STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The Wagner College football team fell to Ivy League member Princeton, 28-13, on Saturday afternoon at Hameline Field.
Princeton (3-1, 1-0 Ivy) opened the scoring with an early 28-yard touchdown pass to give the Tigers a 7-0 advantage.
Wagner (1-5, 0-2 NEC) responded on its ensuing possession, marching 54 yards on nine plays before senior kicker Ryan Liszner connected on a 39-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-3 with 7:36 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Tigers extended their lead early in the second quarter with a 10-play, 55-yard drive culminating in a one-yard touchdown run, making it 14-3.
The Seahawks answered with an impressive 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive that took 6:40 off the clock. Redshirt freshman quarterback Benjamin Newman converted multiple third-down opportunities, including a 15-yard rush and two 13-yard completions to sophomore wide receiver Jesse Brooks, before redshirt sophomore running back Matt Morad found the end zone on a 10-yard run to bring Wagner within four, 14-10, with 7:28 remaining in the half.
Princeton responded just over two minutes later, breaking free for a 31-yard touchdown run to extend the Tigers' lead to 21-10.
Wagner closed out the first half with another lengthy drive, moving 39 yards on 10 plays before Liszner connected on a 38-yard field goal as time expired, cutting the deficit to 21-13 heading into the break.
After both teams opened the second half with scoreless possessions, Princeton extended its advantage late in the third quarter with a 10-play, 90-yard drive capped by a 10-yard touchdown run, making it 28-13.
The Seahawks' defense responded on Princeton's ensuing possession when senior defensive back Freddie Camp intercepted a pass and returned it 36 yards to the Wagner 46-yard line. However, Princeton regained possession with an interception of its own two plays later.
Neither team found the end zone in the fourth quarter as Princeton held on for the 28-13 victory.
Newman finished 15-of-24 passing for 176 yards while adding 33 rushing yards on seven carries. Freshman quarterback Jason Wiley Jr. completed 5-of-6 passes for 50 yards.
Morad led the Seahawks on the ground with 38 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown, while senior Sekou Kamau added 21 rushing yards.
Graduate student Derek Burrell led Wagner's receiving corps with three receptions for 60 yards. Senior Jeremiah Colclough and sophomore Richard Perkins Jr. each added three catches for 31 yards, while Brooks finished with two receptions for 26 yards.
Defensively, junior Brendan Leal led the Seahawks with seven tackles, while senior captain Logan Barnes added six tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Senior Abdoul Idriss contributed five tackles, while Camp finished with four tackles, one interception and one pass breakup.
Redshirt junior Ryan Sissel added three tackles and two pass breakups, while freshman Jaiden Brooks recorded four tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.
Wagner finished with 327 yards of total offense, including 226 passing yards and 101 rushing yards, while Princeton recorded 386 total yards. The Seahawks also registered 20 first downs and held the Tigers scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Next up, Wagner returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 17, hosting NEC rival LIU as part of Wagner Homecoming Weekend. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. on Hameline Field.
Prior to the game, Wagner Athletics will formally induct the four newest members of the Wagner Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. This year's inductees include Tim Capstraw '82, Wagner Award winner and former men's basketball (1989-99) and baseball (1984-85) head coach; Tim Heaney '03, football; Kelsey Rodgers '10, women's water polo and women's swimming and diving; and Jack M. Scholz Jr. '92, '94 (Master's), football and baseball.
The Class of 2026 will be formally enshrined at noon in the VIP Room, located on the second floor of the Spiro Sports Center, before being recognized at halftime of the football game.
Family, friends and Wagner College Athletics Hall of Fame members are encouraged to attend the ceremony, with a reception beginning at 11 a.m. in the Hall of Fame Room. Light refreshments will be served.
Following the ceremony, Wagner will host its annual "Wagner Gameday Show" live from the Oval beginning at 2:30 p.m. Hosted by Marc Ernay and Ray Martel, the show will feature appearances from the newest Hall of Fame inductees, Wagner coaches and administrators, with live coverage also available on NEC Front Row.
