Stony Brook’s final non-conference tune-up before Colonial Athletic Association doubles as something of an unofficial Borough Championship.

Who: Fordham (1-2) at Stony Brook (2-1) 

When: Saturday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m. ET 

Where: LaValle Stadium; Stony Brook, New York 

Watch: LIVE on FloFootball

The Seawolves welcome onto Long Island the Fordham Rams. The Patriot League visitors from the Bronx are Stony Brook’s second consecutive opponent from the New York City area; in Week 3, the Seawolves rebounded from a loss at Utah State with a 26-10 defeat of Staten Island’s Wagner Seahawks. 

“They’re great games for us to have, certainly against quality institutions and football programs,” Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore said of Wagner and Fordham. All three programs have made FCS Playoff appearances since 2012. 

Fordham, in particular, enjoyed a resurgence this decade. A testament to its success: The two last two head coaches before Joe Conlin — Joe Moorhead and Andrew Breiner — are now both in the SEC at Mississippi State. 

Conlin is in his second season at Fordham, and Priore said he’s seeing this staff “solidifying the scheme, the system, the discipline.” 

Gameday Movie ?
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— Stony Brook Football (@StonyBrookFB) September 17, 2019

In addition to the quality of their programs, all three recruit well locally, giving this round robin an extra bit of New York flavor. 

“We have a lot of guys that are buddies from high school and overlapped, or went on recruiting visits with them,” Priore said.  

Both rosters are indeed heavy with players from the Boroughs, as well as northern New Jersey. That includes several of the cornerstones to Saturday’s game. Stony Brook quarterback Tyquell Fields, for example, is a product of Archbishop Stepinac in Yonkers. Fordham defensive back Jesse Bramble came from Tottenville High in Staten Island. 

And there’s plenty more up and down each lineup. 

In addition to the familiarity from the local prep scene, Fordham and Stony Brook faced a common opponent in the first three weeks: Bryant. Stony Brook ran over the Bulldogs in Week 1, 35-10, while Fordham scored its first win of the season last week with a 29-14 win. 

Priore said facing the same opponent is helpful in game prep, and that three weeks into the season marks a point when enough game film exists to pick up on tendencies. 

Nowhere to Run

After facing Utah State’s high-powered offense in Week 2, Stony Brook got back to its typically overwhelming defensive style in Week 3. 

The Seawolves held Wagner out of the end zone until deep into the fourth quarter, well after the outcome was no longer in doubt. Stony Brook held the Seahawks to just one third-down conversion on 10 tries, and just 10 first downs overall. That defensive dominance on third down was a direct result of Wagner only gaining 17 rushing yards on the game. 

Wagner’s inability to mount any kind of rushing attack rendered it one-dimensional and prone to turnovers. Stony Brook generated two with Justin Burns and Gavin Heslop both forcing fumbles.  

Fordham won nine games in 2015 and reached the playoffs in part due to a strong rushing attack. Running back Chase Edmonds left the program one of the most dynamic playmakers in the FCS this decade. He currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals. 

Conlin’s team has found its pillar in the run game thus far in 2019 with Zach Davis. He’s averaging nearly six yards per carry and more than 111 per game. 

Stymying Fordham’s ground game presents the opportunity for takeaways. Quarterback Tim DeMorat has thrown almost as many interceptions (four) as touchdowns (five). Whether it’s Heslop, Burns, or rover Augie Contressa, look for a pivotal play out of Stony Brook’s outstanding secondary. 

Playing the Fields

The two-headed backfield monster known as the Long Island Expressway, Donald Liotine and Jordan Gowins, perfectly complemented Stony Brook’s defensive style. The two roughly 1,000-yard rushers allowed the Seawolves to dominate possession and physically wear down opponents. 

Priore isn’t planning to abandon that identity, but Fields’ dual-threat ability at quarterback provides the catalyst for a more explosive look from the Seawolves offense in 2019. 

Gameday Movie ?
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— Stony Brook Football (@StonyBrookFB) September 17, 2019

“We’re creating more big plays this year, which will help us,” Priore said. “And we’re still able to grind it when we need to.” 

Isaiah White and Seba Nekhet provide a one-two punch at running back with each posting 4.1 yards per game. Fields is rushing for 6.9 yards per, and the best may still be to come for him. 

“He was much more comfortable as a third-game starter than a first-game starter,” Priore said. “The thing he does best, he can create. 

“His overall package continues to improve,” he added. “Excited about the progress.” 

Explosive Plays

As Fields gets more comfortable, the running backs should feed off him; that was certainly the case in Week 3. White rushed for 131 yards and Nekhet totaled 89. Fields went for 54 on the ground, but his 282 passing speaks to the opportunity the Seawolves have to really spread opposing defenses this season. 

Fordham’s defense struggled against the run Week 1 against Central Connecticut State, giving up 6.9 yards per carry. But against Ball State’s pass-heavy offense, the Rams surrendered 444 through the air. 

Explosive plays in both instances vexed the Rams. The same was true against Bryant, as the Bulldogs took a 14-6 into the fourth quarter when Fordham gave up a 38-yard touchdown pass. 

The Rams were able to counterpunch in the final period with three touchdowns of 20, 45, and 48 yards. 

Giving up explosive plays, and explosive scoring plays at that, hasn’t been an issue for Stony Brook defenses.