As homecoming approaches on Saturday, many Stony Brook students and alumni are anticipating the events that come with it: Wolfstock, the parties and most importantly, the football game.
The Seawolves will look to get back to .500 when they take on William & Mary at LaValle Stadium this weekend in Stony Brook’s Colonial Athletic Association season debut.
Historically, this has been a very good day for the football team. Over the last ten years, Stony Brook has gone 8-2 on the occasion. The team is 8-0 in homecoming contests since Chuck Priore took over as head coach back in 2006.
The homecoming game is typically the most attended game of the season. The Seawolves have set many attendance records on this event, growing from just under 6,000 fans in 2004 to over 11,000 last year.
Aside from attendance figures, this is usually a special night for the students and the football team alike.
Past homecoming games have provided for dazzling individual performances, last minute wins and historic moments for the team.
In 2012, Miguel Maysonet carried the team to victory in one of his best collegiate performances. The senior recorded 206 yards on the ground with a game winning touchdown and also had over 100 yards from returns in a 32-31 win over Colgate.
With the team down by a score with less than four minutes to go, Maysonet ran his way into the end zone to secure a homecoming victory for the Seawolves.
Stony Brook’s most dominant homecoming performance came in 2009, as they blew out Presbyterian 52-14. This game saw excellent performances on both sides of the ball.
The team recorded 610 yards of total offense while forcing seven Presbyterian turnovers.
Homecoming has even seen games go well past the fourth quarter.
In 2007, Stony Brook erased an early 10-0 deficit to defeat Maine 30-23 in two overtimes. Uniondale native running back Conte Cuttino would provide the heroics that night rushing for 171 yards and three touchdowns, including the game winner in the second overtime.
The past few homecoming games have undoubtedly provided an abundance of great football.
In fact, the last time Stony Brook lost a homecoming game was in 2005 when the Georgetown Hoyas edged out the Seawolves for a 10-7 win.
The Seawolves will look to continue the Priore-era tradition of winning in impressive fashion on homecoming.
A Stony Brook victory in their first conference game of the season would help the Seawolves’ playoff chances immensely, as the CAA is one of the most competitive conferences in the FCS.
