The Long Island University football team just pulled off the biggest win in program history.
The Sharks went into Ypsilanti, Michigan, as 22.5-point underdogs Saturday night — fresh off a 55-0 loss at Florida that reportedly netted the program $525,000 — and stunned Eastern Michigan, 28-23, at Rynearson Stadium.
It marks LIU’s first-ever win over a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program. The Eagles (0-2) hadn’t lost to a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team since 2012, according to The Eastern Echo.
The timing adds even more intrigue. The same Florida program that rolled past LIU last week was itself upset on Saturday — falling 18-16 at home to South Florida, a team it paid $500,000 to play.
TOUCHDOWN 🔥#FinsUp pic.twitter.com/StOfTfuvWU
— LIU Football (@LIUSharksFB) September 7, 2025
“This was a great win,” said LIU head coach Ron Cooper, who was making his return to Eastern Michigan, the site of his first head coaching job back in 1993. “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.”
LIU (1-1) never trailed. LIU quarterbacks Ethan Greenwood and Luca Stanzani each ran for two touchdowns. Greenwood set the tone early with a 65-yard scoring run on the Sharks’ opening possession. He finished with 91 rushing yards and 105 passing yards, including a 74-yard strike to Stanzani that set up his second rushing score.
Stanzani, who threw for 143 yards on 12 of 18 passing, added two clutch rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter as LIU closed out the upset. In all, the Sharks racked up 479 yards of total offense.
On defense, linebacker Rafael Fasolino and defensive back Trey Watkins each logged eight tackles.
The win comes one week after the Sharks’ trip to Gainesville — a lopsided loss on the scoreboard, but one that brought in over half a million dollars to support LIU athletics. Saturday’s game at EMU also came with a reported $325,000 guarantee, meaning the Sharks banked more than $850,000 from their first two road games alone.
The Sharks return home next Saturday for their annual Homecoming game against Sacred Heart. Kickoff is set for noon in Brookville.
Top photo credit: LIU quarterback Luca Stanzani (11) runs during the second half of an NCAA college football against Florida game Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)
