LIU football on first win vs. FBS school: 'The standard, now it's been set'

The sentence itself was small. Six words totaling  24 letters.

Its weight, though? Substantial.

“The standard, now it’s been set,” said LIU quarterback Ethan Greenwood in matter-of-fact fashion about the Sharks’ 28-23 win over Eastern Michigan during a Zoom interview with Newsday Monday afternoon.

The win was LIU’s first against an FBS school.

And now, said Greenwood, who grew up in Baldwin and went to Kellenberg, the assignment for LIU (1-1) is to build upon what it accomplished in the nation’s heartland. Beginning with Saturday’s home opener against Northeast Conference rival Sacred Heart (1-1).

“We have to continue to play like that throughout the season,” Greenwood said. “It can’t be a fluke.”

Not one aspect of what transpired this past Saturday night in Ypsilanti, Michigan, can remotely be described as serendipitous.

The Sharks had a 37:53-22:07 advantage in time of possession and outgained the Eagles, 479-311 overall, and 231-122 on the ground. Greenwood and fellow quarterback Luca Stanzani each ran for two scores. For good measure, Greenwood completed three passes in five attempts for 105 yards, and Stanzani went 12-for-18 for 143 yards.

The Sharks did not commit a turnover and were penalized just three times.

“Give credit to Long Island,” Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton told reporters after the game. “[LIU had a] good plan. Played really hard and made big plays. Kept the ball when they needed to. We couldn’t take it away from them. Didn’t turn it over. Couldn’t take it away from them, which is a big deal.”

Which, to hear coach Ron Cooper, is his vision for LIU football.

“Guys played hard and played full speed and played together and didn’t flinch,” Cooper said. “We’ve become what I think a hard-nosed team [is]. We pride ourselves on toughness on offense and defense and in the kicking game. We’ve got to be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides. On Saturday night this past week our defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and our offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage.”

In doing so, LIU, which became an FCS program in 2019, created a seminal moment.

“We proved that we can play against these harder, upper-level teams,” Stanzani said. “I’m just glad that we got the win because it affirms that we belong.”

Still there is a difference between a one-off and customary success. As such, is what took place 600-plus miles away from Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium singular or foundational?

Athletic director Elliott Charles believes the program and, more broadly, the athletic department is on the pathway to sustainable success.

“There is a formula to winning,” Charles said. “That formula, it’s really catalyzed and it’s validated by signature wins.”

And in turn, those signature wins create increased visibility in a hypercompetitive marketplace. Charles said he has reviewed data in the immediate aftermath of the win over Eastern Michigan that showed increases in the athletic department’s social media engagement and grassroots marketing.

“One of our posts hit 108,000 views within hours after the game,” Charles said. “The engagement overall is increasing. I’m hearing a lot more from people in our community . . . We’re taking the moment to engage where people are meeting us and right now that’s in the overall brand engagement and outreach from folks in our community.”

So, how does that translate to ticket sales? And specifically, how does that translate to ticket sales for Saturday’s homecoming game?

“As far as immediate single-game ticket sales or season-ticket sales boost, we’re still working through those things this week and we’ll probably have great numbers Friday,” Charles said. “I wouldn’t say we’re still a walk-up culture, but most of our attendance and sales are driven within the 48 hours prior to the game.”