WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Wagner hit a 28-yard field goal as time expired to upend Saint Francis 23-20 in NEC football action on Saturday.
>> Jordan Theodore rushed for a career-high 121 yards and added two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.Â
>> Colin Douglas paced the defense with a career-high 11 tackles, along with an interception and a forced fumble.
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
The Seahawks took the lead back from the Red Flash with 6:57 left in the fourth quarter. Mac Plummer hit a 21-yard field goal to square the game at 20 with 1:57 left.
Wagner then used a five-play, 57-yard drive and used the rest of the game clock to kick a field goal of its own for a 23-20 victory.Â
FLASH MOMENTSÂ
The Red Flash started the game hot with a 12-play 68-yard touchdown drive for a 7-0 lead with 7:02 left in the first quarter. Theodore had 42 yards on the drive on the ground, while Lukas Gilland caught a 19-yard pass from Nick Whitfield Jr.., before Brandon London registered his first career catch, and it resulted in a Red Flash touchdown.
After Zachary Betts came up with a huge stop in the Seahawks' backfield on fourth and one to turn the ball over on downs, Saint Francis continued to move the ball with a 12-play 52-yard drive to set up a Plummer 27-yard field goal for a 10-0 advantage early in the second quarter. Theodore came up big again in this drive with 26 yards on the ground and an eight-yard reception to set up Plummer's short field goal.Â
Theodore reclaimed the lead for the Red Flash on a screen run for a 29-yard reception for a 17-13 lead with 9:53 left. The drive was set up by a bad punt by Wagner to give Saint Francis the ball at the Wagner 29. Jeff Hoenstine then hit Theodore at the 30, and the redshirt sophomore did the rest to scamper in the end zone for a 29-yard score.
The Plummer game-tying field goal was set up by an eight-play 45-yard drive. Once again, Theodore was big on this drive with 18 yards rushing, while Hoenstine added an 11-yard run and Jahmil Perryman had a 13-yard reception. The Red Flash had a fourth and two from the eight and elected for the game-tying field goal.
FLASH NUGGETS
Prior to the game, Theodore had 11 carries for 15 yards with a touchdown run at Buffalo and four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown reception last week against Robert Morris. He became the first player this season to rush for over 100 yards and the first Saint Francis player since Markell Holman had 183 yards against Delaware State on October 5, 2024.
Coming off a nine-tackle game against the Colonials, Douglas registered his first double-digit tackle game with 11 and has 47 tackles in his last five games. Douglas, who ranks second on the team in tackles with 55 tackles, notched his third forced fumble of the year and second INT of the year after snatching an interception against Delaware State on September 20.
Kendric Council added seven tackles and a half sack, while Betts posted five tackles, including his stop on fourth down on the opening drive, and a sack.Â
Perryman accounted for 81 yards on offense with seven rushes for 48 yards and a team-high four catches for 33 yards.Â
Whitfield finished the game 14-for-20 for 97 yards and a touchdown, while Hoenstine was 5-for-7 for 65 yards and a touchdown.Â
London became the first player to have his first reception also be a touchdown. Ironically, the last person to turn the trick was the person who threw London the ball. Whitfield's first reception was a two-yard reception from Adrian Mejia against Merrimack on October 28, 2023.
With his punts and 118 yards, Aidan Cirulli moved into fourth place in program history for punting yards with 6,315 yards.
NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis returns to action in the third game of a four-game homestand against Mercyhurst on November 8. Game time is 12 p.m. The game will be a Salute to Service game, with any veteran admitted free of charge. In addition, anyone who donates a non-perishable food item, paper goods, or hygiene products will receive a five-dollar discount on their ticket. All proceeds will go to the Laurel Highland Historical Village, a non-profit group that holds food drives and other events to support veterans and the elderly in our area. If you or a loved one is a veteran and in need of help, please call the organization's office at 814-241-6123.
