Can Stony Brook execute vs. Sam Houston?

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- A Stony Brook football program that once was nowhere on the national radar suddenly finds itself with the chance of a lifetime as it challenges No. 1 Sam Houston State (11-0) in an FCS second-round game at 3 p.m. (ET) Saturday at 12,000-seat Bowers Stadium.

Six years after taking charge of the move to play full-scholarship football, Seawolves coach Chuck Priore almost has to pinch himself to know it's real. "It's a great honor,'' he said. "If you're going to be in this tournament, you want to play the best.''

The Bearkats might have the antidote to Stony Brook's high-powered offense, which is second in the FCS in scoring (38.9) and fourth in rushing (277.1). Sam Houston ranks first in rushing defense (59.0) and scoring defense (12.6) and second in turnover margin (2.2).

Sam Houston's defense has eight players who were first- or second-team All-Southland Conference. Stony Brook's Miguel Maysonet (1,560 yards rushing) and Brock Jackolski (1,332) are the most productive pair of running backs in the nation, but they haven't seen anything like the aggressive defensive scheme favored by coach Willie Fritz.

Safety Darnell Taylor leads a run-stuffing unit that also features linebackers Will Henry and Kash David, defensive linemen J.T. Cleveland and Gary Lorance and cornerback Dax Swanson, who has seven interceptions. "Most defenses have three levels, but we're more of a two-level defense,'' Fritz said. "Our safeties will get down there on running downs and play more as linebackers.''

The approach is similar to that of Jets coach Rex Ryan, who often relies on man-to-man cornerback coverage. "We leave them on an island,'' Fritz said. "They play a bunch of bump-and-run. We're the only team that does it in our league. People take shots early, but if they don't complete those passes, they're behind the eight-ball on second and third down. We probably blitz more on run downs than most people do. We're not real big, but we're very quick.''

Priore said the key for the Seawolves (9-3) is not to allow the Bearkats' defensive "speed to take over.'' Anticipating the blitzing schemes, he said his offensive linemen have to focus "on blocking where they're going to be, not where they start.''

The Bearkats also figure to test Stony Brook's defense with an option attack featuring running back Tim Flanders and quarterback Brian Bell, who ranks as the second-most-efficient FCS passer in the country.

The atmosphere should be electric. "I think our team is battle-tested,'' Priore said. "I'm sure the crowd will be a positive for them, but if we just play the game, we'll hold our own.''