fb 2023 Game #11: 11/11/23 - 1:00PM at Stony Brook

[reeder]

From Sam Herder and Hero Sports - link at bottom

The Field

2021-2022 Final Bracketology Accuracy: 14/16 seeds correct, 46/48 teams correct

Seeds
These are playoff predictions and don’t reflect my current Top 25. The numbers associated with teams may not match where I currently rank them on my ballot.

1. South Dakota State 
2. Montana 
3. Idaho 
4. Furman 
5. South Dakota 
6. Montana State 
7. UAlbany 
8. Northern Iowa
 

https://t.co/1GPEb3MDHn

Edited November 9, 2023 by reeder

[MRuler 79]

Got to win!!!!!! and stay healthy.!!!! If we win one of the last two we would/should get an at large bid!!! Would love to see us win the CAA outright!

[UAalum72]

Offensive line paves way for 18th-ranked UAlbany football

[cwdickens]

UALBANY FOOTBALL

 

Danes face winless Stony Brook, eye postseason

Victory can all but lock up FCS playoff berth

 

By Mark Singelais

Jim Franco/Times Union

UAlbany football coach Greg Gattuso said his team is focusing on itself and won't be lulled to sleep by Stony Brook's 0-9 record on Saturday.

ALBANY — It’s popular to say anything can happen in a rivalry game. It’s easy to guess what’s probably going to happen in this one.

Entering Saturday’s renewal of the Golden Apple Trophy rivalry, the University at Albany is surging toward an NCAA playoff bid. Stony Brook is winless and has lost every game but one by at least 19 points.

 

The Great Danes won last year’s meeting 59-14, when they weren’t even that good.

But UAlbany offensive tackle Ozzie Hutchinson said he won’t be lulled into a false sense of security entering this game on Long Island.

“What they’ve been telling us this week is, it could be a trap game for some people,” Hutchinson said. “But I try to look at it as, I don’t focus too much on the opponent. Whether they’re 0-9 or 9-0, treat every team like they’re the same. Go in and do your work and give it the best effort you can every week, and you’ll have the outcome that you want on Saturday.”

Great Danes head coach Greg Gattuso recalled the 2018 game, when Stony Brook was ranked 10th coming into Casey Stadium for the regular-season finale. UAlbany was only 2-8, but upset the Seawolves 25-23 on Ethan Stark’s 48-yard field goal that bounced off the crossbar and over as time expired.

“I literally just keep telling these guys, let’s focus on ourselves,” Gattuso said. “That’s been our motto all year. It’s been what we started doing when we started playing better last year. We’re focused on doing our jobs and they’re buying into it.”

UAlbany (7-3 overall, 5-1 Coastal Athletic Association) enters Saturday in a five-way tie for first place in the conference. The Great Danes are in contention for their first CAA title and are just one victory from the eight-win plateau that would make it extremely difficult for the Football Championship Subdivision selection committee to deny them at least an at-large bid.

UAlbany is 7-1 against FCS opponents, with the other two losses coming at Marshall and Hawaii.

“We’ve played a tough schedule and I think some people are starting to notice that,” Gattuso said. “This is a very, very important, got-to-win game. But when you get to eight wins at this level, and with the strength of schedule and in our conference, it’s a pretty tough argument not to take you in the playoffs.”

Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore, a UAlbany graduate, has seen his team lose its last three games by margins of 31, 35 and 39 points. The closest the Seawolves (0-9, 0-7) came to victory was a 20-19 loss to Richmond Sept. 23 on a last-minute field goal.

This is Stony Brook’s season finale, while UAlbany has another game remaining Nov. 18 at home against Monmouth.

“It’s certainly a rivalry game, the apple, Albany’s playing for a lot,” Priore said. “It’s a good opponent for us to see where we’re at and to handle the stuff from the shoulders up. Our kids have come out of every game upset, not happy, and we’ve been able to go into every game and come out of the tunnel and compete early.”

UALBANY VS. STONY BROOK

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: LaValle Stadium, Stony Brook

Radio: WTMM 104.5 FM

[jimbo]

And that’s exactly how you don’t want to start. 

[DanesRGood]

Not a very good first quarter and SBU is driving. 

[DanesRGood]

Line doing a terrible job of pass blocking.

[jimbo]

I have to say that the Brook DBs are very good at batting balls away! UA blocking sucks today. 

[Dane96]

Probably worst overall game we have played this year.  I called it...and I don't care what anyone says.  This is a rivalry game and I am not sure we were fully into it.

Looks like Woodell isn't doing great with a knee or ankle.  We will need him VERY much against Monmouth...they are looking tough right now.  

Line and Reese haven't been up to par.  Rather get a stinker our now.

WTF is wrong with Aden's hand....he break it?!  That takes away a huge part of our game (passing out of the backfield). 

[jimbo]

Woodall looked pretty good on that big run. I think we can stick a fork in this one. 38-13…

[Dane96]

FUnniest part...I am moaning that we haven't played well (and we haven't), yet Reese is 20-28 for 247yds and 4 TDs, and Stony Brook has basically managed 2 FGs.

LOL, we are spoiled this year. 

[alum73]

That taunting penalty was totally uncalled for.

[Dane96]

1 minute ago, alum73 said:

That taunting penalty was totally uncalled for.

Yep, it was a dick move by Hicks. 

[Dane96]

Now the penalty on Ori Jean (the spinning of the ball) is just a ridiculous call by the ref.  Come on now. 

[Dane96]

Barring an absolutely shocking display by the playoff committee, Albany just punched its playoff ticket.

Next week (and each week thereafter) is huge.  A win next week and a Delaware loss, and Albany has a shot at a seed with the outright conference title.