Seawolves Outlast 19th-Ranked North Dakota In Season Opener

Stony Brook – In a hard nosed battle, the Stony Brook football team edged 19th-ranked North Dakota 13-9 on Thursday night to open the 2016 season at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.2016-Stony Brook Football vs. University of North Dakota

Scoring

–       North Dakota opened the scoring with a 16-yard run by RB John Santiago with 14:22 left in the second quarter. The PAT was good by Reid Taubenheim.

–       Stony Brook answered with a second quarter score of their own when TE Cal Daniels recovered a RB Jordan Gowins fumble in the endzone with 4:50 left in the half. The PAT was good by PK Przemyslaw Popek. The ball came loss of Gowins as he was crossing the goal line and Daniels fell on it seven yards deep in the endzone.

–       North Dakota took 9-7 lead in the second half on a safety. Seawolves’ RB Stacey Bedell was stopped by Cole Reyes two yards deep in the endzone. The play happened right after Stony Brook forced a Fighting Hawks fumble at the two-yard line.

–       Stony Brook took the lead in the fourth quarter when DB Gavin Heslop blocked a North Dakota punt and DB Kye Morgan picked it up and stumbled seven yards into the endzone with 8:52 left in the game. The SeDSC_7922awolves’ two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Numbers

–       QB Joe Carbone completed 50% of his passes (16-32) for 159 yards.

–       WR Ray Bolden pulled down five catches for 60 yards. Harrison Jackson had three receptions for 43 yards. All told, the Seawolves had eight players catch a pass.

–       Stony Brook collected 62 rushing yards on 34 carries, including 42 yards on 15 carries by Stacey Bedell and 26 yards on 10 carries by Jordan Gowins.

–       North Dakota gained 63 yards on 36 carries on the ground. John Santiago led the way with 52 yards on 16 carries.

–       The Fighting Hawks had 114 passing yards.

Quoting the Seawolves

Head coach Chuck Priore

“I told the team on August 4 we have one goal for the next four weeks. That is to beat North Dakota. We practiced liked we would always practice, regardless of who the opponent was, but I’m going to be very candid with you, this game needed to be a win for Stony Brook University. It was close, but it was a win. Nobody knows the score tomorrow. Nobody cares how it happened. It is in the left hand column and it was an important win.”

“I’m really proud of the team. This team has really been a team. Today, with the adversity throughout the game, we responded and we kept on making plays. You have to make fourth quarter plays and you have to make end-of-the-game plays. Fourth and one and we stopped it. We needed a first down to kill the game and we killed it. In the past we’ve lost those games. They (North Dakota) are a physical team.”

DB Kye Morgan

“I was looking for the block. I saw a couple of my teammates back there so I was hoping for the block. Then I saw the ball and I just scooped it up.”

Notes

–       Stony Brook improved to 10-8 in season openers and Chuck Priore improved to 6-5 in season openers as the Seawolves’ head coach.

–       DB Kye Morgan scored on a blocked punt in the fourth quarter for his second special teams touchdown of his career. It was Stony Brook’s first touchdown on a blocked punt since last season at Rhode Island when Morgan also accomplished the feat.

–       LB Shayne Lawless recorded a career-high nine tackles in tonight’s game. His previous high was six last season against UAlbany.

–       DB Jaheem Woods collected 3.0 sacks tonight to surpass his previous high of 2.5, recorded last season against Howard. He also had 5.0 tackles for a loss to make his career-high. Woods’ 11 total tackles also marks a career-best.

–       Six Seawolves made their first career starts in tonight’s game: WR Tim Keith, RG Jonathan Haynes, RT Jackson Miller, DL Josh Valentin, LB Shayne Lawless, FS Chris Cooper.

–       There were six players that saw action for the first time of their Division I collegiate careers in tonight’s game: DB Gavin Heslop, RT Jackson Miller, RB Chris Parler, DL Odean Gilzene, OL Mason Zimmerman and LB Keegan Henderson.

–       Six more played their first game with Stony Brook (transfers) tonight: WR Tim Keith, RG Jonathan Haynes, RB Jordan Gowins, WR Harrison Jackson and WR Sherman Alston Jr.

–       In addition to the five permanent season captains (WR Tim Keith, RB Stacey Bedell, DB Tyrice Beverette, DB Jaheem Woods and DE Aaron Thompson), OL Mike White served as gameday captain and Aden Smith ’03 was tonight’s honorary captain.

Up Next 

Stony Brook hits the road for the first time in 2016 when they visit FBS opponent and member of the American Athletic Conference Temple on Sept. 10 for a 1 p.m. kickoff in Lincoln Financial Field. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.


Photos: Stony Brook Athletics-Jim Harrison

 

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