Stony Brook Runs Past #2 Richmond Spiders In CAA Conference Opener
The Stony Brook football team made history on Saturday afternoon with a convincing 42-14 victory over visiting and second-ranked Richmond at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium to open CAA Football play.
The win marked the Seawolves (2-1, 1-0 CAA Football) first win over a top five program and the first over the Spiders (2-1, 0-1 CAA Football) in three tries.
Scoring
– Richmond opened the scoring with a 17-yard pass from QB Kyle Lauletta to WR Stephen Jacob. The PAT by Griffin Trau was good. The score capped a four-play, 64-yard drive that began with an interception.
– Stony Brook answered on the ensuing drive when RB Stacey Bedell crossed the goal line from two yards out to cap a seven-play, 62-yard drive. The drive was highlighted by a 38-yard scamper out of the backfield by WR Sherman Alston Jr. The PAT was good by Przemyslaw Popek.
– RB Stacey Bedell rattled off a 49-yard run with just over a minute left in the first quarter to put the Seawolves on top. The score capped a five-play, 70-yard drive. Przemyslaw Popek’sPAT was good.
– The Seawolves increased their lead with a 47-yard pass from QB Joe Carbone to WR Ray Bolden with 8:03 left in the second quarter. The play capped a season-high 11-play, 88-yard drive. Przemyslaw Popek’s PAT was good.
– Richmond closed out the scoring in the first half with a later second quarter rushing touchdown by RB Xavier Goodall from six yards out. Griffin Trau’s PAT was good. The score capped an eight-play, 69-yard drive.
– Stony Brook opened the second-half scoring when Sherman Alston Jr. took the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. Przemyslaw Popek’s PAT was good.
– RB Stacey Bedell struck again. This time from one-yard out with 8:53 left in the third quarter. His touchdown capped a six-play, 48-yard drive that began thanks to another Seawolves’ take away. Przemyslaw Popek’s PAT was good.
– RB Stacey Bedell capped the scoring with his career-high fourth touchdown of the day on eight-yard run late in the fourth quarter. The run completed a 16-play, 80-yard drive.Przemyslaw Popek’s PAT was good.
The Numbers
– QB Joe Carbone was 11-for-15 passing for 155 yards and a touchdown.
– Stony Brook had 48 carries as a team for 221 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
– RB Stacey Bedell led the ground game with 100 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries.
– WR Ray Bolden pulled down four receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown.
– Richmond was held to just 32 rushing yards on 20 carries.
– Despite the 42-14 score, Richmond outgained Stony Brook 443-376 in total offense.
– Stony Brook converted nine-of-12 third downs.
Quoting the Seawolves
Head coach Chuck Priore – “I’m really proud of the program and the kids and all the work it took by a lot of people to get here today. The work has just started. We need to stay focused. These types of wins are an effort of a lot of different people. We had alumnus here from the club (football team) years. You can will these things if you have support and we had support from top to bottom. They’re where not any negatives after the Temple game. It was get ready for the next game. It allows the kids to really feel important and get the job done.”
“We have to be really on point with how we capture and live this win, but also how we are going to be better as a football team. We are going to have to go back to the drawing board to figure out how we are going to get better. It is getting easier. We’ve played only three weeks and won two important games. I knew we were going to have to win today to have a successful September. To finish September right is to get ready for Sacred Heart. No.2 is awesome, but next week it is back to the regular season and week number four.”
DB Tyrice Beverette – “Our coaches stressed all week that this was going to a boxing match. They were going to throw punches and were needed to throw punches back. That’s what we did. We showed them (Richmond) that we can respond to adversity. We came together as a team and capitalized on their mistakes to come away with a victory.”
RB Stacey Bedell – “Everybody prepared well for this game and coming in we had a good mindset. We knew we were going to be able to play with this team. The offensive line blocked great. The receivers blocked great. We just had open holes.”
WR Sherman Alston Jr. – “I was just went out and did my job. The 10 others guys did their job and blocked well. I just went out and did what I was told to do and that was run fast.”
Notes
– Stony Brook is now 1-2 all-time against Richmond.
– The Seawolves improved to 7-18 all-time against FCS ranked opponents, including 2-0 this season.
– Richmond’s No. 2 ranking is the highest Stony Brook has defeated. The previous high was No. 13 New Hampshire in 2015.
– Sherman Alston Jr.’s 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half was the first by a Seawolf since Miguel Maysonet had a 75-yard return for a score against Gardner-Webb on Oct. 20, 2012.
– RB Stacey Bedell crossed the goal line four times in today’s game against Richmond for his first four-touchdown game. His previous best was a three-touchdown game against Central Connecticut State on Sept. 12, 2015.
– Bedell also finished the game with 100 rushing yards for his ninth 100-yard rushing game of his career and the first of the 2016 season.
– Freshman DL Sam Kamara made his Seawolves’ debut in today’s game.
– In addition to the five permanent season captains (WR Tim Keith, RB Stacey Bedell, DB Tyrice Beverette, DB Jaheem Woods and DE Aaron Thompson), DL John Haggart served as gameday captain and former Seawolves’ All-America Chuck Downey is honorary captain.
Up Next
Stony Brook goes out of conference for the final time of the season next Saturday when they welcome Sacred Heart, a member of the Northeast Conference, to LaValle Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
Photos: Stony Brook Athletics: Cover Photo | Wide receiver Ray Bolden scores a touchdown after hauling an a 45-yard pass from quarterback Joe Carbone. Story Photo | Stacey Bedell carries the ball.
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