Stony Brook uses blocked punt to beat N. Dakota, 13-9

STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) — Stony Brook and North Dakota fought to a draw on offense, but Stony Brook's defense and special teams won the day as the Seawolves beat the Fighting Hawks 13-9 Thursday in the FCS.

 Stony Brook took the lead with 8:52 left when Gavin Heslop blocked a UND punt and Kyle Morgan scooped it up at the 7-yard line and ran it in for a 13-9 lead.

 UND marched down to the SBU 24 late in the game but the drive ended when Brady Oliviera was stopped short on fourth-and-1 with 2:14 left.

 The Seawolves ran out the clock to win for the first time in three attempts against UND.

 "You give up a score on special teams . It's hard to win games when you do that," North Dakota coach Bubba Schweigert said. "We never really got anything going offensively."

  UND's only touchdown was a 16-yard run by John Santiago in the second quarter. The Seawolves' defense held Santiago to 51 yards and the Fighting Hawks to just 63 yards on the ground.

 Stony Brook defensive back Jaheem Woods had 11 tackles and three of the Seawolves' four sacks of Keaton Studsrud. The UND quarterback completed just 13 of 25 passes for 114 yards.

 UND safety Cole Reyes made eight tackles, forced a fumble, had a sack and recorded two fumbles. Linebacker Connor O'Brien added 11 tackles, forced two fumbles and had a sack.

 "We knew it would be a battle," O'Brien said. "We have to stay positive through the process. Obviously not the result we wanted, but we have a lot of season left."

 Reyes' safety in the third quarter gave UND a 9-7 lead. He stormed through the line and brought down Stacey Bedell deep in the end zone.

 The first half ended with the teams tied 7-7 at halftime.

 Stony Brook outgained the Fighting Hawks 154-43 in total yards, but it lost two fumbles. UND turned one of those into its only touchdown of the half.

 SBU also turned a fumble into a game-tying touchdown late in the first half.

 Stony Brook took the opening kickoff and drove to the UND 21 before the drive stalled and Przemyslaw Popek missed a 37-yard field goal attempt. Most of the first quarter was played on UND's half of the field, but a Jordan Gowins fumble near midfield late in the first quarter flipped the field and UND threatened late in the scoreless first quarter.

 UND took a 7-0 lead on Santiago's 16-yard run and Reid Taubenheim's extra point with 14:22 left in the half. Santiago went up the middle and hurdled a defender on his way to the end zone.

 The Seawolves' next drive ended on a blind-side sack of Carbone by Reyes, who also recovered the fumble to give UND the ball at the SBU 28.

 But the Seawolves returned the favor with a sack and recovered fumble to get the ball back at its 39 with 10:39 left in the half. Eleven plays later, the Seawolves tied it on a fluke play in the end zone.

 Gowins fumbled before crossing the goal line on a 2-yard run but teammate Cal Daniels jumped on the bouncing ball in the end zone for the score. Popek's kicked the PAT with 4:50 left.

 UND's first possession of the second half ended at the Seawolves' 2-yard line when receiver Clive Georges was tackled running toward the end zone, injured his knee and fumbled the ball. Georges was wheeled off the field.

 SBU took over but on the first play, Stacey Bedell was stopped by Reyes for a safety and a 9-7 UND lead. It stayed that way until the blocked punt in the fourth quarter.

 Stony Brook quarterback Joe Carbone was 16-for-32 for 159 yards. The Seawolves had 211 yards of total offense.