Seawolves Welcome Rhode Island to LaValle Stadium for Homecoming

STONY BROOK, N.Y. -- Coming off a convincing 35-7 win at New Hampshire last week, the Stony Brook football team readies to host Rhode Island for Homecoming at 6 p.m. on Saturday in a Top 25 CAA Football matchup at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. The Seawolves (5-2, 3-1 CAA Football) are ranked 17th in the AFCA Coaches Poll, while Rhode Island (4-2, 2-1 CAA Football) sit 23rd in the coaches poll. THE SERIES This will be the sixth meeting beteen the two conference foes. Stony Brook owns a 5-0 series advantage, having won twice in LaValle Stadium and three times in Kingston. The Seawolves opened conference play last season with a 35-18 win at Rhode Island. (Complete series history on page 6). QUICK HITTERS • Stony Brook is 10-2 in Homecoming games under head coach Chuck Priore. • The Seawolves claimed the program's 10th win against a ranked opponent with the week five 29-27 victory over No. 13 Villanova. • Stony Brook is 10-10 in season openers since moving to Division I in 1999. The Seawolves have won three of the last five openers, including the 13-9 victory over North Dakota that opened the 2016 season. • Stony Brook's captains for the 2018 season are senior QB Joe Carbone, senior TE Cal Daniels, senior LB Shayne Lawless, senior LB Noah McGinty and senior DL John Haggart. • Senior TE Cal Daniels was named preseason STATS FCS All-American. • Stony Brook, who finished the 2017 season ranked 11th in both polls, sit 17th in the AFCA Coaches poll and 18th in the STATS poll this week. FIRST TIME STARTERS Seven Seawolves picked up their first career starts at Stony Brook in the season-opener at Air Force. RT Chris Infantino, WR Marshall Ellick, RG Jaelen Vazquez, CB TJ Morrison, S EJ Fineran and DT Brandon Lopez. Two more - DL Odean Gilzene and TE Tyrone Wheatley Jr. - started for the first time as Seawolves against Richmond. DL Casey Williams picked up his first career start against Villanova. Right Guard Kyle Nunez picked up his first career start at New Hampshire. FIRST TIMERS A total of 18 Seawolves saw their first collegiate action so far this season. AIR FORCE: TE Peter McKenzie, OL Kyle Nunez, WR JP Roane, K Jack Pruban and OL Cameron Lucas. BRYANT: DB Jabari Reddock. FORDHAM: LB Reidgee Dimanche, DL Petey Wilks Jr. and WR Delante Hellams Jr. RICHMOND: WR Anthony Millan, DL Lorenzo Worrell and LB Anthony Del Negro. TOWSON: LB Chris Higgins, DB Randy Pringle, WR John Corpac and P Mitchell Wright. UNH: TE Isaiah Givins and DB Calique Cato-Jacobs. Six more transfers - RB Kameron Pickett, WR Marshall Ellick, TE Tyrone Wheatley Jr., DB Kareem Gaulden, DL Casey Williams and DB CeQuan Jefferson - have also made their Stony Brook debut this season. IN THE RANKS The Seawolves are ranked in both polls for the 13th straight time this week. Stony Brook sits 17th in the AFCA Coaches' poll and sits 18th in the STATS FCS poll this week. AGAINST THE FCS RANKS Stony Brook in now 10-20 all-time against FCS ranked opponents with the win over No. 13 Villanova in week five. The Seawolves also has victories over No. 12 New Hampshire and No. 17 Richmond in 2017. The Seawolves' also posted two ranked wins in 2016. Stony Brook earned a 42-14 win over No. 2 Richmond and a 13-9 season-opening victory against No. 19 North Dakota. Richmond's No. 2 ranking equals the highest ranked opponent to come into Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium (No. 2 Towson on Sept. 28, 2013). The win over Richmond also marked the program's first victory over a top 10 team. HOMECOMING GAMES UNDER PRIORE Year Opponent Result 2018 Rhode Island 2017 New Hampshire W, 38-24 2016 Rhode Island W, 14-3 2015 Towson L, 21-14 2014 William & Mary L, 27-21 OT 2013 Bryant W, 21-13 2012 Colgate W, 32-31 2011 Lafayette W, 37-20 2010 VMI W, 27-9 2009 Presbyterian W, 52-14 2008 Charleston