame show as part of Wagner Weekend! Fans can watch live on the Oval or on NECFrontRow this Saturday!
White Out
The first 1,000 fans in attendance on Saturday will get a free t-shirt, courtesy of Richmond University Medical Center.
Last Time Out
Wagner earned a wire-to-wire 30-7 victory at Delaware State last Saturday afternoon.
Wagner took the early lead on the ground, as senior running back
Rickey Spruill scored from 60 yards out on the first play from scrimmage to put the Seahawks on top 7-0. Leading 10-7 at the half, the Seahawks outscored the Hornets 13-0 in the third quarter to take over the contest.
For Wagner, it was the largest margin of victory against a Division I opponent since 2018, when the Seahawks defeated this week's opponent, Robert Morris, 41-7 in the season finale.
Bonelli Dominates Again
Sophomore wide receiver
Jaylen Bonelli reached the end zone once again in week three at Delaware State, as he paced Wagner with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown.
Bonelli is up to four touchdowns in three games, which is tied for the second-most in all of FCS football. Through three games, Bonelli has 277 receiving yards, which leads the NEC and is 13
th in the country.
Dating back to last year, Bonelli has seven receiving touchdowns in his last seven games.
For his efforts against Delaware State, Bonelli was named an NEC Prime Performer.
Cady Shines In Debut
In his first start in a Seahawk uniform, graduate student quarterback
Jake Cady completed 18 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for a score.
For his efforts, Cady was named an NEC Prime Performer.
Spruill Running Wild
After finishing the 2023 season with four straight 100-yard rushing performances, senior
Rickey Spruill ran for 143 yards against the Hornets on Saturday. Spruill set the tone offensively, scoring from 60 yards out on the first play from scrimmage to give Wagner the lead.
Spruill is averaging 7.26 yards per carry, which is 17
th in the country.
For his efforts, Spruill was named an NEC Prime Performer.
Wagner In The National Rankings
Sitting at 2-1, Wagner is once again receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll, garnering six votes in week three.
The Seahawks enter Saturday's game seventh in the country in total defense at 246.3 yards per game and the seventh-best pass defense in all of FCS football, allowing just 133.7 yards per game through the air.
Wagner is eighth in the country in red zone defense at 55.6% and 17
th nationally in scoring defense (19 ppg).
On special teams, Wagner is third nationally in punt return defense at -1.67 yards per return.
Offensively, the Seahawks are 28
th in the nation with 12.94 yards per completion, 13
th in tackles for loss allowed (four per game), and 46
th in total offense at 352.3 yards per game.
The Defensive Key
The Seahawks recorded two interceptions last Saturday, as sophomore
Zachary Ricci and junior
Jordan Johnson both picked off Delaware State quarterback Marqui Adams.
Wagner is 6-2 in the last two seasons when recording at least one interception in a game and 3-0 when recording two or more interceptions.
The Series
The Seahawks and Colonials have met 26 times with RMU holding a 15-11 lead in the series though Wagner has won three of the last four meetings, and four of the last six. In the last meeting in 2019, Wagner took a 10-7 halftime lead before Robert Morris, buoyed by a third-quarter blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown, came back to record a 21-13 victory. This is RMU's first season back in the NEC since the 2019 campaign.
Scouting The Colonials
Robert Morris enters Saturday's game with a 1-2 record. After losses to Utah State and Edinboro to start the season, RMU earned its first win of the season this past Saturday, a 55-28 victory over Mercyhurst.
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.
Both trophies will have a first-time winner for the second consecutive season. In 2023,
Junior Wily was the recipient of the Nick Lia Memorial Trophy for the Defensive MVP after leading the Seahawks with 12 total tackles and a crucial interception in Wagner's dramatic victory over Merrimack, while quarterback
Steven Krajewski took home the James Robb Memorial Trophy, awarded to the offensive MVP of the game. Krajewski threw for two touchdowns, while rushing for two scores on a difficult day for football on the East Coast.
Wagner Weekend
The Seahawks will be looking for their second straight victory on Wagner Weekend. Last season, Wagner earned a last-second 30-27 victory over Merrimack at rainy Hameline Field.
After a goal line stand by the Wagner defense with 34 seconds to play, Merrimack lined up at the Wagner 2-yard line to attempt a game-tying field goal, but a botched snap led to a game-sealing tackle by
Jalin Justice, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Wagner will also induct the four newest members into the Wagner College Athletics Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024: Jeremy Balina '02 (Football), Bryan Gallagher '03 (Men's Lacrosse), Andrea Lazzari Barton '09 (Softball), and Katie Hauck Perez '07 (Women's Water Polo).
Spearheading the Wagner defense for his four years in Staten Island, Balina ranks 4th all-time in total tackles with 351, was a team captain his senior year in 2002, and was a two-time Don Hansen's All-American selection. Cumulatively, Balina's statline includes 41 games played, 351 tackles (146 solo), 8 interceptions, and 15 sacks. Of those 15 sacks, 5 came in 2001, which was tied for the team lead and ninth in the conference. In 2001 and 2002, he was named to the All-NEC Second Team. In 2002, he was first on the team and third in the conference in tackles with 116, 50 of which were solo tackles. In 2001, he was first on the team and fourth in the conference in tackles with 92, 41 of which were solo tackles. In 2000, he led the Northeast Conference with six passes broken up.
Next Up
Next up, Wagner will travel to FAU for the first of two games against FBS opposition on September 28.
