PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Wagner College football team fell to NEC opponent Duquesne, 52-21, on Saturday afternoon at Arthur J. Rooney Field.
Duquesne (3-4, 2-1 NEC) opened the scoring with a 10-play, 65-yard drive capped by a four-yard touchdown pass, giving the Dukes an early 7-0 advantage.
Wagner (1-7, 0-4 NEC) responded on its ensuing possession, marching 70 yards on eight plays before redshirt freshman quarterback Benjamin Newman connected with senior wide receiver Jeremiah Colclough for a 33-yard touchdown on fourth-and-two. Freshman Johnny DiSalvatore converted the extra point to even the score at 7-7 with 5:48 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Dukes regained the lead later in the first quarter on a 42-yard field goal, making it 10-7.
The Seahawks answered with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive that took 5:43 off the clock. Newman capped the possession with a 12-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Johans Bars, giving Wagner its first lead of the afternoon, 14-10, with 11:58 remaining in the second quarter.
Wagner's defense came up with a key stop on Duquesne's ensuing possession, forcing the Dukes to punt before the Seahawks took over near midfield.
Newman led Wagner on a five-play, 51-yard drive, connecting with redshirt junior wide receiver Zion Fowler-El for a 33-yard touchdown on fourth-and-five to extend the Seahawks' advantage to 21-10 with 7:17 remaining in the half.
The Wagner defense came up with another big play midway through the second quarter when graduate student defensive lineman Olanrewaju Adeyemi recorded an 11-yard strip sack, with sophomore Evan Dukes recovering the fumble at the Duquesne 41-yard line.
The Seahawks moved the ball to the Duquesne 17-yard line, but a 35-yard field goal attempt sailed wide, keeping the score at 21-10.
Duquesne responded with an 80-yard scoring drive, capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass with 29 seconds remaining in the half, cutting Wagner's lead to 21-17 heading into the break.
Newman completed 14-of-15 passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns in the opening half, marking his second game this season with three first-half passing touchdowns.
The Seahawks' defense came up with another turnover early in the third quarter when junior defensive back Julio Tatis intercepted a pass in the end zone for his third interception of the season.
Following the interception, Wagner put together a 16-play, 76-yard drive that took 9:49 off the clock. The Seahawks converted a fourth-and-one along the way and advanced to the Duquesne four-yard line before a fumble ended the scoring opportunity.
Neither team found the end zone in the third quarter, as Wagner maintained its 21-17 advantage heading into the final 15 minutes.
Duquesne regained the lead early in the fourth quarter, capping a seven-play, 96-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run to move ahead 24-21 with 13:44 remaining.
The Dukes extended their lead just over three minutes later on a nine-yard touchdown run before adding a 27-yard rushing touchdown to make it 38-21 with 6:41 remaining.
Duquesne added two defensive touchdowns in the closing minutes, including an interception return for a touchdown and a 70-yard fumble return, bringing the final score to 52-21.
Newman finished the afternoon completing 28-of-37 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns.
Redshirt sophomore running back Matt Morad led the Seahawks on the ground with 68 yards on 16 carries, while senior Sekou Kamau added 39 rushing yards on eight attempts.
Colclough led Wagner's receiving corps with four receptions for 53 yards and one touchdown, while senior Teree McDonald added four catches for 35 yards. Fowler-El finished with two receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown, while Bars recorded two catches for 16 yards and a score.
Defensively, Adeyemi led the Seahawks with seven tackles, one sack and a forced fumble, while senior defensive back Freddie Camp added six tackles and two pass breakups.
Tatis finished with five tackles and an interception, while Dukes added three tackles and a fumble recovery.
Wagner finished with 332 yards of total offense, including 243 passing yards and 89 rushing yards, while Duquesne recorded 425 total yards, including 180 passing yards and 245 rushing yards.
The Seahawks also registered 24 first downs and converted five of their seven fourth-down attempts while holding possession for 36:37.
Next, Wagner continues its three-game road stretch on Saturday, Oct. 31, against Merrimack. Kickoff is set for noon at Duane Stadium, with live coverage on ESPN+.
