YPSILANTI, Mich. – Redshirt junior quarterbacks Luca Stanzani and Ethan Greenwood each ran for two touchdowns to lead the Long Island University football team (1-1) to a 28-23 victory over Eastern Michigan University (0-2) on Saturday evening at Rynearson Stadium. The victory was the program’s first ever win over a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team.

The contest marked the successful return of LIU head coach Ron Cooper to the scene of his first-ever head coaching job. Cooper guided Eastern Michigan for two seasons back in 1993 and 1994.

“This was a great win,” said Cooper. “We played an FBS program on the road and I feel good about our effort. We played hard, we played together, and we fought through adversity. We need to enjoy this win right now and then move forward to next week.”

The Sharks never trailed in the contest as they scored on their first possession of the game on a 65-yard scamper by Greenwood, who rushed for a game-high 91 yards.

In addition to his rushing heroics, Greenwood completed 3 of 5 passes for 105 yards, including a 74-yard connection with Stanzani early in the second quarter.

The longest offensive play of the night by either team set up Greenwood’s second rushing touchdown which put the Sharks up 14-3.
Stanzani completed 12 of 18 passes for 143 yards while rushing for 67 yards and two touchdowns.

Both of Stanzani’s scores came in the fourth quarter as the Sharks, who led 14-10 at intermission, finished the evening with 479 yards of total offense.

Defensively, linebacker Rafael Fasolino and defensive back Trey Watkins led the Sharks with eight tackles each.

Chase Davis added six tackles for LIU while Elijah Casey chipped in five stops, including two tackles for loss.

Senior punter Will Lynch, who is the reigning NEC Special Teams Co-Player of the Week, turned in another solid performance averaging 40.5 yards on four punts, including a long of 55-yards and two placed inside the 20-yard line.

Long Island University broke ground on the new College of Science building, a $30 million, 40,000-square-foot facility, on the Post campus that is set to further elevate the university’s research capabilities.

The facility, scheduled to open in 2027, will serve as the centerpiece of LIU’s growing research enterprise, providing advanced laboratories, collaborative spaces, and a home for interdisciplinary work in areas such as vaccine development, cancer therapies, and artificial intelligence in medicine.

“It’s a special day for LIU. In just a few years, we have raised our science and research profile to be in the top 7% of universities in the nation,” LIU President Dr. Kimberly R. Cline said at the ceremony. “We have implemented an aggressive strategic plan while focusing on research that can provide groundbreaking discoveries in the areas of biosciences, artificial intelligence, engineering, data analytics, computer science and health sciences.”

The ceremony drew state officials, university leadership, faculty, renowned researchers, and news reporters, who celebrated the beginning of what projects to be a game-changing investment in scientific education and innovation.

“This effort stands as proof that LIU’s deep commitment to accelerating scholarship and empowering faculty to drive research is intact and is growing,” added Eric Krasnoff, Chair of the LIU Board of Trustees.  Researchers will have AI frameworks and virtual twins. These powerful tools, when utilized by our outstanding faculty and students, will develop and engineer solutions for some of the world’s most pressing problems.”

A key feature of the new building will be its role as a Center of Excellence for Dassault Systèmes, a global leader in science and technology. This collaboration will support advanced medical research, including the development of digital organ “twins”— three-dimensional, MRI-derived replicas of human organs that allow researchers to simulate surgeries and test drug toxicity.

Vice President for Research Dr. Mohammed Cherkaoui explained that such technology will enable doctors to “design a surgery” in advance, reducing risks and improving outcomes. “This new facility will be a hub for innovation. It’s about bringing together the best minds across disciplines and providing them the tools and environment they need to take research to the next level.”

Empire State Development, New York’s chief economic development agency, is investing $10 million in the project. ESD Chairman Kevin Law, appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul, said the facility reflects the remarkable recent growth in high-impact initiatives taking place at LIU. “It was only a few years ago I was here breaking ground and then cutting the ribbon on the [Lewyt] College of Veterinary Medicine,” Law said. “This administration has really taken LIU to new levels.”

The project marks another milestone in the university’s broader strategic vision to expand research funding, attract world-class faculty, and offer hands-on, experiential opportunities to students. It also complements other developments on campus, such as the creation of new doctoral programs and partnerships with global technology leaders.

Ultimately, the College of Science aims to empower students and faculty facilitate major breakthroughs with real world impact.

“The LIU students who will study in this building will graduate with the ability to contribute to advancing knowledge, elevating technology, seeking cures and being prepared for the complicated jobs of the future that don’t even exist today,” Dr. Cline added. “We are preparing our students not just to learn about science, but to shape the future of it.”