Seawolves Focused on James Madison for Saturday's CAA Football Showdown

HARRISONBURG, VA. -- All eyes will be on Bridgeforth Stadium this Saturday when the 15th-ranked Stony Brook football team will face No. 3 James Madison in a CAA Football showdown. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. The Seawolves (6-2, 4-1 CAA Football) come into the game having won two games in a row, while the Dukes (5-2, 3-1 CAA Football) is coming off their bye week after a victory over Villanova. The Game will be broadcast live on MASN/SNY and can be seen live in the Long Island area on SNY. THE SERIES This will be the fifth meeting beteen the two conference foes. James Madison owns a 3-1 series lead that includes a victory over Stony Brook in the second round of the FCS Playoffs last season. Stony Brook's win over the Dukes came in Harrisonburg in 2013. (Complete series history on page 6). QUICK HITTERS • Stony Brook improved to 11-2 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 15th in the AFCA Coaches poll and 15th in the STATS poll this week. ALL IN THE FAMILY Stony Brook's roster includes a pair of brothers for the 2018 season. Junior DL Brandon Lopez will be joined this season by his brother Ryan, a freshman DL. Junior WR Kyle Vadis is joined on the roster by his brother Ryan, a freshman WR. 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 19 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. URI: DS Anthony Santorelli. 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 14th straight time this week. Stony Brook sits 15th in the AFCA Coaches' poll and sits 15th 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.