Sept. 3, 2009
Stony Brook - Hofstra game notes
Stony Brook, N.Y. -
Stony Brook, which is receiving votes in the Sports Network preseason poll, kicks off its 11th season of Division I football and 26th overall with a contest against an old rival, Hofstra. It will be the 13th time the two Long Island schools have met. It will be only the third time that the rivalry game has been the opener for the Seawolves, the second time it has occurred at Hofstra. In fact, the last time Stony Brook played a season opener at Hofstra it was the first ever varsity game for SBU, a 45-0 loss back on September 24, 1984. The Seawolves are coming off a 5-6 campaign in 2008 that saw the team play in its first season in the Big South Conference. That first season was a success, with SBU going 3-2 and finishing in a tie for second place in the final league standings. This will be Stony Brook's first season playing with the full number of scholarships allowed at the NCAA FCS level (63).
The Opponent
Ranked 24th in the preseason FCS coaches poll, Hofstra is starting its 69th season of football in 2009. The Pride is coming off a 4-8 season in 2008, one that saw them finish 2-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association for a fourth-place finish in the North Division. The Pride return nine starters on offense, including senior quarterback Cory Christopher and sophomore running back Brock Jackolski. Christopher threw for 1,163 yards and four scores last season while Jackolski was second on the team in rushing with 541 yards and eight scores. On defense Hofstra has nine starters returning as well, including senior linebacker Luke Bonus who was named to the preseason all-CAA team after leading the team with 96 tackles in 2008. In the CAA preseason poll Hofstra was picked to again finish fourth in the CAA North behind New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine.
The Series
One of the longest played series in the history of Stony Brook football, SBU and Hofstra will meet for the 13th time in 2009. The series is also one of the most one-sided in the books, with the Pride winning all 12 previous meetings. Two of the last three meetings have been close ones, however, with Stony Brook's last visit to Hempstead in 2007 resulting in a five-point affair that saw the Seawolves have a chance at the win only to come up empty on the final drive of the game in a 33-28 Hofstra win. The 2006 at LaValle Stadium saw Hofstra came away with a 17-8 win. This meeting will be the sixth straight year the two have met.
