Stony Brook (1-0, 0-0 CAA Football) at Utah State (0-1, 0-0 Mountain West Conference)
LOCATION	Merlin Olsen Field At Maverick Stadium (25,513) | Logan, Utah
DATE  | TIME	Saturday, Sept.  7 | 7:30 p.m. ET
COACHES	Stony Brook: Chuck Priore (UAlbany '82) 124-75   Utah State: Gary Andersen (Utah '86) 0-1
RANKINGS	Stony Brook: RV AFCA Coaches/RV STATS FCS | Utah State: unranked
BROADCAST	Facebook Live (Ari Wolfe, P-x-P; Eddie Royal, Analyst; Dani Klupenger, Sideline)
GAME NOTES	Stony Brook | Utah State | CAA Football
COVERAGE	Live Stats | WATCH Facebook Live
SOCIAL	@StonyBrookFB | #SeawolvesUnited | #HOWL
UP NEXT	vs. Wager, Sept. 14 | 6 p.m. Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium | Season Tickets | Single Game Tickets

LOGAN, Utah -- When the Stony Brook football team takes the field on Saturday evening to battle FBS foe Utah State, senior DB Synceir Malone will be among the many Seawolves in uniform and he will be appreciative of his opportunity.
 
Malone came to Long Island in the fall of 2015 fresh out of Iona Prep in the Bronx and redshirted as a freshman and faced some struggles early in his time at Stony Brook.
 
"Honestly I think I came here a little immature and I suffered from a lot of injuries early in my career," Malone said. "After that it was character building for me. I was going through my little processes and stuff at home at the same time. It was overwhelming at first and then it helped me mature and grow as a man. I'm way more appreciative today of my teammates, my surroundings, my coaches and my family. Everything. I'm just more appreciative of life."
 
Malone did play in 22 games during his first two seasons in 2016 and 2017 and recorded 20 total tackles during his redshirt freshman and sophomore campaigns, while playing behind all-conference safety Darin Peart.
 
Once Peart graduated following the 2017 season, Malone earned his way into the starting role for 2018.
 
As the starter for all 12 games last season, Malone came into his own and recorded 53 total tackles, 5.0 tackles-for-loss, a sack and collected a pair of interceptions. He also posted 10 pass break ups to lead the Seawolves.
  
"I feel like I can do way more this season," Malone said. "I felt like I left a lot of plays on the field last season. I talked to my coaches about making every play that comes my way. They told me if I can do that I would become an All-American so that is my focus. I want to do my job and not let my team down."
 
He already has one big play under his belt in 2019 when he got Stony Brook's scoring started with a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter of last week's win over Bryant.
 
Malone wants to use his success on the football field to bring his family closer. After all, family was a big reason for him to choose Stony Brook.
 
"The thing that helped me the most was the way they treated my mom when I came on my official visit," Malone said about making his decision. "I had a lot of interaction with different coaches and the way they treated my mom was special. I treat her like a queen and I want everyone else to treat her like a queen."
 
Family and loyalty are big for Malone and he said that family is usually who is loyal to you.
 
"I have a lot of siblings and we are kind of all over the place," Malone added. "I wish the dynamic could be a little better, but I'm just taking one objective at a time. Now, I'm just working on being successful here at Stony Brook and then eventually bringing my family closer together."
 
THE SERIES
This will be the first meeting between the two schools on the gridiron. It also marks Stony Brook's first visit to the Beehive State.  

VS. FBS
Satruday marks the 12th time Stony Brook will face a FBS opponent on the gridiron. The Seawolves are 1-9 against FBS teams in the previous meetings. Stony Brook met Toledo to open the season in 2015, but the game was not completed due to weather. Last season, Stony Brook opened the season at Air Force.

QUICK HITTERS
• Stony Brook is 10-10 in season openers since moving to Division I in 1999.
• Stony Brook's captains for the 2019 season are senior DB Gavin Heslop, senior DL Sam Kamara and senior RB Isaiah White.
• Graduate transfer WR Jean Constant was named preseason STATS FCS All-American.
• Stony Brook finished the 2018 season ranked 18th in the AFCA Coaches poll and 16th in the STATS poll.

