Colgate Edges Stony Brook, 23-13

Gowins Rushes For 108 Yards In The Loss

Hamilton, N.Y. - Stony Brook trailed by just four going into the fourth quarter, but a pair of interceptions late in the game dashed the Seawolves hopes for a comeback in a 23-13 loss to Colgate in non-conference football action. One of the late interceptions was returned for a score that put the final points on the board for the Raiders, who were shutout offensively in the second half by the Stony Brook defense.

"We just made too many mistakes tonight," said Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore. "Colgate played a very good game; they were better than us tonight."

Like in the first game of the season, the Stony Brook offense got off to a slow start, gaining just 26 yards and getting shut out in the first quarter. The Seawolves defense stopped Colgate as well on its first two drives, but the Raiders marched to a score on their third drive, going 40 yards in two plays and scoring on a 37-yard pass from Greg Sullivan to Pat Simonds with 46 seconds left in the first.

Redshirt freshman Dominick Reyes (Hesperia, Calif.) broke up consecutive passes early in the second quarter to halt a drive and Stony Brook unleashed its running game on its ensuing drive, one that resulted in the first points of the night for the Seawolves. Senior Conte Cuttino (Uniondale, N.Y.) got things started with a 16-yard run, with a Colgate 15-yard personal foul tacked on the end of the run. Two plays later sophomore Edwin Gowins(Bellport, N.Y.) swept around the right side for 39 yards and the score.

Colgate answered the Stony Brook drive with back-to-back scoring drives of its own, getting a 26-yard field goal and another TD pass to Simonds, this one from 35 yards out with 4:26 left in the half to put the Raiders up 17-7. Stony Brook closed out the half with pair of scoring drives to cut into the Colgate lead. Redshirt freshman Wesley Skiffington (Brandon, Fla.) finished off both drives with field goals, with his second coming from 36 yards out in the final seconds of the quarter to make it 17-13 at the half. 

Stony Brook's defense was stout in the third quarter, holding Colgate to 46 yards and no points. The Seawolves offense could not put any points on the board either, and the four-point Raider lead carried over into the fourth quarter.

Solid defensive play by both teams continued into the fourth quarter and the score remained 17-13 when Stony Brook started a late drive at its own one-yard line after a Colgate punt went out of bounds just inside the pylon. Facing a fourth and short, the Seawolves called a fake punt, with the snap going to Cuttino who gained just enough to pick up the first down. Two plays later Coulter was intercepted, however, with Garrington Spence returning it 11 yards for the touchdown that put the game out of reach for SBU. Another Coulter interception with 2:24 left by Coree Moses halted the Seawolves last chance as the Raiders went on to the win.

Gowins went over the 100-yard mark on the ground for the first time this season, finishing with 108 yards on 17 carries and one score. Coulter completed 12 of 29 attempts for 154 yards and the two interceptions.

Stony Brook will be back in action next week when plays its first home game of the season when it hosts Brown University from the Ivy League. Kickoff will be at 6:00 p.m. in LaValle Stadium.