[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]
Stony Brook vs. Utah State: Game Preview, Kick Time, Facebook Livestream, Prediction
The Aggies switch game settings to “rookie mode” this week in order to exact unholy revenge on the entire sport.
Contact/Follow @Logantj & @MWCwire
Stony Brook won’t pose much of a threat, but does boast an excellent mascot.
The Aggies aim to rebound from last week’s heartbreaker with what’s sure to be a short, but exhilarating, fling Saturday night against Stony Brook. An FCS team from the Colonial Athletic Association, the Seawolves will likely function as a temporary salve for a Utah State squad still smarting from its recent loss — and a chance to retool before taking to the road again for a key conference matchup at San Diego State.
WEEK 2: Saturday, September 7, 2019
WHERE: Maverik Stadium, Logan, UT
WHEN: 5:30 PM MT/4:30 PM PT
STREAMING: Facebook, via Stadium College Football
RADIO: The Utah State broadcast can be found on The Zone, 1280 AM, and it can be streamed via Tunein.
ALL-TIME RECORD: This is the first meeting between the two teams.
GAME NOTES: Utah State | Stony Brook
SP+ PROJECTION: Utah State by 16.0 (82% win probability)
Stony Brook 2018 rewind
The Seawolves finished last season with a record of 7-5, tied for third place in the CAA at 5-3. They are 1-9 all-time against FBS teams, including a 38-0 loss last year to Air Force. Stony Brook’s key victories last season included two ranked FCS teams — No. 13 Villanova in Week 5 and No. 11 Delaware in Week 10.
Stony Brook Week 1 Rewind
Stony Brook beat Bryant last weekend, 35-10, at home. Junior quarterback Tyquell Fields led the ream with 10-of-20 passing for 194 yards and a touchdown while tossing just one interception. Senior running back Isaiah White saw 13 carries for 54 yards, 2 TDs and senior wide receiver Andrew Trent caught three passes for 79 yards.
Defensively, juniors Augie Contressa and Keirston Johnson had each recorded seven tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. As a team, Stony Brook had 443 yards of total offense (247 rushing, 196 passing). Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore has an 85-66 record in his 14 seasons with the team.
Utah State Week 1 rewind
(sigh)
A late 70-yard bomb, a failed goal-line stand, and a costly interception transformed what should’ve been an inspiring Aggie performance into another unfortunate entry in Utah State’s tortured history of close calls.
Junior LB David Woodward shone brightest, boasting 24 tackles (18 solo), a pair of forced fumbles and a sack — an additional forced fumble and subsequent touchdown was erased by a hold, because of course it was. Jordan Love was close behind, throwing for 416 yards and three touchdowns on 33-of-48 passing. A trio of interceptions hamstrung an otherwise solid night from Love, making Saturday just the second multi-interception game in the junior’s 20 starts.
While other individual performances proved promising, a thin Aggie secondary and inconsistent pressure from front seven on Wake Forest’s quarterback allowed a back-and-forth affair to end in the Demon Deacons’ favor.
Keys to the game
1) Physical play in the secondary
Missing Cam Haney hurt this group last week, but not all that ailed Utah State was rooted in injuries. The Deacons managed to convert on 13-of-24 third down plays, and 2-of-5 fourth down chances, with receivers blowing past the Aggies’ smaller defensive backs in too many key moments. Size is an issue out of the secondary’s control — physicality is not. Knocking receivers off-course and messing with an offense’s timing is easier said than done, but must be a consistent point of improvement for this defense to really blossom.
2) Win the turnover battle
Love won’t throw three interceptions this week, but the Aggie defense should force as many. No disrespect to the Seawolves, but this is an opportunity for the Aggie defense to flex and gain confidence before hitting the film room to prepare for San Diego State after next week’s bye.
3) Further establish Warren and Mariner as big-play threats
A pair of new weapons for Mountain West defenses to worry about, Jaylen Warren and Siaosi Mariner, paced the team in rushing and receiving yards in last week’s opener. The Aggies sometimes sink into a bad habit of relegating their best players to acting as mere decoys in order to open things up offensively. Utah State should avoid that pitfall with these two, particularly when more reps now can reap benefits late in the season.
It’s worth incorporating Mariner and Warren into every single red zone appearance. Bright will still see touches and be a solid source of rushing yardage, but these two are intriguing pieces to an offense that could reload quicker than the rest of the conference anticipated.
Prediction:
Aggies right the ship, winning in a landslide 59-7
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997055]