By KEVIN RYDER. Special to Newsday
PROVIDENCE - Stony Brook had a number of chances to put Saturday's game at Brown away, but could not finish off a drive with points.
That ultimately was one of the reasons the Seawolves lost a double-overtime heartbreaker at Brown Stadium, 33-30, in their first contest against an FCS (Division I-AA) team this season.
The Bears, in their season opener, scored the winning points on a 1-yard run off the right side by tailback Zachary Tronti in the second overtime. That came after Stony Brook (1-2) settled for a 36-yard field goal by Wesley Skiffington to open the second OT.
"We had several opportunities to take control of the game, and we did not," Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore said. "You have to give credit to Brown. We certainly didn't execute how we would want in every aspect. It's disappointing. I think we are better than we played."
Seawolves quarterback Michael Coulter was picked off twice in the fourth quarter. The first came on second-and-10 from the SBU 3-yard line, Mel Farr making the interception at the 37 and returning it to the SBU 24. Five plays later, Alexan Norocea kicked a 30-yard field goal to tie the score at 20 with 9:55 left.
Stony Brook then drove from its own 33 to the Brown 12, but a Coulter pass was picked off by Andrew Serrano at the 5 and returned to the 23 with 5:33 left.
After the defense forced the Bears to punt, Stony Brook started at its own 13 with 2:56 left and marched down the field, using quick bursts from running back Miguel Maysonet and two completions by Coulter to get near midfield with a minute on the clock. A 12-yard run by Maysonet on a draw play got the Seawolves to the Brown 32 with 30 seconds left, but Coulter was stopped for no gain on the next play, forcing Priore to use his final timeout with 14 seconds left. After Brown also called a timeout to freeze Skiffington, he missed a 49-yard field-goal attempt wide left, and the teams headed to overtime, tied at 20.
In the first OT, Brown opened with a 4-yard touchdown run by Tronti to take a 27-20 lead. Stony Brook answered, going exclusively to junior back Brock Jackolski five times, including a direct snap on the last carry to score from 1 yard out to force a second OT.
SBU had momentum on its side early. After stopping Brown on downs at the SBU 33 to start the game, Coulter connected with Matt Brevi for a 67-yard touchdown on the next snap to take a 7-0 lead.
After Brown took a 10-7 lead, Stony Brook answered with a 47-yard scamper by Jackolski (21 carries, 135 yards) to take a 14-10 lead at the half. Maysonet (15 carries, 72 yards) added to the lead, finding the end zone on a 16-yard run, but Skiffington missed the extra point and SBU led 20-10.
Brown answered when Mark Kachmer returned the kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown, stealing momentum away from Stony Brook.
"We'll leave here as a program knowing that games are won on the field," Priore said. "We have to get back to practice and correct our mistakes. We have to look in the mirror individually and know that it's a team effort when we win and a team effort when we lose. We will be better next Saturday, that's a promise."
Next up for the Seawolves is Massachusetts, ranked 15th in the FCS coaches poll and a 42-37 loser Saturday at Michigan.
