STONY BROOK, N.Y. – A University of Delaware football win at Stony Brook last year cost the Seawolves a share of the Colonial Athletic Association championship.

Delaware was delivered a painful payback in a return trip to wind-lashed LaValle Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Blue Hens mustered little offense and had three field-goal tries go awry in a 17-3 defeat in front of 6,667.

“We didn’t look like a very good football team today although I did feel our defense fought,” Delaware coach Danny Rocco said.

No. 11-ranked Delaware (7-3 overall, 5-2 CAA) saw its CAA title hopes damaged, as the Blue Hens entered the day tied for first place with Maine.

Delaware’s chance to make the NCAA FCS playoffs for the first time since 2010 likely rests on beating Villanova in the regular-season finale next Saturday at Delaware Stadium. Delaware has lost six straight and 11 of 12 to Villanova (4-6, 1-6), which lost to William & Mary Saturday.

Last season, Delaware lost 28-7 at Villanova when a win would have put it in the playoffs. The Blue Hens are seeking to end a long, painful playoff drought.

“They don’t have anything to lose and we’ve gotta be able to control our own destiny,” Delaware senior safety Nasir Adderley said.

No. 12-ranked Stony Brook (also 7-3, 5-2) kept its postseason hopes intact. Delaware had rallied to down Stony Brook 24-20 here last year for its lone league loss.

Delaware managed just 201 offensive yards to Stony Brook’s 400.

“I think that was the most disappointing thing of the game,” said Rocco, whose offense was 1-for-4 in the red zone, “Offensively we never got anything that we can hang our hat on. Never got any real continuity on offense.”

Quarterback Pat Kehoe completed just nine of 27 passes for 103 yards in the blustery conditions. Dejoun Lee had 71 yards on 15 carries for Delaware.

Donald Liotine dashed 33 yards up the middle for a touchdown with 5:27 to go allowing Stony Brook to take command. It came three plays after CeQuan Jefferson’s interception of Kehoe’s pass gave Stony Brook possession at the Delaware 41.

Delaware, Stony Brook coaches match wits again in battle of top FCS teams

Liotine had 170 yards on 27 carries and teammate Jordan Gowins gained 83 on 19 runs. They are the CAA’s top two rushers and it showed.

Stony Brook had marched 68 yards on eight plays to start the third quarter for the game’s first touchdown. Joe Carbone’s 27-yard scoring pass to Donovin Washington came on fourth-and-eight. Carbone finished 16-for-23 for 178 yards.

“He was delivering the ball on timing, in good spots and making good decisions,” Rocco said. “We weren’t, that’s for sure.”

After Lee’s subsequent 43-yard kickoff return, Delaware moved to the Stony Brook 9. After two earlier missed field-goal tries, Delaware never got this one off as holder Nick Pritchard dropped the snap and Frank Raggo never got his foot on a 26-yard try.

Raggo did boot a 28-yarder on Delaware’s next series though as the Hens pulled within 10-3 with 11:18 to go.

The game was scoreless until Alex Lucansky’s 26-yard field goal as the second quarter closed sent Stony Brook into halftime with a 3-0 edge.

On Delaware’s previous two series, Raggo had missed 35- and 34-yard field goals, with the first wide right and the second bouncing high off the right upright. Rocco said the snaps, a Delaware problem all season, may not have been ideal.

In between, Colby Reeder recovered a snap Carbone dropped at the Seawolves’ 17-yard line.

“We’ve gotta put six on the board instead of putting it in the hands of the kickers,” center Mario Farinella said.

Earlier, Stony Brook had driven to the Delaware 8, where it had third-and-2. But a high snap there pushed the Seawolves back to the 22, where a fourth-down pass was incomplete.

Delaware had two big defensive plays early to thwart Stony Brook. Nasir Adderley intercepted a third-down pass at the UD 7 to end Stony Brook’s first series. When Stony Brook regained possession, it had a fourth-and-2 at the UD 28, where Ray Jones pounced on Gowins for a two-yard loss.

It was all for naught later.

“We’ve got a one-game season,” Rocco said. “That is real, that is what it is. And we’ve gotta be able to rebound this week.”

Stony Brook 17, Delaware 3

Delaware 0 0 0 3 – 3

Stony Brook 0 3 7 7 – 17

Second quarter

SB – Lucansky 26 FG, :00

Third quarter

SB – Washington 27 pass from Carbone (Lucansky kick), 9:43

Fourth quarter

D – Raggo 28 FG, 11:18

SB – Liotine 33 run (Lucansky kick), 5:27

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @kevintresolini.

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