After 470-day wait, football returns, but falls to No. 5 Nova

The Stony Brook football team waited 470 days to return to game action.

Unfortunately for the Seawolves, they fell to fifth-ranked Villanova, 16-13, in the opener to the six-game spring CAA Football season on Saturday, March 6 at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.

Trailing by nine points late in the fourth quarter, Stony Brook received life when Anthony Del Negro blocked a punt and Oniel Stanbury scooped it up, placing the Seawolves at the Villanova 13 with 3:29 remaining. Forty seconds later, Jayden Cook scored from two yards out to pull Stony Brook within three points.

Angelo Guglielmello then attempted an onside kick that Villanova’s Christian Benford caught and returned to the Stony Brook 15. Villanova ran out the clock from there.

Earlier, down 13-0, quarterback Tyquell Fields scampered in from seven yards out to move Stony Brook within a score in the third quarter.

Villanova had opened a 16-7 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 33-yard field goal from Cole Bunce that was set up by play that included a completion from Daniel Smith to TD Ayo-Durojaiye for 33 yards and a roughing-the-passer call that tacked on an additional 15 yards.