Stony Brook Football’s offense stalled as it fell to William & Mary, 14-9, on Saturday. The loss is the second in a row for the Seawolves, and the first time the team has lost consecutive games this season.

Moment that mattered: Looking to add on to the 7-0 lead, redshirt sophomore quarterback Joe Carbone launched a pass into the red zone. But William & Mary safety Richie DiPietro picked off the pass and ran it for 12 more yards until graduate wide receiver Tim Keith tackled him from behind. Keith was called for a horsecollar tackle, giving the Tribe an additional 15 yards. William & Mary was able to march downfield and score a touchdown to tie the game at seven.

What the loss means: Stony Brook’s playoff aspirations are steadily becoming more and more improbable. If the Seawolves still wish to make it to the Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs for the first time since moving to the Colonial Athletic Association, wins against Maine and Albany in the next two weeks are essential. Even then, Stony Brook will be looking at very slim odds. The two-game losing streak could not come at a worse time for the team.

Standout Seawolves: The kick block teams were dominant for Stony Brook in the contest. The Seawolves opened the game’s scoring on the Tribe’s opening drive when freshman defensive back Synceir Malone got his hand on the William & Mary punt. Senior defensive back Kye Morgan scooped up the loose football in the end zone to give Stony Brook a 7-0 lead. The Seawolves also blocked a field goal in the fourth quarter, when junior defensive back Darin Peart dove in front of the ball’s trajectory, tipping it enough to send it wayward right. The block kept the score at a seven-point deficit, giving Stony Brook an opportunity to tie.

Three takeaways:

• Stony Brook played a lot of sloppy football throughout the game. The Seawolves committed 14 penalties, costing them 117 yards. Not only was the offensive momentum interrupted by false starts, but the defense was surprisingly haphazard in defending the pass. Junior defensive back Chris Cooper committed a pass interference penalty in the second quarter to put William & Mary into the red zone. The Tribe subsequently scored a touchdown.
• Carbone could not get anything going for him throughout the day. He only had five pass attempts in the first half and only completed his first pass of the game in the third quarter, hitting junior wide receiver Julius Wingate. The lack of passing made it easy for the Tribe to focus on stopping the running game.
• While Carbone did not pass the ball well, he did run the ball decently. In fact, Carbone had more rushing yards than passing in the first three quarters, rushing for 40 yards and throwing for 34. He kept the ball on read option plays and, in the second quarter, ran nine yards to the outside which set up a seven-yard sprint up the middle for a first down. The Seawolves were able to get into the red zone on the drive.

What’s next: Stony Brook continues its homestand with a game against Maine on Nov. 12 at 2 p.m..