NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Wagner College football team fell to Merrimack, 19-14, on Saturday afternoon at Duane Stadium.
Following a scoreless opening quarter, Merrimack (4-5) opened the scoring with a 12-play, 41-yard drive capped by a 25-yard field goal, giving the Warriors a 3-0 advantage with 11:56 remaining in the second quarter.
Wagner (1-8, 0-4 NEC) responded on its ensuing possession, marching 85 yards on 12 plays in a drive that took 6:04 off the clock. Redshirt sophomore running back Matt Morad broke free for a 42-yard run before capping the possession with a three-yard touchdown run.
Junior Matthew Schwindt converted the extra point to give the Seahawks a 7-3 lead with 5:52 remaining in the half.
The Warriors regained the lead on their ensuing possession, putting together a seven-play, 73-yard scoring drive capped by a two-yard touchdown run, making it 10-7 with 2:29 remaining in the second quarter.
Neither team scored in the closing minutes of the half, as Merrimack maintained its 10-7 advantage heading into the break.
The Warriors extended their lead midway through the third quarter on a 29-yard field goal, making it 13-7 with 6:40 remaining.
Wagner responded with an 11-play, 60-yard drive that took 5:51 off the clock. Senior running back Sekou Kamau broke free for a 16-yard run before freshman Shawn James added a 16-yard rush to move the Seahawks into the red zone.
The Seahawks advanced to the Merrimack 11-yard line before being stopped on fourth-and-two, turning the ball over on downs with 49 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Wagner's defense came up with a key stop early in the fourth quarter when graduate student defensive lineman Olanrewaju Adeyemi and sophomore Kahmari Valentine combined for a four-yard sack on third down, forcing the Warriors to punt.
Senior Karlos Grier returned the ensuing punt 12 yards to the Merrimack 41-yard line, giving the Seahawks favorable field position.
Wagner put together a six-play, 41-yard scoring drive, highlighted by a 19-yard completion from freshman quarterback Jason Wiley Jr. to senior Christopher Harris on third-and-eight.
Wiley Jr. capped the possession with a 19-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Johans Bars on third-and-nine. Schwindt added the extra point to give the Seahawks a 14-13 advantage with 10:50 remaining in regulation.
Merrimack responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 7:24 off the clock. The Warriors converted two fourth-down attempts along the way before capping the possession with a four-yard touchdown run, giving Merrimack a 19-14 lead with 3:26 remaining.
The ensuing two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, keeping Wagner within five points.
The Seahawks mounted a final drive, taking over at their own 25-yard line with 3:26 remaining.
Wiley Jr. connected with senior wide receiver Jeremiah Colclough for an 11-yard completion on fourth-and-three to extend the possession before finding Colclough again for a seven-yard gain to move Wagner deeper into Merrimack territory.
The Seahawks advanced to the Merrimack 22-yard line before a fumble ended the scoring opportunity with 28 seconds remaining, bringing the final score to 19-14.
Wiley Jr. finished the afternoon completing 8-of-10 passes for 81 yards and one touchdown, while redshirt freshman quarterback Benjamin Newman completed 5-of-8 passes for 47 yards.
Morad led the Seahawks on the ground with 91 rushing yards on 13 carries and one touchdown, highlighted by runs of 42 and 31 yards. James added 48 rushing yards on 14 attempts, while Kamau finished with 22 yards on four carries.
Bars led Wagner's receiving corps with two receptions for 37 yards and one touchdown, while senior Vincent Cajano III added three catches for 22 yards. Colclough finished with three receptions for 18 yards, while Harris added a 19-yard reception.
Defensively, senior defensive back Freddie Camp led the Seahawks with eight tackles, while Adeyemi and freshman Jaiden Brooks each recorded six tackles. Adeyemi added half a sack, while Valentine also contributed half a sack.
Wagner finished with 282 yards of total offense, including 154 rushing yards and 128 passing yards, while Merrimack recorded 330 total yards, including 199 passing yards and 131 rushing yards.
The Seahawks converted eight of their 15 third-down attempts while holding possession for 28:01.
The Green & White conclude their three-game road stretch on Saturday, Nov. 7, against NEC opponent Mercyhurst. Kickoff is set for noon at Saxon Stadium, with live coverage available on NEC Front Row.
