On the first drive of the first quarter, Conte Cuttino, the Seawolves leading rusher, twisted his right ankle badly after being tackled on a short gain. Cuttino would not return. Brandon Mason made sure that it didn’t matter.
Mason scored three touchdowns, including one on the drive where Cuttino was injured, as Stony Brook rolled over Central Connecticut State 34-7 to finish the season undefeated at home and ensure a winning record for the fourth time in the last six years. Mason, who had received more than one third of the team’s carries going into the game, has the confidence of teammates and coaches. ‘Mason had a great game, and when Conte went down, I knew that we would still have no problem running the ball,’ said junior wide receiver Lynell Suggs, who also scored a touchdown.
The game was close early on as the Seawolves(6-4) and Blue Devils(6-4) traded touchdowns in the first quarter. Special teams provided the spark to get the Seawolves going. With 9:25 left in the second quarter, the Seawolves were able to block a Central Connecticut punt when John Smith a junior cornerback, burst through the line. This set them up with great field position from the 24-yard line. On a crucial third-and-nine, 6’4 270 pound tight end Kevin Halonski made a catch in traffic and rumbled down to the 3-yard line. Mason was able to punch it in from there.
Only seconds later, CCSU fumbled the kickoff and it was recovered by the Seawolves. Two carries for ten yards by Mason made it 20-7 Stony Brook, and that was the score going into halftime.
The Seawolves began the second half the same way they finished the first half. They marched down the field on their first drive of the third quarter and scored when quarterback Josh Dudash connected with Dwayne Eley for a 37-yard touchdown. Eley broke a tackle at the 15-yard line and took it in for the score.
For Dudash it was the last game of his career at LaValle Stadium and for the 2008 graduating seniors. ‘It was a big win, not only for the team but also for the seniors to go out on a good note,’ said Suggs. ‘And to know that they were perfect all year at home during their last year,’ he said.
Stony Brook put the game away when Dudash hit Suggs, who found space between the corner and the safety, for a 24-yard touchdown with 12:15 to go in the fourth quarter. The Seawolves stifled the Blue Devils all day with their swarming defense and held a team that came in averaging 288 yards a game on the ground to only 82 on the day. The Seawolves finished the day with 398 yards of total offense and are now 7-3 against Central Connecticut all-time.
Stony Brook looks to win its fourth game in a row as they play their last game of the season on November 17 at Elon. The game is at 3:30 pm.
