Oct. 1, 2009

Stony Brook - Presbyterian game notes

Stony Brook, N.Y. -

Stony Brook University's football team returns home this weekend for its Big South Conference opener as it hosts Presbyterian College on Saturday in LaValle Stadium. The game will also be a part of the annual Homecoming celebration and reunion weekend known as "Wolfstock." The Wolfstock Village will open at noon and will be followed by the gridiron clash between the Seawolves and the Blue Hose at 3:00 p.m. The game will be carried live on WUSB 90.1 FM, with the pregame show beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Kickoff
After putting a scare in 15th-ranked Massachusets on the road last week, Stony Brook returns home to LaValle Stadium for the start of its second season of Big South Conference action as well as hosting the school's annual Homecoming, known at SBU as Wolfstock. Despite its 1-3 start, Stony Brook has progressed well to this point of the season and will be looking to get a good start on conference play this week. At Umass, Stony Brook held a 10-7 lead in the first quarter but could not hold on in a 44-17 setback. The Seawolves were hampered by not having their top-two backs in the game, as Conte Cuttino was injured on the first series and could not come back in and Ed Gowins did not make the trip due to injury. Michael Coulter threw a pair of TD passes to Jordan Gush and Wes Skiffington booted a 43-yard field goal for SBU, which trailed by just seven at the half. Freshman linebacker Kenny Tuiloma made his first collegiate start and came up with 12 tackles and an interception that set up a touchdown, earning Freshman of the Week honors in the conference. The game against Presbyterian represents an expansion of the Big South schedule from five to six games in 2009, as the Blue Hose are now fully eligible mem¬bers of the conference.

The Opponent
Located in Clinton, South Carolina, Presbyterian College is beginning its first full season as a football member of the Big South Conference as it transitions from a Division II program to a Division I FCS one. The Blue Hose have played all of their games so far against teams from the always tough Southern Conference, with the result an 0-4 mark coming into its first Big South game of the year. Last season Presby¬terian finished with a 4-8 record, including a 31-28 upset of Liberty, and played every team in the Big South except Stony Brook, going 1-4 in those games. A team that lives by the pass, the Blue Hose have almost double the yardage through the air as they do rushing. Quarter¬back Brandon Miley has thrown for 650 yards and two scores, but has been intercepted five times. Patrick McKoy is the top target among the receivers with 18 catches for 249 yards and a score. Running back Trandon Dendy averages 72.5 yards per game on the ground, the top mark in the conference, running for a career-high 147 yards last week in a 46-21 loss at The Citadel. Defensively the Blue Hose have had a hard time stopping opponents and have surrendered over 40 points in three of their four games, giving up an average of 485 yards of offense per game.

The Series
This will be the first meeting between Presbyterian and Stony Brook on the football field as well as the first meeting between the two in any sport. Presbyterian will also be the smallest school that Stony Brook plays this season, with an enrollment of just 1,200 it is one of the smallest Division I schools in the nation.