Southern W, 20-19 2007 Maine W, 30-23 2 OT 2006 Albany W, 33-21 CARBONE CLIMBING THE CHARTS Senior QB Joe Carbone sits among the top in several career records at Stony Brook. The Wethersfield, Conn., native enters the URI game ranked third in passing attempts, third in completions, third in passing yards and fourth in passing touchdowns. He became just the fourth Seawolf to reach 5,000 career passing yards in the game at Towson. Carbone is 114 completions away from moving up to second, 109 attempts from moving up to second and five passing touchdowns from moving up to third. LIOTINE ALSO CLIMBING THE CHARTS Senior RB Donald Liotine sits in the top 10 of several career offensive categories entering the URI game. He is fourth in all-purpose yards, fourth rushing carries, sixth in rushing yards and tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns. The Medford, N.Y., native needs 83 carries to move into third, two rushing touchdowns to move up to seventh, and 13 rushing yards to climb up into fifth. LONG ISLAND EXPRESS ROLLING Senior RBs Donald Liotine and Jordan Gowins, dubbed the Long Island Express, have both recorded 100-yard rushing games three times this season. Gowins (146 yards vs. Bryant, 160 yards at Fordham and 192 yards vs. Richmond) and Liotine (107 yards vs. Bryant, 106 yards at Fordham and 133 yards vs. Richmond) are just one game shy of tying the Stony Brook record for both the most 100-yard games by a duo in a season. Miguel Maysonet and Brock Jackolski accomplished the feat in four straight games in 2011, while Eddie Gowins (Jordan's older brother) and Conte Cuttino had four 100-yard games together in 2008. LET'S GO STREAKING... LBs Noah McGinty and Shayne Lawless have started 30 straight games...TE Cal Daniels has started 22 straight games...QB Joe Carbone, DL Sam Kamara and DB Gavin Heslop have each started 20 straight games...QB Joe Carbone has tossed at least one touchdown pass in six straight games and has thrown at least two in four straight games. BLOCK AND TOUCHDOWN, AGAIN Stony Brook's special teams have blocked six punts for touchdowns in the past three-plus seasons, including one against Bryant on Sept. 8. The Seawolves accomplished this at USF and against Sacred Heart in 2017, against North Dakota and William & Mary in 2016 and at Rhode Island in 2015. PICK SIX TIMES FOUR Stony Brook has returned four interceptions for touchdowns this season. Against Bryant, sophomore DB EJ Fineran tipped a pass and proceeded to scamper 79 yards for the touchdown in the second quarter, while junior DB Damarcus Miller did him one better and snagged a pass on the five-yard line and took it to the house, 95 yards later as time expired in the fourth quarter. Sophomore DB TJ Morrison joined the party with a 35-yard pick-six in the win at UNH. Stony Brook also has a pick-six game against Fordham. HOW ABOUT A COUPLE SCOOP-SIXES? Junior DB Gavin Heslop decided he wanted to join in on the defensive touchdown caravan when he scooped up fumble and raced 87 yards for a score in the first quarter against Richmond. Senior LB Shayne Lawless got his defensive score with a 54-yard scoop and score at New Hampshire. LONG RETURNS Junior DB Damarcus Miller and sophomore DB EJ Fineran had interception returns for touchdowns against Bryant and both cracked the record books in the process. Miller's 95-yard return is the third longest pick-six in school history and the longest since Ernie Williams' 99-yarder against St. Francis on Nov. 17, 2001. Fineran's 79-yard pick-six is the fourth longest pick-six and fifth longest interception return in the program's history...DB Gavin Heslop returned a fumble 87 yards against Richmond for the longest fumble return for a TD. UP NEXT The Seawolves hit the road to face the 2018 National Runner-up James Madison next Saturday. Kickoff at Bridgeforth Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m.