April 8, 2002

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. That will be the emphasis as Stony Brook spring football kicks off today at 4:00 p.m.

Fifteen days of spring practice this April will give coach Kornhauser and his staff the opportunity to focus on preparation for success this fall.

Offense: Kornhauser feels that the Seawolves need to improve in the running game next season. In order to do that, spring practice will see plenty of work for the offensive linemen - working on techniques and schemes to better game plan the running game. Look for some change along the front as the coaching staff works in some new faces. The Seawolves will have Alex Watkus-McDonald from Nassau CC at center, move Adam Sabia to guard and bring Thurman Ransom over from the defense to offensive tackle.

What should give the running game a boost will be the return of Clinton Graham to the lineup. Graham sat out last season after rushing for 456 yards (5.2 ypc) and four touchdowns in his freshman season. The Seawolves will look to find a way to work both Graham and last year's starter Ken Lockhart (618 yards, 5 TDs) into the lineup to create a double threat out of the backfield.

The offense was much improved last year, averaging 24.3 points per game compared to the 18.2 points per game total in 2000. Another year of tuteledge under McCarty and starting quarterback Scott Bard may break countless records next fall. The junior was on pace to set a new single season record for passing yardage before suffering a concussion against Monmouth that forced him to miss two games. Bard was still able to throw for 1,703 yads and 12 touchdowns while leading the NEC in passing yards and total yardage per game. His 474-yard and five touchdown performance in the 52-30 blowout of Wagner marked the best single season effort in the history of the program.

Defense: Stony Brook will have some tremendous talent on the defensive side of the ball that will allow defensive coordinator Andrew Cohen to work on different blitzing combinations to confuse opponent quarterbacks and hopefully lead to more turnovers. Coach Cohen will also have his defense working on better ways of diguising coverages to improve SB's underneath coverage of opponent passing games. Returning next fall will be All-NEC second team selection Aden Smith who led the team in tackles while setting a new SB single season record in 2001. Steady senior Dan Bertzos also returns for his fifth season with Stony Brook.

Barring injury, the defensive line would look to be the Seawolves strength in 2002 with the return of Phil Tolliver, Sal Mancino and impressive freshmen Chimizie Okobi, Bryan Karp, Emeka Ibekweh and David Bamiro. Okobi and Bamiro were standouts last fall while Karp and Ibekweh showed tremendous promise in backup roles.

Special Teams: Bryan Tornee' and Josh Davies will assume the punting chores this spring with an eye towards the fall. Tornee' also showed flashes as a punt and kickoff returner late last season. Michael Soto returns as the team's placekicker and will focus on extra-point accuracy and field goal efficiency. Other points of emphasis for the special teams unit will be punt protection - Stony Brook allowed seven blocked punts last season.

"We want to be able to show our team how each facet of our game must work together to be successful which will in turn result in victories. One part of the team cannot succeed without the other," Kornhauser explained.

The football team is excited about opening up in a brand new stadium next fall. The new 8,100-seat facility equipped with lights and field turf will be a showcase for the athletic department and the university for many years to come. "This spring gives us an opportunity to work hard, learn fundamentals and improve as a football team," Kornhauser said. " We are looking forward to bringing the lessons learned this month out onto the field when we begin playing in the Big House next fall. This spring we will earn the right to play in the new stadium and make our fans and university proud."

2002 Stony Brook Spring Practice Schedule
Date          Time
April 8       4-6 p.m.
April 10      4-6 p.m.
April 12      4-6 p.m.
April 13      10 a.m.-12 noon
April 15      4-6 p.m.
April 17      4-6 p.m.
April 19      4-6 p.m.
April 20      10 a.m.-12 noon
April 22      4-6 p.m.
April 24      4-6 p.m.
April 26      4-6 p.m.
April 29      4-6 p.m.
May 1         4-6 p.m.
May 3         4-6 p.m.
May 4 (Spring Game) 10 a.m.
Schedule subject to change due to weather
Practice to be held on practice fields behind Sports Complex