By JOHN JEANSONNE john.jeansonne@newsday.com
A question of logic: If Massachusetts was good enough to scare Michigan, that college football colossus, in a five-point loss last week, and Stony Brook, still a young whippersnapper on the scholarship grid scene, was good enough to worry Massachusetts until the final two minutes of last night's 26-21 UMass victory at Stony Brook, does that mean:
1) Stony Brook could compete in the Big 10;
2) UMass plays better in front of 5,309 hostile fans than 110,187;
3) Michigan ought to schedule a game on Long Island;
4) There's just no telling what will happen until the games are played.
A matter of fact:
Stony Brook (1-3) gave UMass as much trouble as UMass (3-1) gave itself, with the visitors handing back two apparent touchdowns because of penalties and Stony Brook twice taking the lead in their non-conference game.
"Football's a funny game," said Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore, noting he had awakened with a "strange feeling" in the morning, feeling his lads were going "to be in this one," in spite of UMass' impressive show in Ann Arbor a week ago.
Massachusetts, No. 9 by a vote of Division 1-AA coaches, brought the highest ranking ever by a visiting team to Stony Brook and ultimately lived up to it, outgaining Stony Brook, 442 to 342 yards, and holding the ball more than 13 minutes longer than the home team. UMass didn't have to punt until the last five minutes of the game.
When a holding penalty and illegal-shift call turned two UMass touchdowns into field goals, there still was a chance that some semi-miracle could ride to the rescue for Stony Brook, down by five and with the ball at midfield with 1:56 to go.
That's when quarterback Michael Coulter's apparent first-down throw to freshman Chris McMillan, who was seeing the ball for the first time in the game, clipped off McMillan's hands and was intercepted by UMass linebacker Tyler Holmes.
Stony Brook, mostly behind the running of slashing Bellport junior Eddie Gowins who gained 101 yards, led 14-7 early in the second period and, despite bogging down on offense for a long stretch, sprung to life again late in the third.
Coulter's 51-yard rainbow to junior receiver Matt Brevi set up Coulter's four-yard scoring pass to Jordan Gush for a 21-20 lead going into the fourth quarter. But Massachusetts kept pounding away with senior tailback John Griffin (132 yards).
"I was proud of our effort," Priore said. "Not happy with the loss, but that's a good football team, obviously. Respected by me, obviously. But I think we stood up to the challenge."
Maybe the corollary to UMass' five-point loss at Michigan and Stony Brook's five-point loss last night means that Stony Brook would lose to Michigan by a mere 10.
"Yeh," Priore said. "And I don't want to play them."
