As we countdown to kickoff in September, we’re going to be doing a team-by-team preview each Wednesday over the summer. Next is Stony Brook, who SU will play in Week 3.
Syracuse will continue its non conference schedule at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, September 15 against Stony Brook. In preparation for the game, we spoke with David O’Connor from the Stony Brook newspaper The Statesman to get a scouting report on the Seawolves.
The Juice Online: Tell us about The Statesman.
David O’Connor: The Statesman is the oldest campus publication at Stony Brook University. It has been around for more than 50 years, therefore even outdating the journalism school at Stony Brook considerably. The Statesman covers multiple topics ranging from news, arts, sports, etc. Though the paper occasionally covers events and news outside of the campus community, it tends to focus on its local audience. The paper itself comes out once a week on Mondays, but the online content is updated continuously.
TJO: How did Stony Brook do last year?
DO: The Stony Brook football team exceeded conference expectations this year. It was projected to finish behind Liberty University, which was projected to take at least a share of the Big South conference title for the fourth year in a row. However, the Seawolves took the conference instead. Stony Brook began the season with an 0-3 record. It then went on to win its final 11 games of the regular season, winning all of its conference games. The last game of the regular season was a 41-31 victory over Liberty. In the first round of the FCS playoffs, Stony Brook defeated the University of Albany. However, it then fell in the second round to Sam Houston State University.
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TJO: Who should we be watching out for on the Seawolves?
DO: This year’s team is expected to retain a great deal of the skill of last year’s team and more so. Despite the loses of quarterback Michael Coulter and running back Brock Jackolski, Stony Brook still has a strong back field which it reinforced over the off-season. Some of the key players on Stony Brook’s roster are junior running back Marcus Coker, senior quarterback Kyle Essington, senior wide receiver Jordan Gush, senior running back Miguel Maysonet.
TJO: What are your predictions for the game?
DO: Stony Brook has faced powerful opponents before. Though the Seawolves were not successful in such matchups, they held their own better than most expected. My prediction is that Stony Brook will surprise those who expect them to be a pushover, even though they may not come out on top.
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