The Seawolves have reveled in their Big South Co-Championship they earned last November with their dramatic victory in the closing seconds against the Flames.  It has been a boon in recruiting for SBU and given their players a great deal of confidence heading into the 2010 season.

Courtesy: Stony Brook Athletics

Chuck Priore is the toast of Long Island after capturing a share of the Big South Championship last fall in just his 4th season at SBU.   It certainly doesn’t hurt his standing that he now leads the only FCS program on the island after Hofstra dropped football earlier this year.  Stony Brook’s proximity to Hofstra helped the Seawolves scoop up a number of the Pride’s stronger refugees.  In fact, the Stony Brook roster for 2010 boasts a total of 25 transfers.  In addition to five guys from Hofstra and another from the other program that died at Northeastern, there are also a pair from Maine.  Four FBS transfers are joined by 10 JUCOs and 3 more from Division II schools.  It would appear Priore spends almost as much time trying to convince kids to transfer as he does chasing high school talent.  There is no denying the Hofstra kids in particular have raised the overall level of talent of the Seawolves from last year.

Courtesy: Daily Hampshire Gazette

Offensively the Seawolves are stacked with weapons.  Junior quarterback Michael Coulter leads a well-balanced attack that gave the Flames fits in the season finale last year.  The one-time Syracuse Orangeman-turned-JUCO passer threw for 2060 yards in 11 games for 15 TDs & 10 INTs.

Courtesy: Stony Brook Athletics

Edwin Gowins is a horse and when he’s healthy he can carry the Seawolves offense.  The junior has been 1st Team All-Big South in both his freshman & sophomore years.  He was even named National Freshman of the Year in 2008 by College Sporting News.  Despite a gimpy foot and sharing carries with the now graduated Conte Cuttino, he rushed for 890 yards in 10 games with 9 TDs while piling up 6.1 yards per carry.  While Gowins is essentially a non-factor in the passing game, a pair of Hofstra transfers provide the Seawolves with some diversity.  Miguel Maysonet & Brock Jackolski should both be involved in the run game.

Courtesy: Stony Brook Athletics

The Seawolves got big time production in ’09 out of a true freshman named Jordan Gush.  The Texan caught 26 passes for 413 yards and a team-high 6 TDs.  On the other side, senior Donald Porter provides another playmaker.  He caught 25 passes for a team-gh 476 yards (19 yards per catch) and 5 TDs.  You may remember Porter as the guy in the Wildcat who threw the 2-point conversion pass late against the Flames.

Courtesy: Stony Brook Athletics

The good news from a Liberty perspective when looking at the Seawolves defense is the fact Tyler Santucci is gone.  The Big South Defensive Player of the Year leaves a big hole to fill for SBU.  But safety Arin West is a terrific talent who will take on the leadership role.  He posted 80 tackles from the secondary last fall and collected 6 turnovers (3 INTs & 3 Fumble Recoveries).

There is no question that the Seawolves have the respect of everyone in the Big South after becoming the first league team to beat LU in 3 years.  They should once again challenge the Flames for the league title and I would be shocked if this season-ending game didn’t determine to some degree who the Big South awards its first ever auto bid to the playoffs.