Lafayette 28, Stony Brook 21

[carney2]

Over on the Lafayette board we have been searching for a Stony Brook fan site, blog spot, anything, to get a Seawolves perspective on yesterday's game. No luck. This is therefore an attempt to engage the SB supporters here at AGS in a brief discussion of what went on at Lafayette's Fisher Stadium yesterday.

To get things rolling and to bring everyone's blood to a boil, I submit the following comment from the Lafayette board:

"Not a great day for Stony Brook almost any way you look at it. Not only did they lose to an 0-5 non-scholarship program, but they came across as totally undisciplined as they self destructed at an accelerating rate through the 3rd and 4th quarters; gave the impression that they are a bunch of cheap shot headhunters; appeared to have a coaching staff that is (let me be kind here) a bit slow witted; and the head coach blew off the post-game news conference. They get another chance next year to prove me wrong, but they currently get my vote for the program with the least class of any we have played in recent memory."

The author shall remain...well...uh...me. Similar comments are starting to roll in from others however.

I suspect that the SB supporters will be critical of the officiating, with Stony Brook getting 11 calls to Lafayette's 7, but TV coverage revealed that the major calls against Stony Brook were deserved.

Stony Brook, we'd like to hear from you.

[UAalum72]

There are a (very) few Stony Brook fans on the America East basketball forum (http://www.basketballforum.com/america-east-conference). Some people over there will get the vapors if you don't label a football thread as 'Off Topic'

[Redwyn]

I didn't see the game - which pained me until I saw the score

However, I'd be surprised if Priore was intentionally unprofessional. He had a spectacular reputation while he was at Trinity College, and any interaction myself or any colleague has had with him was pleasant. He does seem to react to the actions of others on/off the field. It would surprise me to see to find that any action he may or may not have made was unilateral.

SBU as a team seems to play to the level of the team they face. This unfortunately creates conditions where we tightrope walk against poor opponents (and, as you pointed out about Lafayette, in both our eyes their product on the field is not good this season). We've also had 3 chronic issues all season
1) Inability to defend against the screen pass
2) Penalities
3) Tendency to stall at about the 36-40 of the opponent's side of the field - righttt outside Skiffington's range.

[Sam]

Stonybrooks program is terrible. I live on Long Island and when we went to a recruit invite we ran out of there not walked.... He is an *** time for a new coach.... He took a few good players from Hofstra and does not know what to do with it. When will these coaches learn that if the players respect you and you are a good human being they will go to battle for you. This guy will run that program in the ground. The players do as they are told and I will leave it at that?

[Pards Rule]

Stonybrooks program is terrible. I live on Long Island and when we went to a recruit invite we ran out of there not walked.... He is an *** time for a new coach.... He took a few good players from Hofstra and does not know what to do with it. When will these coaches learn that if the players respect you and you are a good human being they will go to battle for you. This guy will run that program in the ground. The players do as they are told and I will leave it at that?

Sounds like the opposite of Tavani - the players respect him and go to battle for him. Is it true SB has a 28 year old playing that was 5 years in state prison??

[Redwyn]

Stonybrooks program is terrible. I live on Long Island and when we went to a recruit invite we ran out of there not walked.... He is an *** time for a new coach.... He took a few good players from Hofstra and does not know what to do with it. When will these coaches learn that if the players respect you and you are a good human being they will go to battle for you. This guy will run that program in the ground. The players do as they are told and I will leave it at that?

So you signed up for this board literally to say that? Welcome, but I'd hope that you at least back up claims when you slander a coach not even a year removed from a conference championship. It sucks to lose your starting RB, MLB, both starting CBs, and two OTs in the first game of the season. It results in a lot of disconnect that not even a bye week can correct, and it can lead to mistakes. We weren't stifled by Lafayette in any way. Look at the yardage and drive breakdowns. Penalty yards rarely come from coaches alone. The players themselves have been sloppy for weeks.

Priore has gotten fantastic reviews across the board. From the massive winstreak he had at Trinity College to the leaps and bounds he's taken us recruitment-wise (the top players not at RB had nothing to do with Hofstra, most were due to the fact that we now have a recruitment presence in FL, TX, CA, and NJ thanks mostly to his staff), he's changed this program. Not one player I've spoken to has anything negative to say about him, and frankly that's stunning for a team as large as a football team. Is he the best? I imagine not or he'd be at an FBS program. But for our level, and with this program, he's done quite well. As someone who has seen plenty of poor coaches in his life - Chuck Priore doesn't number as one of them.

You really should be ashamed of yourself that the first contribution you've made to this board was such a slashing one.

[Redwyn]

It is worth talking about the drive breakdown here - very interesting:

1st Q
-LAF blocks SBU FG attempt at the LAF 14.
-SBU makes LAF fumble at SBU 9

2ndQ
-SBU mucks up punt, LAF starts at SBU 34, leads to TD (on 2nd and 19, seemed to be blown coverage?)
-Coulter starts at SBU 31, marches down field for TD
-SBU amasses 34 penalty yards with unsportsmanlike conduct and DPI, both on 3rd down. LAF was on a 3rd and 18 at the time, so still takes a FG, this time from the 14 instead of the 29.

