BY CHRIS MASCARO
The customary gift for a 10th anniversary is diamond jewelry, silver for a 25th. But as Stony Brook began its celebration of 10 seasons of Division I football and 25 overall, the Seawolves had to settle for a 42-26 pasting of Colgate in each team's season opener at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.They also got 270 yards on the ground, rushing touchdowns by four players and a win over an opponent that was 7-4 last season, which SBU coach Chuck Priore will take any day over pearls. "We performed well on both sides of the ball and we executed very well," he said.Entering the game, the quarterback position was a question mark for Stony Brook, with untested redshirt freshman Dayne Hoffman getting the nod.Hoffman's first career pass was intercepted, leading to a Colgate field goal, and he completed only 3 of 7 passes in the first half.
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He threw his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter on a 49-yard screen pass to Lynell Suggs, who set the school record for receiving yards in a season last year with 962. Hoffman finished 8-for-16 for 174 yards.By the time Suggs scored -- one minute into the second half -- the rushing committee of Conte Cuttino, Brandon Mason and Ed Gowins had given the Seawolves a comfortable margin to work with. Cuttino was first, as he took a swing pass from Hoffman 13 yards down the left sideline to set up his 1-yard plunge with two minutes left in the first quarter.Next was Gowins, of Bellport fame, who took his first career carry 22 yards off left tackle for a score. The freshman rushed 12 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns.Hoffman and Mason, a transfer from Pittsburgh, got into the action in the second quarter with matching 1-yard scoring runs."It's like a 1-2-3 punch, because all three of us can get the job done," Gowins said.The Colgate offense was hampered by the one-game suspension of Jordan Scott, the nation's leading rusher a season ago, for violating team rules. "You want to play with all your bullets in the gun," Priore said. "But you play with what you have."Stony Brook held the Raiders to 140 yards of offense and six points in the first half. The addition of Michigan transfer Chris Richards obviously helped, as the corner had two interceptions. He also led the team with four solo tackles, including one for a loss."I've been out of football for a year and a half now, so it definitely felt good [to get out there]," Richards said. "It meant the world to me."Colgate's first touchdown, on Jordan McCord's 6-yard dash, cut it to 35-12 with 6:06 left in the third quarter. Gowins pushed the lead to 42-12 before the Raiders closed the scoring with some trickery. Wide receiver Sam Breslin threw after taking an end around and connected with Pat Simonds for a 67-yard score.
The customary gift for a 10th anniversary is diamond jewelry, silver for a 25th. But as Stony Brook began its celebration of 10 seasons of Division I football and 25 overall, the Seawolves had to settle for a 42-26 pasting of Colgate in each team's season opener at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.They also got 270 yards on the ground, rushing touchdowns by four players and a win over an opponent that was 7-4 last season, which SBU coach Chuck Priore will take any day over pearls. "We performed well on both sides of the ball and we executed very well," he said.Entering the game, the quarterback position was a question mark for Stony Brook, with untested redshirt freshman Dayne Hoffman getting the nod.Hoffman's first career pass was intercepted, leading to a Colgate field goal, and he completed only 3 of 7 passes in the first half.
Related links
He threw his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter on a 49-yard screen pass to Lynell Suggs, who set the school record for receiving yards in a season last year with 962. Hoffman finished 8-for-16 for 174 yards.By the time Suggs scored -- one minute into the second half -- the rushing committee of Conte Cuttino, Brandon Mason and Ed Gowins had given the Seawolves a comfortable margin to work with. Cuttino was first, as he took a swing pass from Hoffman 13 yards down the left sideline to set up his 1-yard plunge with two minutes left in the first quarter.Next was Gowins, of Bellport fame, who took his first career carry 22 yards off left tackle for a score. The freshman rushed 12 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns.Hoffman and Mason, a transfer from Pittsburgh, got into the action in the second quarter with matching 1-yard scoring runs."It's like a 1-2-3 punch, because all three of us can get the job done," Gowins said.The Colgate offense was hampered by the one-game suspension of Jordan Scott, the nation's leading rusher a season ago, for violating team rules. "You want to play with all your bullets in the gun," Priore said. "But you play with what you have."Stony Brook held the Raiders to 140 yards of offense and six points in the first half. The addition of Michigan transfer Chris Richards obviously helped, as the corner had two interceptions. He also led the team with four solo tackles, including one for a loss."I've been out of football for a year and a half now, so it definitely felt good [to get out there]," Richards said. "It meant the world to me."Colgate's first touchdown, on Jordan McCord's 6-yard dash, cut it to 35-12 with 6:06 left in the third quarter. Gowins pushed the lead to 42-12 before the Raiders closed the scoring with some trickery. Wide receiver Sam Breslin threw after taking an end around and connected with Pat Simonds for a 67-yard score.
