Stony Brook Seawolves
Overall Rank: #24
#5 CAA
With most of the offensive talent gone and a much, much tougher schedule to navigate now that Stony Brook is in the CAA, this could be a trying season for the Seawolves. Even though their starting running back is gone, Marcus Coker will help this team make a successful go at it in their new conference. While Miguel Maysonet was the top back, rushing for 1,964 yards and 21 touchdowns, Coker has the tools to be just as productive. Last season he rushed for 1,018 yards and nine scores. Back in 2011, he ran for 1,384 yards and 15 touchdowns for Iowa against some extremely tough defenses. The CAA has some quality defenses, but not quite up there with the likes of Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin.
2012 Record: 9-2, 4-1
2012 Postseason: FCS Playoffs
Coach: Chuck Priore (47-34 at Stony Brook, 47-34 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Jeff Behrman
Defensive Coordinator: Lyle Hemphill
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Marcus Coker, RB, 1,018 yards
Passing: Lyle Negron, QB, 64 yards
Receiving: Adrian Coxson, WR, 127 yards
Tackles: Jawara Dudley, LB, 81
Sacks: Kevin Hauter, DT, 5.0
Interceptions: Davonte Anderson, CB, 6
Other Key Returnees: OL Fernando Diaz, LB Reginald Francklin, DT Kevin Hauter, OL Scott Hernandez, OL Mike Lisi, CB Winston Longdon, LB Grant Nakwaasah, DE Victor Ochi, OL Cody Precht, LB Christian Ricard, DE Leston Simpson
Key Losses: OL Michael Bamiro, QB Kyle Essington, WR Jordan Gush, RB Miguel Maysonet, CB Cedric Moore, S Dan Mulrooney, WR Kevin Norrell, S Dominick Reyes
Strengths:
Often lost in the glare of the Stony Brook offense is the fact that the defense is just as good. Last season the unit ranked in the top 15 in the nation in pass defense, total defense and scoring defense. In fact, the Seawolves allowed a mere 15.54 points per game. Only North Dakota State, North Carolina A&T and Indiana State allowed fewer points. The front four was the not the strong point of the unit, but Kevin Hauter and Victor Ochi had very productive seasons and a year in the trenches is only going to make them better. Hauter led the team with five sacks and Leston Simpson added four. Senior Jawara Dudley is the leader of the linebackers. Even though he is the tackling machine in the middle of it all, Stony Brook allows Dudley to rush the passer. He does it very well and a little delayed blitz from the middle of the field is never easy to pick up. Dudley will be flanked by Grant Nakwaasah and rover Christian Ricard. The secondary could be the most talented unit on the defense even without safeties Dan Mulrooney and Dominick Reyes. Davonte Anderson is one of the best corners in a conference not lacking in talent at the position. Winston Longdon is an experienced senior as well and simply avoiding Anderson is not an effective game plan. Safeties Derrick Morgan and Naim Cheeseboro should be capable replacements, but there is not much depth behind them yet.
Weaknesses:
The Seawolves lose Maysonet and his 22 total touchdowns. If that is not enough to slow down the offense, there is plenty more. Quarterback Kyle Essington was a fine game manager and could make plenty of plays on his own. As a senior he threw for 2,032 yards and 23 touchdowns, while being picked off just eight times. And most of the time, and in this case most is not an overstatement, it was Kevin Norrell on the receiving end of Essington’s passes. Norrell caught 66 passes for 1,388 yards and 15 touchdowns. Also gone is secondary receiver Jordan Gush, who found the end zone five times. The most productive returning receiver on the team is Adrian Coxson, who caught just ten passes. And remember those 23 passing touchdowns Essington threw? Coxson is the only player returning who caught any of those and he caught just one. But out with the old and in with the new. Lyle Negron, a 6-1 senior, will be under center. Redshirt freshman Pat D’Amato could be in the mix if Negron struggles. At receiver, Malcolm Eugene and Devante Wheeler will be given the first crack at replacing Norrell. Eugene is a big transfer from Temple and Wheeler is a speedy special teamer still waiting to make his first career catch.
The Bottom Line:
As bad as the offense sounds, there are reasons to be optimistic. Coker is a stud and the offensive line returns four quality starters, led by guard Arthur Doakes. This is not a team that has to be effective through the air. They do need to be efficient and smart under center though. As long as Negron can manage the game and Eugene can be an occasional deep threat, Coker will get the space he needs to do just about all of Stony Brook’s offensive damage on the ground. And the defense will handle the rest. It is not going to be easy in the CAA and there will be games where this group will fall behind and be forced to abandon their game plan and throw the ball. The less that happens, the better.
Projected Postseason: FCS Playoffs
2012 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 275.54 (6th in nation, 1st in conference)
Passing Offense: 161.23 (104, 6)
Total Offense: 436.77 (19, 2)
Scoring Offense: 35.38 (9, 1)
Rushing Defense: 131.92 (34, 2)
Pass Defense: 166.69 (13, 2)
Total Defense: 298.62 (6, 1)
Scoring Defense: 15.54 (4, 1)
Turnover Margin: 0.08 (59, 2)
Sacks: 2.00 (55, 1)
Sacks Allowed: 0.85 (9, 1)
Madness 2013 NFL Recruit Rankings:
#84 Ousmane Camara
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