For the second year in a row, the Stony Brook University football team attempted to defeat a Football Bowl Subdivision team (FBS) and fell very short. The Seawolves lost by a wide margin, 62-7, to the Utah State Aggies at Maverik Stadium in Utah on Saturday, Sept. 7.
The Aggies scored early and often, leading 34-0 at the end of the first half. Stony Brook was not even able to get their first, first down until redshirt junior quarterback Jack Cassidy came into the game at 14:09 in the second quarter and threw a 12-yard pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Nick Anderson. Cassidy led the Seawolves all the way to Utah State’s own 22-yard line before throwing an interception as he was being tackled.
Redshirt junior starting quarterback Tyquell Fields led the Seawolves on five drives in the first quarter, all of which ended with redshirt junior punter Mitchell Wright being forced to come on and punt. The Australian punter ended the night with a career high 11 punts and 460 total yards, with an average of 41.8 yards per punt and two touchbacks.
Following the halftime break, Stadium sideline reporter and Stony Brook University Women’s Basketball alum, Dani Klupenger announced that Fields had barely practiced throughout the week due to injury and that Cassidy would play the entire second half. Fields finished the night connecting on only five of his 14 throws, for 26 total yards while rushing for 18 yards on three attempts.
During the Seawolves’ first drive of the second half, Cassidy came in and gave the team some much needed energy. Cassidy led the team downfield via a 14 play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a three-yard touchdown (TD) pass. With the pass from Cassidy to redshirt senior running back Isaiah White, the TD produced three first time events: Stony Brook’s first and only score of the night, Cassidy’s first TD pass of his Stony Brook career and White’s first receiving TD.
By the time the game clock struck zero, the Aggies had produced 717 yards on offense via 87 plays compared to the Seawolves’ 263 yards of total offense from 73 plays. Despite the large margin of defeat, the Seawolves controlled the ball a little longer than the Aggies, having possession for 30:59 of the 60-minute game.
Fans who watched the game via the Facebook live stream saw what appeared to be a very angry Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore walking up and down the sidelines, but his comments via post-game press release prove otherwise. “We ended up playing almost everybody that was here on the trip. I was happy with their effort at the end of the day… This game will stay in Utah. Utah State will celebrate and we won’t worry about it.”
The Seawolves now return to Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium for a two-game homestand versus Wagner College on Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. and then Fordham University on Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. The home game versus Wagner marks the first-time alcohol will be available for purchase at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, which coincides with Stony Brook celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2009 Big South Championship and the first game of the broadcast deal with SportsNet New York (SNY).
