ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Stony Brook football team came back after trailing 27-3 at the break to cut the deficit to 30-27, but the Lindenwood Lions held on for the victory on Saturday night in Missouri.
Zellous sparked the second-half comeback. The QB finished his night 27-for-41 with 317 yards and two passing touchdowns. Both touchdowns came in the second half and went to
Jayce Freeman. Zellous also rushed for 18 yards on 11 carries, with a long of six yards.
Jayce Freeman had a career day for the Seawolves, securing nine catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yard reception for a score.
Marqeese Dietz also made an impact out wide, catching 10 passes for 47 yards.
Cole Bunicci registered 48 yards on his two catches, including a long of 35 yards, while
Dez Williams finished with 17 yards on his two receptions.
Roland Dempster paced the running back room with 89 yards on 17 carries, tallying his second touchdown of the season. He also grabbed four passes for 27 yards in the defeat.
Ikaika Ragsdale added two carries for six yards.
The Stony Brook defense was led by
Anthony Ferrelli, who tallied a season-high 14 tackles—seven solo and seven assisted. Fellow linebackers
Aidan Kaler and
AJ Roberts combined for 15 tackles. Chayce Chambers and
Sebastian Regis each recorded a tackle for loss.
Clayton Taylor and
Enda Kirby led the specialists. Kirby connected on his only field goal attempt of the night from 27 yards. Taylor finished with six punts for 272 yards, averaging 45.3 yards with a long of 54. He also recorded two touchbacks, a fair catch, and a punt that landed at the opposing three-yard line.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Stony Brook got the ball first and picked up a first down on the opening play with a pass from Zellous to Freeman. However, a fumble by Zellous on third and six gave Lindenwood the ball at the Stony Brook 35-yard line.
- The Lions took a 7-0 lead following a 30-yard touchdown pass from Glantz to Bond with 13:11 left in the first quarter.
- After the Seawolves punted, the Stony Brook defense responded with a three-and-out to force a Lions punt.
- Stony Brook moved the ball down the field on 14 plays for 48 yards, resulting in a 27-yard kick from Kirby to make it 7-3.
- With 3:18 left in the first quarter, Lindenwood got the ball back and drove down for a 1-yard rushing touchdown, extending their lead to 14-3 with 13:33 left in the second quarter.
- On the next possession, Stony Brook began at their own 25-yard line and moved the chains after a 12-yard connection from Zellous to Freeman. Zellous then found Dempster for four yards, but the drive stalled, and the Seawolves were forced to punt.
- Following an SBU penalty, Lindenwood began their next drive at the 32-yard line with 10:57 remaining in the half. The Lions went 62 yards on five plays, capped by a seven-yard rushing touchdown by Glantz to make it 21-3.
- Stony Brook got the ball back with 8:05 left in the second quarter and picked up a first down with a pass from Zellous to Dietz, followed by a rush from Dempster. But the drive ended with a sack on third down, forcing another punt.
- Lindenwood started their next drive from their own 15-yard line and scored with 1:24 left in the half after a 10-play, 85-yard drive ended in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Glantz to Bond. The extra point was missed, making the score 27-3.
- Both teams were held scoreless for the rest of the half, and Lindenwood carried a 27-3 lead into the break.
- Lindenwood received the ball to start the second half but was forced into a three-and-out after a third-down tackle by Dyshier Clary.
- Stony Brook opened their next drive with a first down pass from Zellous to Dempster. They kept the pressure on with a 13-yard reception by Bunicci to reach the 45-yard line. However, the Lions forced a punt on fourth and eight with 11:00 left in the third quarter.
- The Seawolves defense responded with another three-and-out stop with 9:00 left in the third.
- Stony Brook used the momentum as Zellous connected with Freeman for a 65-yard touchdown. They converted the two-point attempt to make it 27-11.
- On the next drive, the Stony Brook defense held Lindenwood on fourth down at the 22-yard line, forcing a turnover on downs with 3:39 left in the third quarter.
- The Seawolves capitalized, driving 78 yards in nine plays, capped by a five-yard rushing touchdown from Dempster on third and goal. Casey Case connected with Dietz for the two-point conversion to make it 27-19.
- Following the touchdown, the Stony Brook defense forced another three-and-out with 14:55 remaining in the game.
- The offense moved the ball across midfield, but Lindenwood forced a punt with less than 12 minutes left. Taylor pinned the Lions at their own three-yard line.
- However, Lindenwood broke off a 48-yard run to move into Stony Brook territory. The Seawolves defense held firm, allowing only a 31-yard field goal to make it 30-19 with 6:59 left.
- Stony Brook began their next drive at the 35-yard line. Zellous found Freeman for a 12-yard gain to the 47, then connected with Bunicci on fourth and 10 for a 35-yard completion, putting the Seawolves at the Lindenwood 18-yard line. A few plays later, Zellous and Freeman hooked up for another touchdown on a 10-yard pass. Zellous then hit Dietz for the two-point conversion to close the gap to 30-27.
- Lindenwood got the ball back with 4:23 remaining and managed to run out the clock, securing the 30-27 victory on Saturday night.
STATS AND NOTES
- Zellous capped off his night with a career-high 317 passing yards, completing 24-of-41 passes with two touchdowns and a fumble. Over his last two games, he has thrown for 577 yards, four touchdowns, and added a rushing touchdown.
- Freeman recorded his second consecutive multi-touchdown performance, hauling in nine receptions for 178 yards. His 178-yard outing is the most by any Seawolves receiver this season, and the most since Nick Anderson's 205-yard performance at Towson on November 9, 2019.
- Dempster notched his second rushing touchdown of the season and the 23rd of his career, finishing with 88 rushing yards. He has now rushed for at least 80 yards in three straight games. With an additional 24 receiving yards, Dempster has eclipsed 100 total yards in three of the team's first four games.
- Ferrelli led the defense with a team-high 14 tackles, tying his career high set against Marshall in the 2024 season opener on August 31.
- Dietz became the first Seawolf with 10 or more receptions in a game since Dez Williams had 11 against Monmouth on November 23, 2024. Dietz finished with 47 yards on his 10 receptions.
- Kaler matched his season high in tackles for the second consecutive game, finishing with nine in the loss.
- Stony Brook outgained Lindenwood through the air, throwing for 317 yards compared to the Lions' 249.
- The Seawolves outscored Lindenwood 24-3 in the second half and ran 71 plays to the Lions' 69.
- Stony Brook was a perfect 3-for-3 on fourth down conversions.
- With this win, the Seawolves improved to 7-3 all-time against current OVC–Big South opponents.
- This game marked the first-ever meeting between Stony Brook and Lindenwood.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"We had a horrible first half, and it starts with us as coaches to our team, " said head coach Billy Cosh. "Great resolve in the second half — when you put yourself in a hole like that, you have to be perfect to come back. I love the fight, but it was a bad start."
UP NEXT
The Seawolves return to the field next weekend as they host Merrimack on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game at LaValle Stadium will be streamed live on FloCollege as Stony Brook football celebrates its Family Weekend and Educator Appreciation Day.
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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