ualbany football Game 2 - Saturday, September 2, 2023, 6:00 PM Joan C Edwards Stadium, Huntington, WV

[UAalum72]

Second-half effort pushes Herd past Albany 21-17 = Huntington Herald-Dispatch

Photos

 

Times-Union Story

UAlbany football comes close to upset at Marshall

The University at Albany football team, 24 1/2-point underdogs against an opponent that won a bowl game last season, lost a game the Great Danes felt they could have won Saturday night. 

Maybe even should have won.

The Great Danes shut out Marshall of the Football Bowl Subdivision in the first half and led by 10 points in the second half before falling 21-17 in front of 25,101 fans at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, W. Va.
"The guys really played their butts off and it's a shame we didn't come out of here with a win," UAlbany head coach Greg Gattuso said. "I thought we outplayed them almost all night."

UAlbany redshirt sophomore quarterback Reese Poffenbarger completed 22 of 38 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown. He ran for a 54-yard touchdown on fourth and 1 in the third quarter that put the Great Danes ahead 17-7 with 3:31 left in the third quarter.

UAlbany didn't score again and Marshall (1-0) rallied on Rasheen Ali's touchdown runs of 13 yards wth 2:22 left in the third quarter and 30 yards with 12:53 remaining.

The Great Danes had a final chance to win with 2:33 to play. They took possession at their 20 after UAlbany's Elijah Hills blocked Marshall's 37-yard field goal attempt.

After driving his team to the Marshall 38 with 51 seconds left, Reese was sacked for an 11-yard loss on third down and a four-yard loss on fourth down to turn the ball over on downs with 37 seconds remaining.

"I was very confident," Poffenbarger said. "We just had a negative play on the plus-50 that kills the drive. ... At the end of the game, they're going to bring their best pressure. That's what they did. Marshall's an FBS team that wins nine games every year. They've been in those types of games and they handled it well."

Poffenbarger agreed with his head coach the Great Danes could be 2-0 instead of 1-1.

"We just didn't capitalize on opportunities on both side of the ball," he said. "Offensively, there were some missed opportunities that we should have taken care of."

UAlbany led 3-0 at halftime on John Opalko's 46-yard field goal with six seconds remaining in the first half.

Marshall broke loose for 239 yards and 21 points in the second half.

"I think we missed a few tackles that hurt us," Gattuso said. "They used the bubbles (bubble screens) really well. I thought their quarterback (Marshall's Cam Fancher) played really well in the third quarter especially. We kind of got our footing toward the end and started playing better and got some stops and were able to block a kick."

Fancher finished 28 for 35 for 268 yards and a touchdown with one interception. Ali rushed for 137 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns.

Linebacker Dylan Kelly led UAlbany with 12 tackles, including six solo. Cornerback Amir Hall, a Richmond transfer, had his first UAlbany interception when he picked off a Fancher throw down the left sideline in the fourth quarter. Hall returned to the Marshall 46 with 9:30 left.

But UAlbany couldn't capitalize on the turnover. They lost the ball on downs when Poffenbarger, under heavy pressure, threw incomplete long on fourth and 3 with 7:07 remaining.

"Overall, man, I'm just so proud," Hall said. "We came out and competed for four quarters and I can't really ask for nothing more."

The Great Danes will play a second straight FBS team next Saturday when they travel to Hawaii.

"We'll get back in the lab and fix those mistakes and come back next week ready to beat Hawaii," Hall said. "Looking around the locker room, I just see a lot of hungry faces. Everybody's a little upset, but at the same time, we know what we can do as a team and we're just really excited to get back to it next week."

UAlbany wide receiver Jackson Parker caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Poffenbarger in the third quarter. Great Danes receiver Roy Alexander didn't play in the second half.

"He just got twisted up," Gattuso said. "He'll be fine."

UAlbany received $350,000 for playing Marshall. The Great Danes fell to 1-6 against FBS teams during Gattuso's tenure.

 

[UAalum72]

Jared Verse and Albany getting some love at the Florida State/LSU game

[BestDaneSinceHamlet]

12 minutes ago, UAalum72 said:

Jared Verse and Albany getting some love at the Florida State/LSU game

I just turned it on.  What did they say?

[UAalum72]

12 minutes ago, BestDaneSinceHamlet said:

I just turned it on.  What did they say?

He had just gotten a "sack" that was overruled into an incompletion, they said he didn't have many offers but played with a chip on his shoulder at Albany.

[jimbo]

I spotted this yesterday.  

[cwdickens]

How about a shoutout to one of our own:

Juncaj Named CAA Defensive Player of the Week

[UAalum72]

47 minutes ago, cwdickens said:

How about a shoutout to one of our own:

Juncaj Named CAA Defensive Player of the Week

"part of a defense that held Marshall scoreless until midway through the second quarter."

Actually midway thru the third quarter, or almost midway through the second half.

[reeder]

https://x.com/marksingelais/status/1698781396515369371?s=61&t=PqOH9q50qkhgNVVEr34wsw

UAlbany graduate safety DaeSean Winston had his arm in a sling during Monday's practice. Hurt on Marshall's opening drive. "We have a shot to get him back at the end of the year," Greg Gattuso said. "We'll see. It all depends on how the surgery goes ... It's a loss."

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by reeder

[Dane96]

 Big loss.  His arm was hit awkwardly while it was swinging away from his body.