The road to the Big South Autobid

[ToTheLeft]

Can you put a dome on the stadium and heat it? Thanks. Seriously this should be an Epic game for all the MARBLES! Can't wait. Of course it would be better if you guys went ahead and lost the next 2, but I don't see that one happening.

But again, the same thing we can say about Liberty. hehehe.

I actually want Liberty to win its next game. I want the championship to be decided in Long Island! This is the hottest series in the Big South. Each team has won it at home so its up to Stony Brook to continue the trend!

We don't play 2 more. We have a bye before we go to NY. So we can't lose our way out before we got to LI, but you guys could (but probably won't) lose your way out.

[bjtheflamesfan]

TTL is right. the only way for LU to have lost two in a row would be if PC had won this past Saturday and then lose to VMI. Pretty much LU is in the driver's seat right now and will stay there going into the big matchup on the 19th

[∞∞∞]

TTL is right. the only way for LU to have lost two in a row would be if PC had won this past Saturday and then lose to VMI. Pretty much LU is in the driver's seat right now and will stay there going into the big matchup on the 19th

Can't the same be said about Stony Brook though? Aren't both in the "driver's seat" until the end of the season?

[SumItUp]

TTL is right. the only way for LU to have lost two in a row would be if PC had won this past Saturday and then lose to VMI. Pretty much LU is in the driver's seat right now and will stay there going into the big matchup on the 19th

Can't the same be said about Stony Brook though? Aren't both in the "driver's seat" until the end of the season?

Yes, unless something unexpected happens to SB, it is winner take all on the 19th. I don't see it as Liberty in the driver's seat. Both teams control their destiny. Liberty has had more players on the injury report this year than any previous year under Rocco. Each team has won at home the last two years against each other. Liberty has a bye week on the 12th and has an extra week to prepare and heal. It should be a great game.

[jcmanson]

If LU didn't have the bye week prior, I would give the edge to SBU sinc they're at home. With the bye week, and SBU on the road the next 2 weeks, I look at it more as a complete toss-up. Should be fun.

[bjtheflamesfan]

I had LU in the drivers seat because they have a half game lead (up 1 in the win column) right now. If Stony Brook wins these next two (as we expect them to) itll be all even going into the game on Long Island

[jcmanson]

I had LU in the drivers seat because they have a half game lead (up 1 in the win column) right now. If Stony Brook wins these next two (as we expect them to) itll be all even going into the game on Long Island

Yeah you know that win over CSU really gives LU the leg up

[elcid83]

LU won't have anything to worry about because, Stony Brook will already have one loss to GWU before they play the Flames.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

[bjtheflamesfan]

I had LU in the drivers seat because they have a half game lead (up 1 in the win column) right now. If Stony Brook wins these next two (as we expect them to) itll be all even going into the game on Long Island

Yeah you know that win over CSU really gives LU the leg up

My point is that the way the schedule played out, LU has one more conference game played than SBU right now. If everything holds station, SBU will be even with LU after next weekend and then you have the ultimate showdown (of ultimate destiny) on Long Island last week of the season

[rebla 49er]

let's give some love to stony brook

[jcmanson]

LU won't have anything to worry about because, Stony Brook will already have one loss to GWU before they play the Flames.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

But it won't matter unless SBU loses this weekend to CSU as well.

If LU is 5-0 and SBU 4-1 going into the last game, then it's still winner take all.
Same thing if LU is 4-1 and SBU is 5-0.
Or, obviously, if they're both 5-0.

The only way that game is not winner take all is if it's LU 5-0 SBU 3-2. And I don't see SBU losing to both CSU and GW.

[Seawolf97]

We just have to play to win dont worry about running up big scores and get out of town with no injuries. Hopefully the infamous weather of Long Island is good on the 19th. We dont need a replay of last week by any means. I will take cold or cloudy but last Saturday was a horror show for Mother Nature.

[SeawolvesFan90]

Stony Brook got this. I think we have a great team and we should have no problem facing charleston, a winless team.

the game against GWU should be more exciting but SBU also has the edge. Stony Brook is playing near-perfect football lately. That game against CCU was turnover-less for SB despite the horrible weather. Our running game seems to be unstoppable for this league.

Go Brook

11/19 is Judgement day

[jcmanson]

Our running game seems to be unstoppable for this league.

I guess we'll find out on 11/19. Liberty has the #2 run defense in the conference (2nd only to SBU). If you guys can run at will on us, like you have the rest of the BSC, it will be a long day for LU. I don't think you'll be able to though. We will load the box and force you to pass. Then it will be up to your relatively unproven QB Essington.

[Knucklehead]

I think our defense can handle your runnind game this year. We have a fast, physical D with plenty of ball hawks, so I think the defense will be good to go. The questions in my mind are more about Mike Brown's health and the weather. We need to be able to pass effectively to win this game. It will be interesting for sure.

[Chris Lang]

If SBU wins as expected this week, I'd expect Priore to start preparing for the Liberty game, because the GWU game will be totally meaningless. Not saying the players won't try in that one, but there's no value to playing anything but base, vanilla offense and defense. No need to show the Flames anything on film. You'll probably see the same out of LU this week as long as the game is under control early.