RIDING TEN
After last week's victory over Bryant, Stony Brook has now won 10 straight games in Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.

NEW YORK (BACKFIELD) STATE OF MIND
The Seawolves have an offensive backfield made up of New Yorkers. The three running backs - Isaiah White (Gordon Heights, N.Y.), Ty Son Lawton (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Seba Nekhet (Brooklyn, N.Y.) - all hail from the Empire State, while QBs Tyquell Fields (Yonkers, N.Y.) and Jack Cassidy (Bohemia, N.Y.) are also New York natives.

YONKERS PIPELINE
Three expected starters for the Seawolves in 2019 all hail from Archbishop Stepinac High School in Yonkers, N.Y., and all played together during their HS careers. Senior captain Gavin Heslop and junior TJ Morrison are slated to be the starting cornerbacks for Stony Brook and have been teammates and friends since the age of eight. Junior Tyquell Fields also donned the Archbishop Stepinac uniform with Heslop and Morrison. True freshman WR Shawn Harris Jr. also comes from Stepinac HS.

CONSTANT THREAT
Grad transfer Jean Constant, a preseason FCS STATS All-American as a kick returner, transferred to Stony Brook after a four-year undergrad career at Bryant where we was named a two-time All-American and returned kicks for touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

PICK-SIX PARTY
Senior DB Synceir Malone joined the pick-six in the opening win over Bryant with a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown. Malone's score marked the fifth pick-six for the Seawolves since the second game of the 2018 season. It also marks the seventh defensive touchdown for Stony Brook in the last 11 games.

HOME OPENER
Stony Brook opened the seasons with the first of seven home games in LaValle Stadium with a 35-10 victory over Bryant last week. The Seawolves are now 10-4 in the home opener under head coach Chuck Priore.

SEASON OPENERS UNDER PRIORE
Head coach Chuck Priore is now 7-7 in openers at Stony Brook, including a 6-2 record when playing at home to open the season.
Year    Opponent    Result
2019    Bryant    W, 35-10
2018    at Air Force    L, 38-0
2017    at #19 USF*    L, 31-17
2016    #19 North Dakota    W, 13-9
2015    Central Connecticut    W, 38-9
2014    Bryant    L, 13-7
2013    at Rhode Island    W, 24-0
2012    Central Connecticut    W, 49-22
2011    at UTEP    L, 31-24 OT
2010    at USF    L, 59-14
2009    at Hofstra    L, 17-10
2008    Colgate    W, 42-26
2007    Georgetown    W, 35-28
2006    Hofstra    L, 17-8

LET'S GO STREAKING...
OL Mason Zimmerman has started 32 straight games...DL Sam Kamara and DB Gavin Heslop have each started 26 straight games...DB Augie Contressa, DB Synceir Malone, DB EJ Fineran and DB TJ Morrison has all started 13 straight games...Stony Brook won 10 straight games in LaValle Stadium.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF DIVISION I
2019-20 marks the 20th anniversary of Stony Brook Athletics moving to Division I. A 20th Anniversary team, voted on by the fans, was unveiled in July and the top 20 moments from the Division I era will be unveiled throughout the 2019-20 seasons.

ON DECK
Stony Brook will return home next week for the first of two back-to-back non-conference home games. The Seawolves host Wagner on Sept. 14 at 6 p.m., followed by Fordham on Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!














































FIRST TIME starters
Six Seawolves picked up their first career starts in the season-opening win over Bryant. LT Cameron Lucas, RT Ian McLean, QB Tyquell Fields, RB Isaiah White, LB Reidgee Dimanche and LB Keirston Johnson.

FIRST TIMERS
11 Seawolves - RB Ty Son Lawton, DB Gregory Young II, WR Lukas Merluzzi, RB Alex Indelicato, DB Will Corchado, DB Kendall Nero-Clark, DL Ryan Lopez, OL Matt Mirabito, LB Souleymane Camara, TE Thomas Dutton and DL Mayke Smith - made their collegiate debuts in the season opening win over Bryant. In addition, transfers WR Jean Constant, WR Brandon Benson, TE Carter McCarthy, DL Sean Hammonds Jr. and OL James Tunstall made their Stony Brook debuts against the Bulldogs.