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Grand Forks Herald
8 things to know about UND's opponent Long Island University
- Story byGrand Forks Herald
- 8 things to know about UND's opponent Long Island University
Aug. 26—GRAND FORKS — The UND football program opens the 2026 season at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Alerus Center against a first-time foe in Long Island University.
Here are eight things to know about the Sharks.
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LIU featured an offense last season utilizing the quarterback run game, behind co-offensive coordinators Kort Shankweiler and John Roberts.
The Sharks have a new play-caller in 2026 in Maurice Harris, a veteran coach with ties to Hugh Freeze, most recently the former head coach at Auburn.
Still, UND has been practicing for a lot of quarterback run game.
"Depending on how you're playing things on defense, you know (the quarterback) will have the ball a lot if you want if you give him that type of read to be able to keep the ball... a lot of different ways to run option football," UND head coach Eric Schmidt said. "I've been very impressed, really on third down. At times, (plays) have broken down for them, and those quarterbacks have taken off. They're physical players, they're fast players, and have been able to create things off schedule, which I think is always the hardest thing to practice."
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LIU safety Trey Watkins originally entered the transfer portal after the 2025 season but elected to return.
Watkins earned an all-NEC first team honors after recording five interceptions on the season.
Watkins is on the Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award Watch List and received FCS Preseason Third Team All-American honors.
Watkins led the NEC and tied for second in the FCS with five picks. He also had 51 total tackles (36 solo).
The New Jersey native started his college career at Lafayette.
On Oct. 3, 2018, Long Island University announced the unification of its Brooklyn (LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds) and Brookville (LIU Post Pioneers) athletic programs into a single NCAA Division I program, effective for the 2019 — 20 academic year.
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The new nickname, Sharks, was announced on May 15, 2019.
As part of the merger, the football program (previously NCAA Division II) jumped directly to the FCS level without a transition period, inheriting the Northeast Conference membership from the Brooklyn campus.
The Sharks finished winless (0 — 10) in their inaugural FCS season in 2019.
LIU head coach Ron Cooper was hired in December of 2021.
Like Watkins, LIU quarterback Ethan Greenwood entered the transfer portal after the 2025 season but elected to return to the Sharks.
After starting his college career at the Citadel, the 5-foot-11 quarterback took over as starter at LIU after the Sharks started 0-6.
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Greenwood threw for 645 yards and three touchdowns last year. He ran 102 times for 416 yards and four touchdowns.
In a win over FBS Eastern Michigan, Greenwood ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2025, his season-high passing yardage was 155 yards against Wagner. He received at least 15 carries four times in 2025.
The Sharks earned national recognition last season when LIU beat Eastern Michigan on Sept. 6 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, 28-23.
LIU's win over EMU came one week after losing 55-0 to Florida.
The Sharks were 22.5-point underdogs against Eastern Michigan. LIU never trailed against the MAC program.
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Luca Stanzani, another QB who returns to the 2026 roster, and Greenwood each rushed for two touchdowns against EMU.
Greenwood scored on a 65-yard run on LIU's first possession.
The Sharks had 479 yards of total offense including 231 rushing yards.
Stanzani was 66-for-114 with three interceptions and three touchdowns last season. His single-game high was 152 yards against New Haven. He also ran 64 times for 355 yards.
LIU finished last season winning five of six games, sparked by an opportunistic defense.
UND offensive coordinator Danny Freund said that jumped out on tape.
"You take a look at some games over the summer and start your initial dive ... you come away impressed with the defense," Freund said. "It's not just (the win over Eastern Michigan). They have overall team speed. I have a ton of respect for the coaching staff and defensive coordinator with the way they do things. They're not overly complex. They know how to play fast and physical.
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"This is a very, very capable team coming in here. They'll play with great confidence. We have to do a great job taking care of the ball."
Watkins will be LIU's lone returning first-team all-conference pick on defense in 2026, despite the Sharks seeing four honorees a year ago on that side of the ball.
Defensive back Jalen Bell transferred to Delaware, while defensive back Norman Massey graduated.
Defensive tackle Scoop Gardner transferred to Western Michigan.
One of Long Island's defensive leaders will be linebacker Rafael Fasolino, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound redshirt senior from Montrose, N.Y.
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Fasolino had 57 tackles in 2024 and 47 tackles in 2025.
Fasolino had a big start to 2025, finishing with nine tackles including four for loss at Florida to open the season. He added nine tackles in the win at Eastern Michigan, then had seven (2.0 for loss) against Sacred Heart and nine more against Rhode Island.
