Stony Brook Players to Watch vs. No. 4 Oregon
If you watch college football, Stony Brook may not be one of the teams you keep tabs on each week. The FCS school based in Brookhaven, N.Y., is within the State University of New York system, and its football team, the Seawolves, competes in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Since the Seawolves last competed in the FCS playoffs in 2018, the team has seen a bit of a rough patch, going 6-10 in the last two seasons including 1-3 in the spring of 2021. They get a great opportunity on Saturday to showcase their program against a Power Five program for the first time since facing Syracuse in 2012. It's also the Seawolves' first time ever facing a Pac-12 team.
Here are five players that you should know heading into Saturday's game.
1. Tyquell Fields - Quarterback
We always gotta start with the quarterback, but in Stony Brook's lone win of the season against Colgate, Tyquell Fields didn't need to throw the football a lot to win the game. He threw just 11 passes, completing seven for 140 yards and a touchdown. He also ran seven times for 26 yards and a score on the ground.
In the season-opener, the offensive game plan was very different, as Fields threw 43 times, connecting on 21 of those for 255 yards and a touchdown.
Fields has not been a consistent passer throughout his five-year career (three-year starter), but he is a threat to throw on the run and scramble for yards. He has 580 career rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, including two this season.
Fields' career completion percentage is 51.1% and he has never thrown for 2,500 yards in a season. He has thrown 22 touchdowns to 14 interceptions, and he averages 181.2 passing yards per game since he became the starter in 2019.
Fields made a couple of poor throws that were picked off against New Hampshire in week one, and the Ducks' secondary may get their hands on some footballs in this game.
2. Ty Son Lawton - Running Back
Ty Son Lawton will likely be the Seawolves' leading rusher for the second straight season and will carry much of the load in the ground game. In his last game against Colgate, he tied a career-high with 134 rushing yards on 16 carries and scored his 12th career rushing touchdown in the win.
When the offensive line does its job in run blocking, Lawton is a very shifty and slippery back. At 215 pounds, he can lower his shoulder and boulder his way for extra yards. Oregon's defensive line will have to contain him as he will undoubtedly get the most carries for the Seawolves.
3. Shawn Harris Jr. - Wide Receiver
Shawn Harris Jr. has just 14 career receptions, but he's a big play waiting to happen for the Seawolves. This season, he leads the team with 128 receiving yards on just six receptions for a whopping 21.3 yards per catch.
Harris is a burner and can take the top off of a defense if they're not prepared. He had a 64-yard touchdown catch last weekend against Colgate in which he had the defensive back tripping over his feet on the route. The wideout has also returned kicks in his career and could be a threat on special teams as well.
4. Carthell Flowers - Defensive Back
Carthell Flowers is off to a fantastic start in his first year at Stony Brook after transferring from Eastern Michigan. He's tied for second on the team with 13 tackles and leads the club with four tackles for loss.
As a defensive back, he plays similar to how Justin Houston on Fresno State plays at the Husky position. Flowers is listed as a defensive back, but can do a little bit of everything. He can cover deep and short and pressure the quarterback, as he's recorded a sack this season.
Flowers will need to be at his best if he is to contain the ultra-talented Oregon receiving corps.
5. Reidgee Dimanche - Linebacker
After playing in just one game in the 2020 season, Reidgee Dimanche is back and is one of the biggest impact players on the team. He had a monster campaign back in 2019 with 87 tackles, a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and a pass break-up.
The Hamilton, N.J., native already has 17 tackles through the first two games of the season and also has a forced fumble. Stony Brook's defense has been a strength in recent years despite the losing records, and Dimanche is a captain of the group.
Dimanche shows relentless effort on every snap and is a terror in the backfield. The Ducks must block him well or else he could have their offense going backward.
More from Ducks Digest
ROUNDTABLE: Predicting No. 4 Oregon vs. Stony Brook
Join the Community
Follow Dylan on Twitter: @drksportsnews
Like and follow Ducks Digest on Facebook: @DucksDigest
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel HERE
Listen to the latest episode of the Ducks Digest Podcast HERE
