SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Stony Brook football team officially opened its 2025 season on Thursday evening, facing off against FBS opponent San Diego State at Snapdragon Stadium and falling to the Aztecs 42-0 in the opener.
Quarterbacks
Chris Zellous and
Casey Case both saw time under center. In his first start for Stony Brook, Zellous went 5-for-15 for 21 passing yards and added five carries on the ground. Case, returning for the first time since the 2023 season, completed 4-of-10 passes for 25 yards and ran twice.
Dez Williams led all receivers with three receptions for 26 yards, including the Seawolves' longest completion of the night at 17 yards.
Marqeese Dietz, making his Stony Brook debut, hauled in two receptions, as did
Jayce Freeman, who also contributed 35 yards on two kickoff returns. In the backfield,
Roland Dempster paced the rushing attack with 49 yards on 12 carries, highlighted by a 13-yard burst. North Texas transfer Ikiaka Ragsdale also made his debut, recording four carries for 16 yards.
Defensively, Stony Brook was anchored by a trio of newcomers.
Bryson Parker tallied a team-high eight tackles in his debut.
Shamar Askin added seven total stops—six of them solo—while
Rayden Aphayvong recorded six tackles.
Dominick Novello also made an impact by securing a career-best five tackles. In total, the Seawolves compiled 88 tackles, with 25 different players contributing, outpacing San Diego State's 45.
On special teams, punter
Clayton Taylor had a strong outing with 10 punts totaling 419 yards, averaging 41.9 per kick with a long of 49.
Michael Mannino handled kickoff duties in his collegiate debut, while the coverage unit allowed zero kickoff return yards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
San Diego State opened the game with a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Lucky Sutton. Stony Brook responded with a 13-yard run and a 6-yard first down conversion but was ultimately forced to punt. The Aztecs followed with another scoring drive, extending their lead to 14-0 after 12 plays and 58 yards.
Late in the first quarter, Stony Brook regained possession but again was forced to punt. The defense responded on the following series by forcing SDSU's first punt, highlighted by tackles from
Franco Milano and
Dominick Novello.
Early in the second quarter, the Seawolves offense gained momentum as Dempster logged three straight runs for 12 yards. Zellous then connected with
Dez Williams and
RJ Lamarre before another punt ended the drive. Defensively, Stony Brook stood strong, holding the Aztecs to a field goal after a red zone stand, pushing the score to 17-0.
Zellous found Williams again on the next drive, and a defensive penalty helped move the chains, but SDSU's defense ultimately held firm. Late in the half,
Chayce Chalmers broke up a pass on Stony Brook's 17-yard line, limiting SDSU to a second field goal and sending the teams into halftime with a 20-0 Aztec lead.
Stony Brook received the ball to begin the third quarter with
Casey Case at quarterback. The drive started with an SDSU penalty but ended in a punt. The Seawolves defense responded again, forcing a punt after key stops by Milano,
Rodney Faulk,
Anthony Ferrelli, and Chalmers.
After another Stony Brook punt, SDSU returned the ball 34 yards to set up their next drive, but the Seawolves' defense held on fourth down, forcing a turnover on their own 33-yard line. Following another exchange of punts, the Aztecs struck again—this time on a 44-yard pass from Jayden Denegal to Donovan Brown, setting up a 2-yard Sutton rushing touchdown for a 28-0 lead.
Zellous re-entered the game and led a drive into SDSU territory, but a fourth-down attempt fell short. SDSU followed with a 9-play, 61-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard Christian Washington touchdown to extend the lead to 35-0. The Aztecs would tack on one final score, sealing the result.
GAME NOTES
- Zellous finished his debut 5-of-15 for 21 yards and four rushes.
- Case returned under center for the first time since Nov. 4, 2023, going 4-of-10 for 25 yards.
- Dempster rushed for 49 yards on 12 carries, continuing a streak of 13 consecutive games with at least 40 rushing yards.
- Williams extended his streak to eight straight games with a reception dating back to Sept. 28, 2024.
- Parker led the team with eight tackles in his debut; Askin and Aphayvong added seven and six, respectively.
- Novello recorded a career-high five tackles and added a tackle for loss.
- Stony Brook out-tackled SDSU 88-45, their highest total since Nov. 20, 2021 (93 vs. UAlbany).
- Neither team recorded a turnover.
- Stony Brook committed four penalties compared to SDSU's seven.
- The Seawolves ran 27 rushing and 25 passing plays.
- Thursday marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
- The contest was Stony Brook's third all-time matchup against a Sun Belt opponent.
- The Seawolves have now played at least one FBS opponent every full season since 2010.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"I'm proud of our physicality and toughness on defense and special teams," said Coach Cosh. "Offensively, we need to play better at OL and QB. We have to improve in Week 2 versus Rhode Island, the defending CAA champs."
UP NEXT
Stony Brook returns home for its 2025 home opener against No. 9 Rhode Island on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6:00 p.m. at LaValle Stadium.
Bring your group out to Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium and enjoy the thrill of gameday, exclusive group benefits, and great discounted pricing to help create an unforgettable experience.
Click here or contact the Stony Brook Athletics ticket office at
631-632-WOLF or seawolvestickets@stonybrook.edu to get started.
More information on each theme and ticket offers will be available throughout the offseason on social media and at StonyBrookAthletics.com.
For an inside look at the Seawolves football program, be sure to follow them on Facebook,
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