LIU earns first win at Division I Football Championship Subdivision level with conference victory over Bryant

This was a college football Sunday game day in March at LIU. Now that was something new. The Sharks experienced something else new, too.

They won for the first time at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level after falling 10 times in 10 tries in 2019, their first season following a move from their D-II stronghold.

LIU kicked off its second season by building a 15-point second-quarter lead before holding on to beat Northeast Conference rival Bryant, 24-19. It gave the program its first victory in more than two years, since Nov. 10, 2018.

So this was a big step forward after their big step up in class.

"Yeah, no doubt," coach Bryan Collins said. "This team has been through a lot of adversity."

It suffered through the winless season, and then quarterback Clay Beathard was stabbed to death outside a bar in Nashville, Tennessee, soon after.

"That really affected us a lot," Collins said. "And then we went into COVID and the social injustice era of last year. And so I think for our team to get that ‘W’ and to feel good about themselves was really, really important for us."

The pandemic led to the regular season being pushed back and condensed to four games.

"Four is better than nothing," grad linebacker Ricco Aaron Jr. said.

Aaron, limited to four games last season due to an injury, contributed a pick-6 and 11 tackles in the win.

"Man, it means a lot," he said. "Going last year with an 0-10 season, coming in like this, it’s very intense. It’s a good feeling. We went out and played hard for Clay."

New quarterback Conor Regan, a grad transfer from Northern Colorado, also stood out by going 18-for-24 for 172 yards and one touchdown.

Regan drove LIU to a 7-3 lead with 4:31 gone in the second quarter. Jonathan DeBique finished it with a 3-yard scoring burst.

Then Bryant's Kory Curtis, held to just 16-for-35 for 125 yards with two interceptions, threw a pass that was tipped. Aaron picked it off and took off on a 35-yard journey to the end zone.

After another Bryant field goal, Regan found Davon Wells for a 31-yard score. It was 21-6 with 2:12 left in the half.

"We just had to finish," Regan said.

Curtis fired a 14-yard scoring pass to David Zorrilla, cutting it to 21-12 at the intermission.

The Bulldogs made it 21-19 4:54 into the third after Ishod Finger ran it in from the 5. Paul Inzerillo countered with a 40-yard field goal later in the quarter. A Regan TD pass with 5:52 to play was called back due to a penalty.

But when Tariq Snead intercepted Curtis at the Sharks’ 42 with 1:01 remaining, LIU experienced another first — victory formation in the FCS.

"It was a relief," Regan said. "It was great. Loved it."