Building off the experience of playing against an FBS team for the first time, Stony Brook is prepared to bounce back this week against American International College.
The Seawolves felt the wrath of Goliath last week, losing 59-14 to the University of South Florida.
Head coach Chuck Priore said he’s not worried about last week’s sizeable loss, and that the team will build off the experience to be better this week.
“Good teams improve between week one and week two,” he said. “Our goal was to focus on the little things and make improvements necessary in all aspects of our game.”
Last week’s experience came at a price, however. A total of five Seawolves were injured in the loss, including star running back Edwin Gowins (Bellport, N.Y.) who suffered a strained stomach muscle. Priore said he hasn’t practiced all week but he expects Gowins to be back in the lineup next week.
Taking over for Gowins will be sophomore Miguel Maysonet (Riverhead, N.Y.) and junior Brock Jackolski (Shirley, N.Y.), who were very productive in their first game as Seawolves. Maysonet led the team in rushing with 72 yards on 11 carries and Jackolski had a total of 161 all-purpose yards and a touchdown reception.
Quarterback Michael Coulter (Yorba Linda, Calif.) will be looking to bounce back after throwing four interceptions against South Florida. He will be facing a very experienced secondary this week as the Yellow Jackets start two junior safeties and two senior cornerbacks.
This week will also be a challenge on defense as the Seawolves will be without two key players. Starting cornerbacks Donald Porter (Charlestown W. Va.) and Al-Majid Hutchins (East Orange, N.J.) will miss extended time after injuries suffered last week. Porter is out for the season with a knee injury and Hutchins will miss the next 3-4 weeks with an injured shoulder.
He said he will be using a three man rotation at cornerback for this week’s game, naming freshman Davonte Anderson (Corona Calif.), junior Cedrick Moore (Lakewood, Calif.) and redshirt freshman Taj Johnson (Upland, Calif.) as the cornerbacks who will be seeing the most playing time.
“We’re fortunate enough to have some kids at the position we feel are ready to play,” Priore said.
Safety Arin West (Toms River, N.J.) will also look to continue to lead the defense after a great performance against the Bulls, totaling 10 tackles and forcing a fumble.
A Division-II team, American International lost its season opener against C.W. Post, 20-11. Mike Mayo led the Yellow Jackets with 83 rush yards on 14 carries. Senior quarterback Rob Parent threw for 198 yards and a touchdown. American International was picked to finish fourth in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll.
Tomorrow will be the home opener for Stony Brook. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
