NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — The Wagner College football team fell to Central Connecticut State, 45-14, on Saturday afternoon at Arute Field.
Central Connecticut State (1-3, 1-0 NEC) jumped out to an early lead, returning the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown before adding two more scores to take a 21-0 advantage.
Wagner (1-4, 0-2 NEC) got on the board in the closing seconds of the opening quarter. Junior defensive back Julio Tatis intercepted a pass and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown, marking his second interception return for a touchdown of the season. Freshman Johnny DiSalvatore converted the extra point to cut the deficit to 21-7.
The Blue Devils added three touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 42-7 advantage into halftime before extending the lead to 45-7 on a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter.
The Seahawks found the end zone again in the fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Jason Wiley Jr. connected with sophomore wide receiver Richard Perkins Jr. for a 73-yard touchdown. The score capped a three-play, 78-yard drive and brought the final score to 45-14.
Wiley Jr. finished 8-of-10 passing for 135 yards and one touchdown, while sophomore Benjamin Newman completed 9-of-15 passes for 74 yards. Redshirt junior Trip Maxwell added 68 yards through the air in his Seahawk debut as the Green & White combined for 277 passing yards.
Perkins Jr. led the receiving corps with three catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, including his 73-yard score. Redshirt junior Zion Fowler-El and sophomore Malik Redd each hauled in five receptions, finishing with 40 and 37 yards, respectively. Freshman Shawn James led Wagner on the ground with 26 yards on eight carries.
Defensively, sophomore Shamar Williams led the Seahawks with a game-high 10 tackles, all solo, and one pass breakup. Junior Brendan Leal added seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, while freshman Grant Edmond recorded Wagner's lone sack. Tatis added the 85-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Wagner finished with 322 yards of total offense, including 277 through the air, while Central Connecticut State recorded 402 total yards.
The Seahawks are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 10 hosting Ivy League member Princeton. Kickoff is set for noon on Hameline Field with live coverage available on NEC Front Row and SI TV.
