Wagner opened the game with a six-play, 60-yard drive to take a quick 7-0 lead when Marcus Wilson scampered 37 yards for a touchdown at the 12:36 mark of the first quarter. The Seahawks held the advantage until late in the first quarter when senior quarterback Drew Geyer (Gibsonia, Pa. / Deer Lakes) found senior flanker Rob Meyer (Plattsburgh, N.Y. / Peru) wide open in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown pass. The play was a flea flicker, as Geyer pitched the ball to senior halfback Devin Wilson (Homestead, Pa. / Steel Valley) before receiving it back, then finding Meyer for the score.

Wagner was able to take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter on a four-yard run from Wilson, but RMU scored the next 10 points to take a 17-14 lead with 4:26 left before halftime. Junior placekicker Nathan DiLorenzo (Wheeling, W.Va. / Wheeling Park) converted a 30-yard field goal to pull RMU within 14-10, and then Wilson’s 20-yard scamper gave the Colonials a 17-14 lead. The Seahawks were able to send the game into the locker room tied at the half when Piotr Czech converted a 28-yard field goal to knot the score at 17.

In the third quarter Robert Morris opened a 24-17 lead when sophomore fullback Rion Listhrop (Miami, Fla. / Felix Varela) capped a six-play, 56-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. The score remained that way until early in the fourth quarter, when senior Tyjuan Massey (Orlando, Fla. / William R. Boone) scored on a 24-yard touchdown run on an end around to give RMU a 31-17 advantage. The drive was set up by the Colonial defense, as senior linebacker James Noel (Miami, Fla. / North Miami) forced a turnover on Wagner’s Shaun Grover after a seven-yard completion from Seahawk quarterback John Sciarra. Senior defensive lineman Jason Forrest (Central Islip, N.Y. / St. John the Baptist) recovered the ball for Robert Morris on the Wagner 27-yard line, giving the Colonials good field position.

The RMU defense came up big again on Wagner’s next possession, as junior linebacker Jeff Rommes (Gibsonia, Pa. / Deer Lakes) intercepted Sciarra at the Wagner 25-yard line, setting the Colonials up with good field position again. Robert Morris would capitalize, as Wilson scored from one yard out to give RMU a 38-17 lead with 11:50 to play.

Wagner wouldn’t fold, however, as Sciarra directed the Seahawks on drives of 67 and 86 yards to help close their deficit to eight, 38-30, with 4:45 to go. Sciarra connected with Grover on a 10-yard touchdown pass to pull Wagner within 38-23 after the extra point failed, then he scored from a yard out to close the gap to 38-30. During the two drives Sciarra completed five of his nine passing attempts for 144 yards.

The Seahawks tried to tie the game with less than four minutes to play, as Sciarra drove Wagner down to the RMU 19-yard line, but he was picked off for the second time of the afternoon by junior strong safety Brian Pruitt (Steubenville, Ohio / Steubenville) at the Seahawk four-yard line.

Wilson finished with 119 yards rushing on 31 carries and two touchdowns in the win for the Colonials, while Geyer completed 12 of his 28 passing attempts for 168 yards and a score. Massey finished as Geyer’s favorite target, finishing with four catches for 52 yards. Massey finished with 162 all-purpose yards on the afternoon thanks to a rush for 24 yards, two punt returns for three yards and four kickoffs for 83 yards.

Sciarra finished 19-for-43 passing for 301 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions for Wagner, while Grover notched 10 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown. Marcus Wilson finished with 98 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 21 carries, an average of 4.7 yards per rush.

Robert Morris now takes to the road for two straight key Northeast Conference games, traveling to Central Connecticut State, Oct. 15, before heading to West Long Branch, N.J., for an Oct. 22 tilt at Monmouth.

Notes: Robert Morris improved to 6-0 all-time against Wagner at home … Massey eclipsed former Colonial Fred Parker’s (1996-98) career record for receiving yards and now owns 1,520 … Massey also took over sole possession of second place in the Robert Morris career records for receptions with 88, just behind senior tight end Rupert Rickards (Flushing, N.Y. / Bayside), who finished with two catches for 42 yards against Wagner to increase his school record to 102 career catches … RMU avoided falling to 0-2 in Northeast Conference play for the first time in school history with the victory … Noel paced RMU with 13 tackles, his school record 20th double-digit tackle game of his career, while Rommes added 12 stops and an interception … Craig Romano finished with 18 tackles to lead Wagner … In three home games at Joe Walton Stadium, Wilson has scored seven touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving).