Nov. 17, 2007

Final Stats

Elon, N.C. - Stony Brook threw a scare into 24-ranked Elon here this afternoon, pulling to within eight points in the fourth quarter before a late score enabled the Phoenix to gain a 38-23 win over the Seawolves in their final football game of the season. Stony Brook finishes the year at 6-5, while Elon improved to 7-4 with the win.

"Our defensive staff did an outstanding job preparing for what they do," said head coach Chuck Priore. "Our kids executed what we wanted them to do, but they are a good offensive team. Of all the games I have seen we controlled them the best."

Elon started off a 21-point first quarter on its opening drive, going 83 yards in nine plays to take an early 7-0 lead. On Stony Brook's third play if its next drive senior Josh Dudash (Beachwood, N.J.) had a pass intercepted and returned 32 yards for another Elon score, putting the Phoenix up 14-0 just eight minutes into the game.

Freshman Donald Porter (Charlestown, W.Va.) set up Stony Brook's next drive, returning the kickoff 38 yards to midfield. Two plays later Dudash found sophomore Melaquan Saffold (Syracuse, N.Y.) wide open for a 38-yard gain down to the Elon seven. Junior Brandon Mason (Phillipsburg, N.J.) later capped off the drive with a three-yard run to pull the Seawolves back to within seven.

Elon came back with another score late in the first to go back up by 14 before junior Luke Gaddis (East Patchogue, N.Y.) booted a 27-yard field goal at the 9:23 mark of the second that made it 21-10. The two teams then traded turnovers before Elon answered Gaddis' field goal with one of its own to push it back to a 14-point game.

Stony Brook then drove all the way from its own 29 down to the Elon one, where on fourth and goal, Dudash hit senior Kevin Halonski (Budd Lake, N.J.) in the back of the end zone. But Halonski was ruled out of the back of the end zone and Elon took over. But on Elon's first play the Phoenix fumbled and junior Greg Weeks (Sarasota, Fla.) recovered to give SBU another chance with time running out in the half. But Stony Brook gave the ball back on another fumble and the half ended with Elon holding a 24-10 advantage despite the Seawolves holding a 206-162 edge in total yards.

Gaddis cut the lead down to 11 with his second field goal of the game, a 30 yarder, on Stony Brook's first drive of the second half, but that would prove to be as close as the Seawolves could get. Late in the third Elon got a Scott Riddle to Terrell Hudgins eight-yard scoring toss to pull out to its biggest lead of the game at 31-13.

After another Gaddis field goal cut it to 31-16, junior Adam Soivilien (Dorchester, Mass.) picked off a tipped pass and returned it 26 yards to the Elon 30. Helped in part to an illegal participation penalty, Stony Brook took advantage and put a TD on the board when sophomore Steve Austin (Tequesta, Fla.) took the snap and tossed a three-yard scoring pass to junior Lynell Suggs (Bronx, N.Y.) to bring SBU back to within eight at 21-23 with seven minutes left.

Elon answered the SBU score, however, driving 67 yards and using up 3:34 on the clock, putting the game out of reach when Riddle connected with Bo Williamson on a 19-yard scoring pass with 3:27 left.

Dudash finished with 229 yards in passing for Stony Brook, with Mason recording his second straight 100-yard rushing game with 104.