Stony Brook, N.Y. - Freshman Tyler Fredericks (Lawrence, N.Y.) and senior Devante Wheeler each recorded their first collegiate touchdowns as the Stony Brook football team held off Bryant, 21-13, before a standing-room only crowd of 11,224 for homecoming at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium Saturday night.
Junior Adrian Coxson (Baltimore, Md.) had a 63-yard score, the Seawolves (2-3) longest pass play of the season.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Stony Brook, which has won eight straight homecoming games.
Senior Lyle Negron (Bakersfield, Calif.), who finished the game 16 of 22 for 260 yards and two touchdowns, completed four straight passes on the first drive of the game, capped by off Fredericks' eight-yard score.
After Bryant answered to tie the game at 7, Negron and the Seawolves went right back to work. After a 15-yard pass to senior Malcolm Eugene (Huntington, N.Y.), Negron hit Coxson (two catches, 69 yards), who eluded six tacklers and cut diagonally across the field before scampering for his second touchdown of the season.
On the opening drive of the fourth quarter, Bryant (3-2) scored on a quarterback keep by Mike Westerhaus, but Tom Alberti's extra point was wide. Up 14-13 with 13:03 left in the fourth quarter, Negron hit junior Will Tye (Middletown, Conn.), who dragged three would-be tacklers, for a key third-down conversion. On third and nine from the Bryant 41, Negron found Wheeler (three catches, 77 yards) up the right seam for a 21-13 lead with 9:15 to go.
Bryant moved the ball to the Stony Brook 28 on its final drive, but a fourth-down pass was incomplete.
Eugene led all players with eight catches for 92 yards. Fredericks finished with 45 rushing yards.
Scoring Drives
• 1st 10:18 SBU Fredericks 8 yd run (Ferrara kick), 6-68, 3:19, 0-7
• 1st 3:18 BU Barrett 2 yd pass from Westerhaus (Alberti kick), 13-91, 5:03, 7-7
• 1st 2:24 SBU Coxson 63 yd pass from Negron (Ferrara kick), 2-78, 0:48, 7-14
• 4th 13:12 BU Westerhaus 13 yd run (Alberti kick failed), 4-49, 1:36, 13-14
• 4th 9:15 SBU Wheeler 41 yd pass from Negron (Ferrara kick), 7-68, 3:46, 13-21
Quotes ...
Chuck Priore - "What a great atmosphere today. I know our guys appreciate the support. With some of the injuries we've faced, we have a lot of courageous athletes out there. We have to get better on converting our red-zone opportunities. Our goal was to finish the game and we accomplished that. Lyle (Negron) is such a competitive guy, and good things happen to those type of players."
Senior Devante Wheeler (on the touchdown catch) - "It was a cover-2 look and I knew I'd be the hot receiver (pre-designated receiver ready to catch the ball if there is a blitz). I adjusted to the coverage. We knew their middle linebacker would be blitzing."
Senior Lyle Negron (on TD pass to Wheeler) - "I went through the progression and Devante was the second read. He was wide open."
Senior Leston Simpson - "Their line did a great job and made it difficult for us with some of their draws. "I told (Victor) Ochi it's time to pin our ears back. Our coaches kept telling us that we got to finish."
News & Notes
• The crowd of 11,224 broke last year's homecoming crowd of 10,278.
• Senior Malcolm Eugene has led Stony Brook in receiving in each of its first five games.
• Stony Brook leads the all-time series over Bryant, 2-0. The Seawolves beat the Bulldogs, 30-0, in 2007.
• Stony Brook won the coin toss for the fifth straight game.
• The 77 receiving yards by senior Devante Wheeler are a new career-high.
• Stony Brook held Bryant to only 280 yards of total offense.
Up Next
• Stony Brook will wrap-up non-conference play against Colgate next Saturday, October 12 at 6 p.m. The game will broadcast on Champions Radio 96.9 & 107.1 FM.
