haggyland

The Troy Record wrote an article on Safety Kyle Sakowski:

http://www.troyrecord.com/sports/20141002/the-secret-to-ualbanys-kyle-sakowskis-success-headphones

It is about his attachment to his headphones, but whatever...

Maybe improving enough to not be outshot 25 to 0 in the first half? Nope!

Oh, man...I forgot that was this afternoon. I was going to load up live stats at work and laugh at the beat-down I anticipated. The final result looks to be better than expected: I thought that with their two recent one goal losses that the school from the north might be improving.

Nicely done, DRG. Sometimes coercion is the only thing people respond to.

Going grassroots!!!

If at the beginning of the season you told me that JMU would only be a three and a half point favorite when playing UA, I would have said it was crazy talk. Now I am going to be a little disappointed if UA loses... It has been a great start to the Gattuso era.

Bump, as Sparano has been named the Interim Head Coach for the Raiders:

http://espn.go.com/n...erim-head-coach

No word yet on " the 'SPARANO FAMILY LOCKER ROOM' in 'TO BE NAMED STADIUM' at BOB FORD FIELD! "

Siena field hockey coming to play at UA...there goes the RPI!:

"The Great Danes have never lost to their crosstown rival, with a commanding 13-0 lead in the series. Siena is a combined 1-73 dating back to 2010 and is winless in 2014. Most recently the Saints suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Georgetown at home and a 2-1 defeat at Holy Cross on Sept. 24."

McCarthy? McCarthy is not the O.C.

 

And, our game plan was pretty perfect based on the weaknesses of Columbia, and our own team.

McClary...

http://jmusports.com...aspx?rp_id=3256

Take a look at the current stats.

 

This is going to be a real test on our program. We'll have a good idea after this game.

Give me some more Jamal Merritt over McClary...watching his 80 yard interception return for a TD (called back) was the most exciting part of the game (IMO.)

Classic, clickclack.

I guess their marching band is less about music, and more about performance art, but I was hypnotized by how horrendous their halftime display was. They got to spend six hours on a bus today to watch their team get demolished (again), and to roll around like jackasses on our turf? Maybe their day would have been better spent in the library.

Still, 4 and 0, baby!... And JMU looks like it is a winnable game!

I just looked at the stats. Tough to complain after a dominating performance to get to 4-0, especially after last year, but Fiacchi really went 6 for 16 in a rout? UA is going to need a balanced attack against JMU; Osbourne won't break as many tackles against them...

My eyes cannot unsee the Columbia band.

I saw that 26 point spread, and while I love UA, that is a lot of points.

Which UA offense shows up?

Check out what Purdue is doing for Homecoming:

Source: Purdue Athletics

The Purdue Boilermakers announced this summer that their helmets for a September 27 game versus Iowa would include submitted photos of season ticket holders and students who purchased all-sport season ticket VIP Cards. The pictures (approximately 240 of them in all) have been arranged in the design of the school’s traditional logo and will replace the usual helmet decal for Purdue’s homecoming game later this month. The university provided the finalized image, which you can see above.

How about that for an answer!

Ha! I might have placed a few bets in life (all legal, of course.)

What does that mean again? That the total points will be 33 +/- 7.5 points? I'm in a pool at work (pickin games in the NFL and I have no clue what these stupid numbers mean - although I did win last week by getting 11 games right lol). So if Albany wins by more than 8 basically, they 'get the point'...?

There are two separate bets there.

33 represent the number of points the general public thinks will be scored combined for both teams.

I say "general public" because first a professional odds maker decides these numbers; then numbers adjust depending on which way the bets are going.

-7.5 means the general public thinks UAlbany is favored by that many points. Essentially, at kickoff, the score is already URI 7.5, UAlbany 0.

If all of the bets come in for UAlbany then the "line" (the 7.5 number) will increase making UAlbany even more of a favorite..on paper only!

At the end of the game for the "line" portion, you can either subtract 7.5 points from UAlbany's score OR add it to URI's.

For the "over/under", simply add the two scores together, and compare it to which way you thought it would go (high scoring aerial battle or low scoring defensive game.)

(And don't try to subtract the "line" from the "over/under"!)

Not sure where to put this, but I was reading the biography for Juile Forster's brother Jack on the UAlbany football page:

http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=70368&SPID=8009&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=15800&ATCLID=205579315&Q_SEASON=2014

I noticed that there was a sister Heather. After a quick search I found this link:

http://www.goldstarelite.com/topseniors.html

I don't think it has been discussed before, but she is ranked the 8th best senior on Long Island for women's basketball, and she has committed to UAlbany.

I thought you were allowed one each of a developmental redshirt and a medical redshirt, with the developmental redshirt always limited to one and occurring in the first year, and the medical redshirt being limited to one unless successfully petitioned to the NCAAs. This conception is, per usual, not based on any actual research.

JORDAN OUT FOR SEASON

Redshirt senior linebacker Kyle Jordan will miss the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury suffered in the CCSU game. In two contests this season, Jordan recorded 12 tackles (6 solo), forced two fumbles, including the game-winning play that led to a 79-yard touchdown against Holy Cross. Jordan missed the majority of the 2013 season with a lower body injury as well, appearing in four games. In his career, Jordan recorded 126 tackles (76 solo), forced five fumbles, and recovered three in 29 games.

Quick link to the rankings http://www.ncaa.com/...1/nfhca-coaches

Capital District teams will bookend the ratings if UAlbany can rise three more spots on the Average Computer Ranking list:

http://www.fieldhockeycorner.com/ratings.php?div=1&col=cr

Is this the highest-ever Div I national ranking for a women's team?

2011 women's lacrosse got up to #6 in one of the polls.

http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=70228&SPID=7989&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=15800&ATCLID=205149314

I was going to ask if it were really necessary to identify him as a Siena player, or if the grammar was a sufficient enough indicator.

Since the arena will be filled anyway, schedule a team that doesn't bring any fans. No point scheduling Vermont or Bing when we could put their fans in otherwise empty seats on a different night.

I was thinking that, but is the "aura" of the Big Purple Growl enough on its own, or does it need a bigger named team to get people there?

You'd rather it be Vermont and get beat by 25? It's not the AE tourney it's the regular season...gotta schedule a winnable game...tsk tsk

Or you lose to a team that 80% of casual basketball fans haven't even heard of, and more interest is lost in the programs.

The better solution would be to schedule the best, AND to beat the best, right?

League schedule announced:

February

7 UMass Lowell (Big Purple Growl)

Forgive the impertinence, but who is the marketing mastermind that scheduled UMass Lowell for the Big Purple Growl?

Albany's D has great speed but are prone to the long ball as they have always been.

Secondary definitely needs some work, but did anybody else notice the bio on Jamal Merritt? Played for New Mexico Lobos as a safety and wide receiver...as a true freshman. Had three starts at strong safety his sophomore year before tearing his ACL. 3-Star recruit out of high school; 17th best prospect in the state; chose New Mexico over Ohio, East Carolina, and Rutgers.

I would have missed him except before kick-off ESPN singled him out as a player to watch. Also said that Gontarek (WR) was Gattuso's #1 recruit? Could be inaccurate, but he did start him, and he did have nine catches in his first collegiate game.

Just something to mention...