Box Score STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The Sacred Heart football team scored 31 unanswered points to take down #20/24 Stony Brook 38-10 at LaValle Stadium Saturday night. It's the Pioneers second win over a ranked Colonial Athletic Association team in the last three seasons. SHU won at then-#24 Delaware 10-7 on Oct. 4, 2014.
Quarterback RJ Noel was 20-28 passing for 205 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for two scores. Moses Webb had seven receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown.
For the fifth consecutive game, the SHU defense held its opponent scoreless in the second half. Linebacker Kevin Barry led the Pioneers with nine tackles, including two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and a 44-yard interception return early in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
SHU (4-0) opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run by Noel with 10:41 to play in the first quarter, capping a 67-yard drive to go up 7-0. Stony Brook (2-2) responded with a three-yard Stacey Bedell touchdown run at the 5:07 mark to tie the game 7-7. The Seawolves went up 10-7 early in the second quarter on a Przemyslaw Popek field goal. The Pioneers tied the game before halftime. With 0:49 left in the half, Stony Brook's Pat Irwin fumbled the ball at midfield. Ryan Cottrell recovered the loose ball to give the Pioneers the ball at the 50 yardline. SHU drove to the Stony Brook 16 before Alec Finney knocked through a 33-yard field goal to make the score 10-10 at the half.
The Pioneers took the lead with 8:50 remaining in the third quarter. Khaamal Whitaker picked off Stony Brook's Joe Carbone on the Seawolves' first possession of the second half, giving SHU the ball at the Stony Brook 29. Seven plays later, Noel scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run to make the score 17-10. Sacred Heart extended its lead with a 14-play, 95-yard drive to go up 24-10 with 1:07 to play in the third. The Pioneers converted a 3rd-and-8 from the Stony Brook 39 on a 14-yard Noel completion to Andrew O'Neill. Jay Croom scored from one yard out to cap the drive. SHU tacked on 14 more points in the fourth quarter on a Noel touchdown pass and a Barry interception return for a score 13 seconds apart to win 38-10.
For the game, SHU had 377 yards of total offense and held Stony Brook to 241 yards. The Pioneers scored 17 points off turnovers and didn't turn the ball over once. SHU's defense also held the Seawolves to 4-of-15 on third down.
The Pioneers open Northeast Conference play next Saturday at Wagner. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. the game being televised on WatchESPN.
How They Scored...
10:41 1Q – SHU 7, Stony Brook 0; RJ Noel capped off a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give the Pioneers' an early lead.
5:07 1Q – SHU 7, Stony Brook 7; The Seawolves answer with a three-yard touchdown run by Stacey Bedell to tie the game.
10:33 2Q – Stony Brook 10, SHU 7; A 27-yard field goal by Popek gives the Seawolves their only lead of the game.
0:00 2Q – SHU 10, Stony Brook 10; Finney kicks a 33-yard field goal to tie the game at the half. Noel threw a 30-yard pass to Byron Barney on 3rd-and-6 from the Stony Brook 46 to put the Pioneers in field goal range.
8:50 3Q – SHU 17, Stony Brook 10; The Pioneers turned Whitaker's INT into seven points as Noel scored his second one-yard touchdown run.
1:07 3Q – SHU 24, Stony Brook 10; SHU marches 95 yards on 14 plays in over six minutes with Croom scoring on a one-yard touchdown run.
12:59 4Q – SHU 31, Stony Brook 10; Noel finds Webb for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Andrew O'Neill set the Pioneers up in good field position with a 54-yard punt return to the Stony Brook 29 yardline.
12:46 4Q – SHU 38, Stony Brook 10; Barry picks off Carbone on the first play of the ensuing possession and scores on a 44-yard return.
Notes
- Saturday's win was SHU's third against a ranked opponent. Stony Brook is the highest-ranked team the Pioneers have beaten.
- For the fifth consecutive game, SHU held its opponent scoreless in the second half.
- Sacred Heart is now 18-0 when RJ Noel has a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown in the same game.
- Barry recorded his second career interception.
- The Pioneers put four punts inside the Stony Brook 10 yardline.
