Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Photo by: DSPics
Photo by: DSPics
Posted: Sep 26, 2013

Bulldogs, Seahawks square off on ESPN3 Saturday (1p)

Audio Video Live stats Recap Box Score
Game Leaders
Wagner
Pa: ANDREWS, Chris - 223
Ru: WILLIAMS, D. - 104
Rec: WATKINS, Tyree - 90
Bryant
Pa: M. Westerhaus - 91
Ru: Paul Canevari - 173
Rec: Chad Ward - 75
Team Stats

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team opens Northeast Conference play this weekend as it visits reigning league champion Wagner on Saturday, Sept. 28. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:04 p.m. and the game can be viewed nationally on ESPN3.


SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS

Wagner enters Saturday's contest coming off a 49-9 loss to Delaware. The Seahawks have dropped their last three games after opening the season with a 28-21 victory over Georgetown. Wagner has lost to Merrimack (42-41), Syracuse (54-0) and Delaware (49-9). Last season, the Seahawks lost their first three games but rattled off eight-straight wins to claim the NEC title and then defeated Colgate in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

This year, Wagner features one of the top running backs in the conference in fifth-year senior Dominique Williams. He's averaging 106.5 yards per game on the ground and has scored three touchdowns. Williams is currently fourth in NEC history with over 3,600 rushing yards and has produced 23 career 100-yard games. Matt Misley is in his first year as the starting quarterback and has thrown for 429 yards and three scores. Wagner is averaging just 277 yards of total offense through its first four games.
Defensively, Blake Bascom leads the Seahawks with 26 tackles and three pass breakups. Playing top competition, Wagner is allowing opponents nearly 450 yards of total offense per game.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Bryant and Wagner will be meeting for the sixth time today. The Bulldogs currently lead the series 3-2, but the Seahawks have won two of the last three, including a 31-21 decision last year at Hameline Field. The Black and Gold won the first two meetings in the series, defeating the Seahawks 24-14 in 2008 for the program's first-ever victory over a DI team. They followed that with a 6-2 victory the following season on a rainy Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.All five of the previous meetings between the two teams have been decided by two scores or less.

CANEVARI CARRIES BLACK AND GOLD

Playing in just his third collegiate game, sophomore Paul Canevari (Warwick, N.Y.) had an outstanding performance against Maine. Canevari rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries to lead a running attack that amassed 224 yards. With the Black and Gold trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, Canevari made two tacklers miss before finding the endzone from seven yards out on third-and-goal. The very next Bryant possession, Canevari followed his fullback to the outside before exploding down the sideline for a 42-yard touchdown run to put Bryant on top, 14-7. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and now has three touchdowns in his last two games.

HARRIS ECLIPSES 3,000 YARDS

With his performance against the Black Bears, Jordan Harris (Lincoln University, Pa.) became the first wide receiver in school history and just the second in NEC history to surpass 3,000 receivng yards for his career. He has caught 148 passes for 3,082 yards and 27 scores in his three-plus years in Smithfield.