fb 2023 Game #8: 10/21/23 - 3:30PM vs Rhode Island

[Eli]

Last Up: L (38-31) @ New Hampshire
Next Up: vs Rhode Island (4-3, 2-2 CAA)
Time/Date: 10/21/23 @ 3:30PM
TV/Streaming: FloFootball
Local Radio: 104.5 The Team

[UAalum72]

Massey picks Albany (#163) over Rhode Island (#178) 27-24, 54% chance of a win

RealtimeRPI picks Albany (#166) over Rhode Island (#153) 30-29, 52% chance of a win

Sagarin picks Albany (#165) over Rhode Island (#173) by from 3 to 7 points

In the Any Given Saturday Poll Albany is still 25th. William & Mary is 19th, Villanova 21st, UNH 26th, Fordham 32nd

In the STATS Poll Villanova is now 22nd. William and Mary is 13th. In Others Receiving Votes Fordham has 44 points, New Hampshire 68, Albany has 39 

In the NCAA Coaches' FCS Poll New Hampshire is now 23rd. William and Mary is 13th. In Others Receiving Votes Fordham has 47 votes, Villanova 36, Rhode Island 6. Albany has 1 (one) vote

With no sacks, Juncaj has fallen to third, Simon to 7th. Team is now 5th

 

[cwdickens]

The weather forecast calls for rain, my understanding, this is the seventh consecutive weekend that rain has fallen on Saturday or Sunday or both days:

• Saturday: Rain. High near 61. Northwest wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Saturday Night: Showers. Low around 48. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

[UAalum72]

Rhode Island DB Syeed Gibbs has been named to the Jerry Rice Award watch list (FCS Freshman of the year)

[cwdickens]

On 10/19/2023 at 9:13 AM, cwdickens said:

The weather forecast calls for rain, my understanding, this is the seventh consecutive weekend that rain has fallen on Saturday or Sunday or both days:

• Saturday: Rain. High near 61. Northwest wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Saturday Night: Showers. Low around 48. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

On Thursday, the WTEN weather forecaster thought the rain would move out by late afternoon.

Only update to Saturday's forecast are sustained winds from 15 mph to 22 mph with gusts to 39 mph later this afternoon.

Edited October 21, 2023 by cwdickens
update

[cwdickens]

UALBANY FOOTBALL

 

Danes look to tighten defense

 

By Mark Singelais

RHODE ISLAND AT UALBANY

When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Casey Stadium, Albany

Radio: 104.5 FM WTMM

Courtesy of New Hampshire Athletics

UAlbany wide receiver Julian Hicks, shown in a game last season, had touchdown catches of 75 and 32 yards last week at New Hampshire.

Jim Franco/Times Union archive

UAlbany football coach Greg Gattuso said ideally he’d like the offense to be more balanced between running and passing this week vs. Rhode Island.

ALBANY — The passing game flourished. The defense faltered.

The University at Albany football team saw the positive and negative in its 38-31 loss at New Hampshire last week. The Great Danes (4-3 overall, 2-1 Coastal Athletic Association) return to Casey Stadium on Saturday to take on Rhode Island, which has beaten them the past three seasons.

Against UNH, UAlbany wide receiver Julian Hicks caught touchdown passes of 75 and 32 yards and wide receiver Brevin Easton added scoring receptions of 50 and 38 yards from quarterback Reese Poffenbarger.

“I think it helps our offense,” Hicks said. “It gives us a better look at what we can be and how dynamic we can be as an offense. We’ve just got to continue to work in practice and continue to just lock into the game plan.”

Saturday’s weather might not be optimal for the passing game. The forecast calls for rain and 11 mph winds gusting to 27 at kickoff.

URI (4-3, 2-2) is susceptible to the run. The Rams are allowing 164.7 rushing yards per game, seventh in the CAA, and 4.8 yards per carry. But the Great Danes are second-to-last in the conference in rushing at 100 yards per contest.

Great Danes coach Greg Gattuso hopes success in the air against UNH could help the run game against URI. He said he’d like to get the ball more to freshman running back Griffin Woo-dell of Glens Falls, who is averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He rushed 12 times for 46 yards against the Wildcats.

