Football schedule

[Eli]

lol I literally sent Clickclack the same photo, from the upper level like a day ago.

 

UA is ALL OVER Crossgates. They have those little ad spaces (like on the other side of the map kiosk things) as well as this HUGE hanging banner near the Macy's end of the mall...didn't go to the other end...but I saw at least 4-5 ads. The other side of that football one is Cremo and basketball, advertising the biggest game in town (LCC vs UA).

 

EDIT: Here is the Cremo one:

Edited August 4, 2016 by Eli

[Clickclack]

That's what I'm talking about...sweet.

[Jammaster]

They should get these into Colonie as well, the airport, etc.

Edited August 4, 2016 by Jammaster

[alum73]

In the airport there is a large Ualbany add touting being in the top 100 values nationally. I noticed it a couple days ago.

[UAalum72]

Camp opened Friday. Stories in the T-U have been on TU+, so summaries for those without subscriptions:

 

UAlbany football set to begin practice facing predictions they'll be just as bad as last season.

"I wouldn't care if we were (chosen) first, second, second-to-last," said head coach Greg Gattuso, entering his third year. "Look, you don't like to be there. It's a reflection of how you played last year.

Areas to watch:

1. Establishing a quarterback

"Whoever goes out and plays the best in camp (will start)," Gattuso said. "I don't think Neven has done enough to be the man without any competition and DJ hasn't done enough. That's unfortunately where we're at with them. But we're in a better place right now than we were last year going into the season."

2. Building a defense

The Great Danes will look to upgrade a pass rush that had trouble getting to quarterbacks and a secondary that had difficulty stopping them.

"We've been lousy on defense, in my mind, and it's not (because of) effort," Gattuso said. "Depth, injuries have knocked us out of our comfort zone and I think we've addressed a lot of that."

and called sophomore defensive lineman Nick Griffin, a Shaker High graduate, a "big pleasant surprise."

3. Searching for big-play threats

UAlbany recruited incoming freshman wide receivers Tre Hopkins and Jerah Reeves to provide a game-breaking element that the Great Danes lacked last season.

If the newcomers show in camp they can be effective in stretching the field, that could make life easier for the quarterbacks and for returning receivers Brad Harris and Zee Roberson.

4. Looking for leadership

What was an extremely young roster will be more seasoned this year with experience and the return of players such as redshirt junior tight end Nic Ketter of Queensbury and redshirt junior linebacker Michael Nicastro, who missed all of last season.

"An immense difference (in leadership) in my opinion," Gattuso said. "No matter how hard they tried, it's hard to lead from the sideline. They gave it their all last season, but it's not just those two."

Gattuso pointed to offensive linemen Adam Wierbinski and Kevin Malloy, senior linebacker Neil Morrison and Harris and Clark as players who can set a winning tone for their teammates in camp.

5. Avoiding injuries

While any football team wants to stay healthy in the preseason, Gattuso is taking steps in that direction by changing the way the Great Danes practice. He said he'll have them in full pads less often this summer than he has in his first two seasons. "We're changing how we practice in the summer," Gattuso said. "It's something I believe in. Beating kids up, to me, never made a whole lot of sense.

Nicastro returns to field

University at Albany outside linebacker Michael Nicastro uncoiled from his stance and smashed into a blocking sled in his first practice in almost a year Saturday afternoon. It wasn't done quite to the satisfaction of UAlbany defensive coordinator Bernard Clark, also the team's linebackers coach. "You're rusty, old man,'' Clark barked. Nicastro, a redshirt junior, said he was still getting his footwork in sync with his hands on the first day of training camp

Nicastro tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and partially tore the meniscus in his right knee on what he felt was a questionable hit by a Buffalo offensive lineman. "It's tough,'' he said. "I personally don't think that was a good play by that particular lineman, but I mean, it's football. It happens. I'm sure he didn't mean to do it intentionally. I don't know whether it was a legal block or not."

Clark said Nicastro made the most of his time off last season, absorbing the team's switch to a new defense and mentoring his teammates.

"It's actually good just seeing him making calls and knowing what he's supposed to do,'' Clark said. "The great thing about Michael last year, when he was off the field, he did a great job of just learning the defense, learning what was going on.

 

[haggyland]

A little O/T but Delaware agreed to a home and home with North Dakota State for 2018 and 2019.

[MRSGDG]

New tickets look awesome, sheet style.