Stony Brook edges Albany: Advances to 2nd round

By Juan G. Rodriguez

File photo of Brock Jackolski

Stony Brook scored three touchdowns in seven minutes while en route to erasing an 18-point deficit as the Seawolves defeated the University of Albany Great Danes, 31-28, in a thrilling Football Championship Subdivision first-round playoff game at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Saturday.

“Is wow good enough,” said Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore.  “I’m really proud of what happened out there today. I can’t be prouder of this group’s ability to play the game of football the correct way, to over come adversity and to finish games.“

Senior running back Brock Jackolski rushed for a team high 103 yards on 22 carries and scored three second-half touchdowns, including what would become the game-winner with 12:40 remaining in the game.

After dominating the Seawolves for nearly three quarters and blowing a 28-10 lead, head coach Bob Ford and his Great Dane football team showed their resilience by marching down the field to Stony Brook’s three-yard line with less than a minute remaining in the game.

But, on second-and-goal the Great Danes’ senior quarterback Dan Di Lella threw a high arching pass to the back of the end zone, where Stony Brook senior Donald Porter tipped the ball into the open arms of junior defensive back Dominick Reyes. Reyes kept his feet inside the endzone and pulled in the interception.

“The coverage call had me locked in on the tight end, and I was able to get underneath him and tip the pass,” Porter said.  “Luckily for us, Dom was there and did a great job keeping his feet in bounds and that is a great way to end a game.”

“If I’m going to catch it I got to stay inbounds,” Reyes said.  “I can’t even describe how I’m feeling. I couldn’t have even dream that up, it still has not hit me.”

Albany held an 11-point lead at the start of the second half but quickly scored a touchdown on a four-play drive that nearly took the air out of LaValle stadium. On a gimmick play, Albany’s halfback Drew Smith threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to wideout Ryan Kirchner.

The touchdown would be the last of the game for the Great Danes, as Stony Brook’s defense began to shutdown Albany’s offense. Donald Porter would end the next Albany drive making a momentum-shifting interception at the Stony Brook 41.

On the following drive, Kyle Essington tossed a 55-yard touchdown to Jackolski for his third receiving touchdown of the year as Stony Brook pulled within four points with just over a minute to go in the third quarter.

“It was a big play and Brock is a great playmaker,” said Essington. “It was an excellent play call by Coach Priore and Coach Behrman to call in that situation. Brock got himself open and it was an amazing feeling to watch him run up the sidelines for that score.”

Stony Brook quarterback Kyle Essington went 12 of 24, with 258 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The Seawolves defense held the Great Danes running game to 85 rushing yards and 348 total yards of offense. The defense held Albany scoreless for the final 28:25 of the game.

Big South Player of The Year, junior Miguel Maysonet rushed for 75 yards on 22 carries, giving him 1,560 yards for the season and making him the Big South’s all-time leading rusher for a season.

This is the Seawolves (9-3) first-ever NCAA postseason victory, which advances them to the second round of the 20-team tournament where they will face the No. 1-overall seed Sam Houston State University (11-0), Saturday, Dec. 3 in Huntsville, Texas at 3 p.m. on ESPN3.com.