ERIE, Pa. (Interstat) — Jason Wiley threw three touchdown passes and Wagner scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter to defeat Mercyhurst 33-28 on Saturday in a NCAA Football Championship Division game at Saxon Stadium. Wagner, the visiting team, improved to 2-8 and snapped a seven-game losing streak. Mercyhurst, the home team, fell to 1-9. Wiley, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound quarterback from St. Louis, completed 30 of 39 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran five times for 8 yards. The Seahawks overcame a 28-27 deficit in the final quarter to secure the road victory. Wagner’s defense held Mercyhurst scoreless over the final 8:23. Wagner totaled 301 yards of offense, including 242 through the air. Wiley spread the ball to 10 different receivers. Mercyhurst passed for 195 yards. Wagner had lost seven straight since a 31-7 win over Southern Connecticut State. Mercyhurst had lost eight of nine, including a 34-28 setback at Stonehill.

Wagner opened the scoring at the 9:14 mark of the first quarter when Wiley connected with Teree McDonald on a 12-yard touchdown pass. McDonald caught the pass in the end zone. Matthew Schwindt made the extra point. Mercyhurst answered at 4:19 when Alex Gevaudan found Ethen Knox on a 9-yard scoring pass, and Rocco Marcantonio kicked the extra point. Wagner regained the lead at 1:19 on Wiley’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Malik Redd, with Schwindt converting. Redd made the catch in the end zone. Mercyhurst needed just five seconds to tie it again, as Gevaudan hit Dylan Evans for a 67-yard touchdown and Marcantonio added the extra point. Evans caught the pass near midfield and raced to the end zone. The first quarter ended with the teams tied at 14. The first quarter featured four touchdowns. The scoring came quickly.

In the second quarter, Wagner took a 21-14 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Vincent Cajano III with 1:55 remaining before halftime. Schwindt made the extra point. Mercyhurst responded immediately as Jason Woods returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Marcantonio’s extra point tied the game at 21. Wagner had a chance to take the lead before the break, but Schwindt missed a 33-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds left. The teams went into halftime tied at 21. The second quarter featured two touchdowns and a missed field goal.

Wagner regained the lead in the third quarter when Wiley threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to McDonald at the 10:25 mark. McDonald caught the ball at the 15-yard line and scored. A false start penalty pushed the extra-point attempt back, and the kick failed, leaving the Seahawks ahead 27-21. Mercyhurst was held scoreless in the third quarter. The score remained that way until the fourth quarter, when Woods returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown with 13:21 remaining. Woods fielded the punt and sprinted down the sideline. Marcantonio’s extra point gave Mercyhurst a 28-27 lead. Wagner then put together the winning drive, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by S. James with 8:23 left. James powered through the middle for the go-ahead score. The ensuing 2-point pass attempt failed, but the Seahawks held on for the 33-28 victory.

Elijah Binakonsky recorded five tackles for Mercyhurst. Ramon McAndrews added five tackles, as did Anez Jordan. Zacchaeus Dixon contributed six tackles, half a sack and two quarterback hurries. Jean-Christophe Vital Cloutier made nine tackles, and Teddy McDuffie Jr. also had nine tackles with half a sack. Braylon Beckwith posted 10 tackles. Jeff Leavell and Jake Miller each finished with 14 tackles. Sha’lik Hampton caught two passes for 25 yards. Jason Woods had five receptions for 68 yards, two kickoff returns for 116 yards, three punt returns for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Dylan Evans caught three passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. Emanuel Fincher ran once for 6 yards. Ethen Knox ran eight times for 27 yards and caught two passes for 20 yards and a touchdown. Alex Gevaudan completed 12 of 27 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

Chase Somers made two tackles for Mercyhurst. Thomas O’Neill punted four times for 198 yards. Shakile Ferguson returned two kickoffs for 13 yards. Chayse Mack made one tackle. Camariyon Bridges made one tackle. Gavin Burt made one tackle. Luke Jackson made two tackles. Carson Moore made two tackles. Dajaun Webb made two tackles. Corey Cobb Jr. made two tackles. Colin Scharriter made three tackles and half a sack. Jayonn Saunders made four tackles and half a sack. Patrick Carter made four tackles. Mark Hawkins Jr. made five tackles. Daylan Pringle made five tackles. Zion Fowler-El caught five passes for 36 yards. Logan Barnes made four tackles, one sack and one quarterback hurry for Wagner. Jesse Brooks caught one pass for a 2-yard loss. Ty’Jeh Schulters caught one pass for 2 yards. Jeremiah Colclough caught two passes for 4 yards. Karlos Grier caught one pass for 5 yards, returned three kickoffs for 78 yards, returned two punts for 14 yards and made one tackle. Johans Bars caught one pass for 9 yards. Malik Redd caught four passes for 29 yards and a touchdown. Joseph Mahoney made four tackles. Teree McDonald caught five passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Vincent Cajano III ran twice for 3 yards, caught two passes for 4 yards and scored a touchdown. Derek Burrell ran twice for 6 yards and caught three passes for 70 yards. Sekou Kamau ran twice for 10 yards. Uriah Moats-Maynard ran 11 times for 30 yards.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Mercyhurst 39, Wagner 24. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Mercyhurst with a 75.1 percent probability to win.