Half - LAF 10, SBU 7

3rd Q
-SBU nukes another punt (10yds), LAF starts at own 40.
-SBU stops LAF at 4th and 2, starts on own 47

4th Q
-SBU starts at 32, advances to 50, then backed up from penalties to own 39.
-LAF benefits from two major SBU fouls for about 2/3 of SBU's half of the field, TD
-Holding penalty nukes another SBU drive, turnover on downs at LAF 35
-LAF moves a cumulative 3 yards, punts
-1st penalty free drive for SBU (embarrassing) results in TD, now within 3
-LAF has penalty free drive to close out game, lead back to 10
-SBU seems to have given up on its punter, tries to make a play from its own one. LAF takes ball, 1 yard drive to TD
-SBU scores another clean TD, but too little too late.

Overall, it seems we handed the game away rather clearly on penalties and heinous punting. I am concerned by the number of unnecessary roughness and personal fouls levied against us. Thats been a consistent feature of this year, and I'm not at all sure why. If anything is on Priore's head it's not playcalling, not recruiting, but discipline. I'd love to say it's not solely him, but he has to take control of this horse. Without the penalties, the score almost certainly ends in SBU's favor.

[Lafalumni29]

Come on with the penalties!!! What you pointed out about penalties can be said about any close football game. To actually use that as an excuse is weak at best. The word is our MLB was calling out your audibles........sounds like coaching to me!!!

[Redwyn]

Come on with the penalties!!! What you pointed out about penalties can be said about any close football game. To actually use that as an excuse is weak at best. The word is our MLB was calling out your audibles........sounds like coaching to me!!!

If this is true you would be correct. I'd love to hear who you heard that from though. Coulter has tells. I was able to figure out run vs. pass on every play while sitting in the first row at homecoming. Then again, it's easy to do when your view isn't blocked by linemen. However, there's a difference between predictability and actually figuring out our playbook and audible codes. If it's the former - that's a high football IQ and the player should be commended. If it's the latter, then you're absolutely right, it's on the coach's head and the player simply exploited a flawed gameplan.

Given that U Mass gave up more to us than to most opponents this season - I'd guess the former.

At the end of the day, my explanation wasn't to simply shove the loss under the carpet - it was more to highlight one of the fundamental problems with the SBU program atm. You guys got this win, and it was fair and square.

[Franks Tanks]

http://www.mcall.com/sports/college/mc-lafayette-football-follow-1017-20101017,0,1418652.story

According to mcall Priore lectured his team for 40 minutes after the game.

"The game got out of hand at times — but not from the Lafayette side. Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore didn't even meet with the media after the game, but he finally did talk with Newsday's Greg Logan.

Logan wrote, "After the game, SBU coach Chuck Priore spent 40 minutes lecturing his team and meeting with his coaching staff. Describing his message, Priore said, 'Football is not about winning and losing games. It's about playing with class, playing with dignity and playing with your heart. We've got to be better at those things. I would say we've got to grow up as a team, and it's not just the X's and O's.' "


It seems clear this behavior didn't come from the coach.

[Bogus Megapardus]

If this is true you would be correct. I'd love to hear who you heard that from though. Coulter has tells. I was able to figure out run vs. pass on every play while sitting in the first row at homecoming. Then again, it's easy to do when your view isn't blocked by linemen. However, there's a difference between predictability and actually figuring out our playbook and audible codes. If it's the former - that's a high football IQ and the player should be commended. If it's the latter, then you're absolutely right, it's on the coach's head and the player simply exploited a flawed gameplan.



I was one of the people who observed this at the game. In several instances when Stony Brook audibled, Lafayette's MLB called a scheme and shifted the defensive alignment based on the audible, even though there wasn't a shift in the offensive set from which to react. For the most part the Stony Brook plays run after those audibles were stuffed. Of course I have no direct knowledge that the the audibles were actually being deciphered on the fly (as opposed to reading a QB tell) but it sure looked like it to me.

[carney2]

A lot of mea culpas since the game by Stony Brook people that they were not good citizens on Saturday. Both Coach Priore and QB Coulter put it out there for all to read. What is it they say with other bad behaviors, "You can't be cured until you acknowledge the problem.?" Something like that. Anyway, no one is saying that the private school kids should suck it up because this is a contact sport. Not sure that it isn't a little more systemic than a simple apology, but let's let this part of it drop and move on.

Tavani says that the "turning point" (my term) of the game was the blocked field goal on the first Stony Brook drive. I say it wasn't a moment, but an attitude; a strategy. Lafayette contained the Stony Brook running game (the Seawolves had 159 rushing yards, but only 120 if you take away that meaningless "Lafayette will give you anything you want except the endzone" 39 yd. run on the final play of the 1st half) and forced them to pass, which is not their strength.

[Bogus Megapardus]

There are "house rules" everywhere, I suppose. Lafayette has played at Delaware, App State, UMass, Richmond, etc. and has been penalized for illegal blocks, PI and the like.

So it might also be the case when at team comes to Fisher a clean game is expected by the officiating crew. So be it. It the Stony Brook coaching staff was not aware of that coming in, or was unable to make adjustments on the sidelines, then shame on them. But most of the Stony Brook conduct was immediately and obviously apparent to the fans watching, who reacted strongly before each call.

I would have been called anywhere, IMHO.