STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (Interstat) — Princeton defeated Wagner 28-13 in an NCAA Football Championship Division game on Saturday at Hameline Field at Wagner College Stadium, using four touchdowns and a timely defensive effort to move to 3-1 on the season. Wagner fell to 1-5. The game drew an announced attendance of 1,223. The Tigers scored in three quarters, while the Seahawks managed a field goal and a touchdown before adding a late field goal. Princeton’s defense limited Wagner’s passing attack and came up with an interception in the second half. The win gave Princeton its third victory of the season. The Seahawks remained within striking distance until the final minutes but could not complete a comeback.

Princeton opened the scoring in the first quarter when Wyatt Becker connected with Josh Smith on a 28-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining. Esteban Nunez Perez added the extra point. The scoring strike capped a quick drive and gave the Tigers an early lead. Wagner answered later in the quarter when Ryan Liszner made a 39-yard field goal with 7:36 remaining. The Seahawks moved the ball effectively on the drive but settled for three points. Princeton led 7-3 after the first quarter. Becker, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound quarterback, finished the game with 106 passing yards on 6-of-15 passing and one touchdown. He also ran three times for 32 yards. His early touchdown pass to Smith was the first of four Princeton touchdowns on the afternoon.

The second quarter produced most of the game’s scoring. Kai Honda scored on a 1-yard run with 14:08 remaining, and Nunez Perez’s kick made it 14-3. Wagner responded midway through the quarter when M. Morad rushed left for a 10-yard touchdown with 7:28 remaining. G. Bernardo kicked the extra point to cut the deficit to 14-10. Princeton needed less than two minutes to answer. Honda broke free for a 31-yard touchdown run with 5:25 remaining, and Nunez Perez converted again. The Tigers carried a 21-10 lead into halftime. Honda’s two scores gave Princeton a cushion. Wagner’s offense, led by Benjamin Newman, moved the ball through the air but could not find the end zone consistently. Newman, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback from East Rochester, N.Y., completed 15 of 24 passes for 176 yards and added seven carries for 33 yards. Jason Wiley completed 5 of 6 passes for 50 yards and ran twice for 3 yards.

Princeton extended its lead in the third quarter when E. Friend scored on a 10-yard run with 2:49 remaining. Nunez Perez’s extra point made it 28-10. The touchdown capped a methodical drive and gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game. Wagner’s defense kept the Seahawks in contention with several strong individual efforts. Landon Martin recorded four tackles and one quarterback hurry. Logan Barnes made six tackles. Brendan Leal led Wagner with seven tackles. Abdoul Idriss added five tackles. Freddie Camp intercepted a Princeton pass and finished with four tackles. Jaiden Brooks also had four tackles. The Seahawks forced Princeton into a long fourth quarter but could not generate enough points to close the gap.

Wagner added a late field goal to trim the final margin to 28-13, but Princeton’s defense held firm when needed. Casey Etienne Jr. recorded five tackles and an interception for the Tigers. Chase Christopher paced Princeton with nine tackles and two quarterback hurries. Kyler Ronquillo made six tackles. Kavon Miller, Mycah Mitchell and Evan Haynie each recorded four tackles. Dylan Torrico added four tackles. Connor Cronin finished with three tackles. The Tigers’ secondary limited Wagner’s receivers after the early scoring. Derek Burrell led the Seahawks with three catches for 60 yards. Richard Perkins Jr. and Jeremiah Colclough each had three receptions for 31 yards. Jesse Brooks caught two passes for 26 yards. Malik Redd had two receptions for 25 yards. Karlos Grier caught two passes for 16 yards and returned three kickoffs for 87 yards. Conor Lawlor added a 13-yard reception. Christopher Harris and Zion Fowler-El each caught one pass for 4 yards.

Princeton’s other quarterbacks also contributed. Ty Ciongoli completed 9 of 15 passes for 92 yards. Joey Wassler caught two passes for 9 yards. The Tigers’ running game complemented the passing attack, with Becker and Honda doing most of the damage. Wagner’s Shawn James ran three times for 4 yards and made one tackle. Teree McDonald had one carry for 2 yards. Vincent Muscillo punted four times for 164 yards, helping Wagner flip field position. Ryan Liszner handled the kicking duties and made field goals. The Seahawks also received defensive contributions from Acear Cornish, who made three tackles, and Eli Hiscock, Kahmari Valentine, Vincent Bertone, Ryan Sissel, Olanrewaju Adeyemi and Nathan Moorehead, who each recorded three tackles. Cam Haynes, Jordan Gaston, Kasiem Cromwell and Julio Tatis added two tackles apiece. Grant Edmond, Dashawn Long, Austin Bailey, Evan Dukes, Cosmo D’Amelio and Shamar Williams each had one tackle.

Princeton’s win marked its third of the season and kept the Tigers above .500. Wagner’s loss dropped the Seahawks to 1-5. The game was played in front of a modest crowd at Hameline Field at Wagner College Stadium. Princeton scored 28 points in the contest, while Wagner finished with 13. The Tigers scored touchdowns through the air and on the ground. Wagner’s early field goal and second-quarter touchdown kept the game close into the second half. Princeton’s third-quarter touchdown provided enough separation. The Seahawks’ late field goal accounted for the final margin. Princeton next hosts Brown. Wagner next hosts Long Island University.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Princeton 29, Wagner 24. Interstat’s ELO system gave Princeton a 75.1 percent probability to win. Wagner had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -24.5. The over/under line was 43.5. The total score was 41.