Maysonet, Jackolski close, effective pair

As teammates for one season at Hofstra, Brock Jackolski and Miguel Maysonet barely knew each other even though they were members of the same backfield. But when Hofstra closed its football program, Jackolski and Maysonet burst through the doors that opened at Stony Brook like the dynamic pair of running backs they are.

At first, they were behind Ed Gowins, but he was lost for the season with an injury after playing only two games. Once they saw daylight, Jackolski and Maysonet never looked back. They became the only pair of 1,000-yard rushers on any Football Championship Series (FCS) team in the country as the Seawolves earned a tie for their second straight Big South title.

Their move from the hub of Nassau County to Suffolk County's North Shore turned out to be the beginning of a beautiful "bro' mance.'' The two are roommates at preseason training camp and on road trips.

"We came here, and we're like best buds,'' Jackolski said with a smile. "We go everywhere together. We have a good connection. He's a funny guy.''

Maysonet agreed, saying the move to SBU "definitely did bring us closer as teammates. We know each other's likes and dislikes and views on other things. We're closer not just on the field but definitely off.''

Earlier this summer, Stony Brook quietly announced that Gowins had decided to transfer to a Division II school. Jackolski and Maysonet said his departure caught them by surprise. "I wasn't aware he had that in his mind,'' Jackolski said of Gowins. "But if he had stayed, it would have been a fine rotation with me and Miguel.''

The Seawolves will just have to make do with the all-Big South backfield tandem. Despite starting only two games last season, Maysonet led the conference in rushing with 1,155 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and scoring 12 touchdowns rushing and two more receiving. Jackolski ranked eighth in the country with an average of 178.7 all-purpose yards per game. He rushed for 1,062 yards, averaging 6.9 per carry, caught 17 passes for an 8.8 average, returned 30 kickoffs for a 26.3 average and scored 12 total touchdowns.

Stony Brook replaced two starters on the offensive line, but there's no question it will continue to feature a 1-2 punch that will be difficult for any opponent to contain, including their first two games on the road against Football Bowl Series (FBS) schools Texas-El Paso on Saturday and Buffalo on Sept. 10.

"I don't really care about coming off the bench,'' Maysonet said. "Just having two fresh backs at all times is going to benefit us at the end of the day.''

Maysonet actually had more carries than Jackolski, 176-149, but in a way, sharing the load allowed each to play with a sense of urgency that led to one big play after another. Their contrasting styles proved a challenge for defenses.

"I'm more of a downhill runner, powerful,'' Maysonet said. "Brock's a lot flashier, faster. He makes it look real good. He shocks me every week. He does something spectacular, and it's fun watching him break tackles and make incredible cuts.''

They didn't set out to make school history, but they established a benchmark as the Seawolves' first pair of 1,000-yard rushers. "Being the first two running backs to do it is a humbling feeling,'' Maysonet said.

Now that Jackolski is a senior and Maysonet is a junior, they have one more shot to make history together. It starts with the opportunity to beat an FBS team for the first time at UTEP or Buffalo. Last season, the Seawolves led the Big East's South Florida 14-7 after a TD catch by Jackolski before getting blown out, 59-14.

"Nobody is invincible,'' he said. "We were up 14-7 at one point against USF. If we keep the mind-set that nobody is invincible, that they're athletes just like we are, I definitely think we can win against both Buffalo and UTEP.''

Then there is the matter of trying to win the Big South title outright and gain its first automatic berth in the FCS playoffs. The Seawolves had a chance last season in the final game at Liberty but blew a 28-27 third-quarter lead in a 54-28 loss. Because of a tiebreaker advantage, Stony Brook would have gotten the FCS berth even with a loss if it had held Liberty to fewer than 41 points. Instead, Coastal Carolina got it.

"It left an awful taste in your mouth losing that game the way we did,'' Maysonet said. "We want to come back stronger, come back with attitude and not try to share championships like we did the past two years.''

Holding up one hand to display a rubber wristband he received from SBU basketball coach Steve Pikiell, Jackolski said, "Last year, the basketball coach gave us the 'history' bands to make the NCAAs. I never took that off. I'm still trying to make history.''