“We’ve been trying to break out with the deep balls a little bit,” Gattuso said. “(Poffenbarger) is really starting to play. I thought he played a good football game. … If we can get a little more balance, it certainly will help us. Backing the safeties off is a big part of running the ball and I think we were able to do that in the game. Just unfortunately couldn’t pull it out.”

UAlbany’s defense, one of the best in the CAA through the first six games, allowed season highs for points and yards (435) against UNH. Those numbers topped even Football Subdivision opponents Marshall and Hawaii earlier this season.

While UNH quarterback Max Brosmer (342 yards, three touchdowns) played well, UAlbany also had breakdowns in pass coverages.

“We take everything we do personally,” UAlbany safety Larry Walker Jr. said. “This game, for sure, we took it personally, but on a motivational type of tip, we came out here (at practice) and just do what we do, keep working, that’s all.”

The Great Danes will face another good quarterback in URI’s Kasim Hill, the Maryland and Tennessee transfer who has directed the Rams to three straight wins over UAlbany.

Hill leads the CAA with 2,037 passing yards and is third with 15 touchdown passes, behind Brosmer’s 17 and Poffenbarger’s 16.

“Kasim Hill, he’s a good player,” Walker said. “I’ve been playing him, like you said, a couple of times throughout my years here at Albany. He’s a dual threat when he wants to be. He’s a good pocket passer. He sees zone coverages, he reads man well. He’s got trust in his guys and that’s what a quarterback’s supposed to do. It’s going to be fun playing against him one more time.”

Saturday is UAlbany’s homecoming game. The Great Danes are 2-0 at home this season with decisive wins over Fordham and Villanova in front of crowds larger than 7,000 in both contests.

“Definitely the crowd and just the atmosphere with the students and our family being there,” said Easton, explaining UAlbany’s home success. “But definitely just the comfortability of being on our own field and having our own routine, whether it be with the trainers and just getting ready for the game.”

MORE FROM Sports

[jimbo]

28-3. Looking great so far!

[nysteve661]

11 minutes ago, jimbo said:

28-3. Looking great so far!

Is it really 28-3?  ESPN says so but looking at boxscore and play by play, adds up to 14-3.  Missing 2 TDs.

Slowly updating, now 21-3, lol.  Looking great.  Damn shame to lose last week with the defense having an off week.

Edited October 21, 2023 by nysteve661

[jimbo]

13 minutes ago, nysteve661 said:

Is it really 28-3?  ESPN says so but looking at boxscore and play by play, adds up to 14-3.  Missing 2 TDs.

Slowly updating, now 21-3, lol.  Looking great.  Damn shame to lose last week with the defense having an off week.

Yup. At the half. The last two TDS were bombs….like 75 and 85 yards. Hicks and Easton. Watching on Flo up in Maine. 

Edited October 21, 2023 by jimbo

[jimbo]

35-3 with 12:47 left. 

[jimbo]

35-10 final. Real chippy. Good performance. On to Maine…where I sit at the moment. 

[ctdanes]

Put up 430 yards in the first half alone. Dominant win. Nice to see 

[alum73]

Woodell hurt his shoulder. Will be interested in his status.

Edited October 22, 2023 by alum73
Typo

[UAalum72]

With Mary & Bill losing to Towson today, Albany is ahead in the CAA standings of all the teams remaining on our schedule.

Delaware    4-0    6-1
Richmond    4-1    5-3
Elon    4-1    4-4
UAlbany    3-1    5-3
Villanova    3-1    5-2
Campbell    3-2    4-3
Towson    2-2    3-4
Monmouth    2-2    3-4
New Hampshire    2-2    4-3
William & Mary    2-2    4-3
Rhode Island    2-3    4-4
Hampton    1-3    3-4
Maine    1-4    2-6
North Carolina A&T    0-4    1-6
Stony Brook    0-5    0-7

Too bad about the rain right up until game time; 5196 attendance, but a full house at homecoming would really have been roaring at this game.

[Eli]

Nice homecoming win which will hopefully keep some fans coming back!