[bjtheflamesfan]

Our running game seems to be unstoppable for this league.

I guess we'll find out on 11/19. Liberty has the #2 run defense in the conference (2nd only to SBU). If you guys can run at will on us, like you have the rest of the BSC, it will be a long day for LU. I don't think you'll be able to though. We will load the box and force you to pass. Then it will be up to your relatively unproven QB Essington.

Liberty has shown that they can stop Stony Brook's running game (49 yards total in last year's meeting) so if LU can repeat a performance like that The Flames will likely be celebrating on Long Island that night

[SeawolvesFan90]

I guess we'll find out on 11/19. Liberty has the #2 run defense in the conference (2nd only to SBU). If you guys can run at will on us, like you have the rest of the BSC, it will be a long day for LU. I don't think you'll be able to though. We will load the box and force you to pass. Then it will be up to your relatively unproven QB Essington.

Liberty has shown that they can stop Stony Brook's running game (49 yards total in last year's meeting) so if LU can repeat a performance like that The Flames will likely be celebrating on Long Island that night

Dont underestimate Stony Brook's passing game. I think Essington proved that he is different to our previous QB Mike Coulter. I think he has been the best thing that has happened to Stony Brook this year. The kid can pass and he has shown he is much better than our previous QB (not trying to trash Coulter). In his first game he made a ESPN SC top 10 play with Brevi and he has passed well after that one (except the against CCU were he didn't pass at all). Hopefully he can show his skill level in the LU game.

LU is a great team and I admit it should be a difficult game for Brook. But we're home, cold weather, and hopefully that alters things a bit. Last year LU rocked Stony Brook, I watched the game online and I couldn't believe what was happening as our FCS Playoff hopes were spoiled away but I have a feeling this game is going to be much more competitive than last year. It should be similar to the 2009 game (Hopefully... lol)

[jcmanson]

Essington does look better than Coulter, but let's see him do it against a good D.

I agree this game will likely be much like the 2009 game. Hopefully a different end result though

[bjtheflamesfan]

I certainly agree that it will be a good game. Essington has certainly shown well but like manson said, he needs to show he can do well against a quality pass defense, and he will come up against one on the 19th. Itll be strength vs. strength. Liberty does most of their damage through the air while Stony Brook does most of theirs on the ground. The thing with Stony Brook is they are 6th in pass defense and Liberty is first in pass offense. I think whichever team can establish their strength early on will have the advantage

[oceandogs]

Liberty has shown that they can stop Stony Brook's running game (49 yards total in last year's meeting) so if LU can repeat a performance like that The Flames will likely be celebrating on Long Island that night

Yeah but in 2009 SBU ran for 248 yards and 4 td's against Liberty. I haven't seen anyone shut down Stony Brook's running game all season which was not the case last year. Stony Brook has even ran the ball effectively when they have abandoned the pass all together (Lafayette where Coulter was playing on a torn acl and Coastal in the nor'easter). It has honestly been remarkable how effective Stony Brook has been running the ball regardless of how many players opposing teams put in the box. I would be shocked to see Stony Brook put up running numbers similar to those from Lynchburg last year.

But Stony Brook still has two more games before the 19th...

[SuperHornet]

Liberty has shown that they can stop Stony Brook's running game (49 yards total in last year's meeting) so if LU can repeat a performance like that The Flames will likely be celebrating on Long Island that night

Yeah but in 2009 SBU ran for 248 yards and 4 td's against Liberty. I haven't seen anyone shut down Stony Brook's running game all season which was not the case last year. Stony Brook has even ran the ball effectively when they have abandoned the pass all together (Lafayette where Coulter was playing on a torn acl and Coastal in the nor'easter). It has honestly been remarkable how effective Stony Brook has been running the ball regardless of how many players opposing teams put in the box. I would be shocked to see Stony Brook put up running numbers similar to those from Lynchburg last year.

But Stony Brook still has two more games before the 19th...

So what you're saying is that 2009 stats are more germane to this month's game than 2010 stats?

[Chris Lang]

Coulter was pretty good last year when he was healthy. It was clear he was never anywhere near healthy this year. Essington seems to be a little more mobile, no?

[ODUalum11]

Can't the same be said about Stony Brook though? Aren't both in the "driver's seat" until the end of the season?

Yes, unless something unexpected happens to SB, it is winner take all on the 19th. I don't see it as Liberty in the driver's seat. Both teams control their destiny. Liberty has had more players on the injury report this year than any previous year under Rocco. Each team has won at home the last two years against each other. Liberty has a bye week on the 12th and has an extra week to prepare and heal. It should be a great game.

Again, like trip said can't the same be said for Liberty? "Unless something unexpected happens...."

[Seawolf97]

Our running game has been very good this season and now we have mobile QB who can throw. Essington is the biggest surprise this season. I wish we had started him against UTEP or Brown. Coulter was injured in June and continued to play maybe at 75-80 % early on. He is a tough kid with smarts -on his way to Med School in the spring.
The SBU - Liberty matchup couldn't have been scripted better .