Nov. 8, 2007

Stony Brook, N.Y. - To begin, I would like to welcome everyone back to the Coach's Corner after a needed bye week. Looking back at the Bryant University game, it was a great opportunity for us to improve on our fundamentals. In particular, the ability to run the ball effectively, focus on our assignments and sound tackling were a few of those fundamentals that we improved upon in the victory. In addition, we had the chance to play different players at a variety of positions which allowed us to gain experience and enhance our team depth.

The offense performed very well both on the ground and through the air. Conte Cuttino '10 (Uniondale, N.Y.) dominated the ground attack with 127 yards on just 11 carries and Josh Dudash '08 (Beachwood, N.J.) controlled the passing game by completing 11 of 16 passing attempts for 178 yards, including three touchdown passes to Melaquan Saffold '10 (Syracuse, N.Y.), Lynell Suggs '09 (Bronx, N.Y.), and Dwayne Eley '09 (Bowie, Md.). The offensive line also carried their share of the burden by giving up no sacks and by helping the offense go 4-for-5 in the red zone.

The defensive unit was outstanding in blanking Bryant for 60 minutes. Tyler Santucci '10 (New Kensington, Pa.) turned away their best threat with an interception in the end zone on the first drive of the game. From that point on, the defensive front stifled the run game, allowing only 87 yards for the game. A sack by David Gross '09 (Wichita Falls, Texas) capped an excellent defensive effort that limited our opponent to only 224 yards.

At the college level, the bye week gives us the chance to take care of some of the other important aspects of building a great program. During the week, our staff got the chance to recruit in Florida, Georgia, California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and locally in New York/Long Island in an attempt to bring in talent that will continue to help us improve. As for the student-athletes, we had three main objectives during the bye week. First, we sought to give the players a mental and physical rest since they have working hard since August 5th. Next, we wanted to take the opportunity to get ahead academically. Like any other student on campus, our players also experience the pressure and stress of trying to continue to perform well in the classroom. This week was their opportunity to spend quality time studying and learning. The third objective was to continue that learning process on the field by once again running practices that focused on the fundamentals and basics of the game.

As we look towards Central Connecticut State, we have had a few extra days to prepare and install our game plan. CCSU is a very good program that is enjoying an excellent season. They have averaged over 30 points per game while their defense has forced their opponents into 20 turnovers. Even more impressive is the fact that the Blue Devil defense has held opponents to less than 150 rushing yards per game. The challenge on Saturday will be to find a way to run the ball effectively against a defense that likes to put extra players in the box to stop the run. We also must be able put together long drives to control the time of possession and keep their high scoring offense off of the field. On defense, we must limit the big plays that Central Connecticut has thrived on throughout the season. We anticipate a hard fought game that will ultimately come down to who makes the fewest mistakes.

I will once again be presenting my pre-game Chalk Talk at 11:15 at the Squash Lounge inside the Stony Brook University Arena. Come early to get an inside view of the game plan against CCSU before we play our final home game of the season. We look forward to seeing you this Saturday for this exciting match up. Wear Red and Go Seawolves!

Chuck Priore
Head Football Coach