Sept. 22, 2007

Final Stats

STONY BROOK, N.Y. - Senior Josh Dudash (Beachwood, N.J.) threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-clincher to senior Kevin Halonski (Budd Lake, N.J.) with 3:39 left as Stony Brook took a 21-15 win over Monmouth in football action at LaValle Stadium Saturday night. The win improved the Seawolves to 3-1 on the season and kept the Hawks in the winless ranks at 0-3.

In a game that saw Monmouth out gain Stony Brook 366-261 in total yards, some key defensive stops enabled the Seawolves to come out on top. Twice the Stony Brook defense forced fumbles inside the SBU 10 that were recovered by the Seawolves. On another trip into the red zone Monmouth faced a third and three at the SBU 11 when the Seawolf defense again rose to the occasion, dropping David Sinisi for a three-yard loss that forced the Hawks to settle for a field goal.

"We have learned to how to be a team," said head coach Chuck Priore. "Certainly it is a lot easier in my second year, they understand us as coaches and what we are trying to accomplish. Games like today are normally won because a team finishes a game, and we finished it tonight."

After Stony Brook's drive after the opening kickoff stalled at the MU 49, freshman Andrew Powell (West Hills, Calif.) dropped a punt on the two-yard line. The defense held Monmouth to just three yards and after the ensuing punt the Seawolves took over in Monmouth territory at the 49. After a pass interference call put the ball on the MU 34, junior Brandon Mason (Phillipsburg, N.J.) took over, putting the ball in the end zone on three carries, with the final covering 22 yards to give SBU the early 7-0 lead.

Defense then became the name of the game as the two teams combined for less than 150 yards in offense for the rest of the first half. The two squads traded turnovers in a minute and a half span late in the half when Josh Reed picked off a Dudash pass at the SBU 18 and returned it nine yards. The Hawks drove down to the one, but senior Chris Brevi (Tampa, Fla.) knocked the ball loose from Sinisi and sophomore Josh Auerbach (Langhorne, Pa.) recovered to cancel the scoring threat.

Monmouth finally got on the board midway through the third when Fred Weingart hit on a 31-yard field goal. The Hawks threatened again after Stony Brook was stopped on its next drive and the snap to Powell for the punt was high and got away. Powell recovered the ball, but Monmouth took over on the SBU 13. Three plays later Bobby Giles fumbled at the one after taking in a pass and the ball went out of the side of the end zone for a touchback.

Stony Brook then turned the miscue into points, driving 80 yards in just six plays. Dudash found junior Dwayne Eley (Bowie, Md.) open in the secondary and hit him for a 46-yard scoring play that put the Seawolves up 14-3. Monmouth answered, however, going 65 yards on their ensuing drive to score on a one-yard Sinisi run early in the fourth. The Hawks attempt at a two-point conversion was stopped and SBU held a 14-9 advantage.

With 5:22 left in the game sophomore Tyler Santucci (New Kennsington, Pa.) picked off a Hawk pass and returned it 27 yards to the MU 25. Again the offense turned the turnover into points, eating up the 25 yards in just four plays that finished with the Dudash to Halonski score.

Monmouth responded by going to the pass on its next drive when Brett Burke completed all six of his pass attempts, with the last coming on an eight-yard scoring play to Ron Launch. A two-point attempt again failed and with 2:11 left the Seawolf lead was down to 21-15.

Stony Brook could not pick up a first down when it got the ball back, and the Hawks regained possession with 1:08 left on their own 29. Burke then hit on four of six pass attempts that got the ball down to the SBU 29. Senior Adam Cooper (San Diego, Calif.) then broke up Coopers next attempt to force a third and 10. But Stony Brook was called for pass interference on the next Burke attempt with just second left, giving the Hawks one more chance from the SBU 17. On the final play Burke's attempt for John Nalbone over the middle fell to the turf, giving Stony Brook the victory.

Dudash finished the night hitting on 17 of his 29 attempts for 184 yards and a pair of scores with one interception. Eley was his main target, hauling in eight catches to finish with 114 yards, his second straight 100-yard game against Monmouth. Sophomore Conte Cuttino (Uniondale, N.Y.) led the ground attack with 63 yards, with Mason finishing with 53.