Bulldogs return home Saturday, welcome Wagner to Beirne Stadium

BRYANT GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team returns to Beirne Stadium this weekend as it hosts Northeast Conference rival Wagner College on Saturday, October 22. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

The Particulars

Series History

Bryant and Wagner will be meeting for the ninth time on Saturday. The Bulldogs hold a slim 5-3 advantage in the series after defeating the Seahawks, 40-10, last season on Staten Island. Bryant won the first two meetings between the schools in 2008 and 2009 but the two teams have traded wins over the last six years. The Bulldogs' victory in 2008 will always be special because it was the first Division I in program history. Wagner owns the most recent victory in Smithfield, earning a 23-20 victory in 2014 that denied the Black and Gold a chance at their first NEC championship.

Notes and Notables for Week 8

Bryant is coming off its worst loss against an NEC opponent in program history, a 38-3 clunker against Saint Francis U. last Saturday.

Last Saturday marked the first time since the 2013 season that the Bulldogs failed to score a touchdown in a game. It snapped a string of 30-straight contests.

The Bulldogs were held to -9 yards rushing last Saturday, the fewest in program history. The number is a bit deceiving, however, as sacks are counted against your rushing total in college football. Take away the sack yardage and the Bulldogs rushed for just 20 yards.

Senior Dalton Easton (Miami, Fla.) was held to a season-low 167 passing yards last week. He was also held without a touchdown pass for the first time since Oct. 24, 2015 against the same Red Flash.

Easton remains tied with Charlie Granatell for the most TD passes in school history (56) and is also approaching Granatell's all-time passing record of 6,984. Easton is just 753 yards shy of tying the mark and needs to average just 150 yards per game over the final five games of the season to reach it.

True freshman Jesse Nemerowicz (Hudson, Mass.) posted nine more tackles last week and currently leads the Bulldogs with 46 tackles on the season. He also leads all NEC freshmen in tackle this year and ranks seventh overall with 7.7 tackles per game.

Senior Marquise Watson (Hillside, N.J.) moved into second place on Bryant's career tackle list last weekend. He now has 230 career tackles, 19 shy of tying Jason Riffe's program record of 249.

A bit about the Seahawks

Picked to finish last in the NEC preseason coaches' poll, the Seahawks have defied the prognosticators and are currently 4-2 overall and 2-0 in league play. One of Wagner's two losses is FBS member Boston College and the Seahawks will also play FBS-member Massachusetts next weekend. Wagner is second in the NEC with 177 rushing yards per game and QB Alex Thomson has thrown just two interceptions on the season.