Category: Albany Great Danes
CCSU Alone in First after Topping Danes
NEW BRITAIN — The irony wasn’t lost on Central’s football team. A year ago at Albany, the Blue Devils staged a stirring comeback, only to miss the would-be-tying two-point conversion with 55 seconds left. Saturday, Albany needed a two-point conversion to tie the game with 59 ticks on the clock.
This time, the Great Danes missed and Central had a great win.
An offensive pass interference call wiped out Albany’s first try at the conversion, and Central’s Ray Saunders tackled quarterback Vinny Esposito to stop the Danes’ second try as Central hung on for a 31-29 win before 3,698 raucous fans at Arute Field.
“The tables turn fast,” CCSU quarterback Aubrey Norris said. “We had to get this win.”
UMass Football Coach Prepares to Face Albany Mentor
AMHERST - University of Massachusetts football coach Kevin Morris knows all about Albany coach Bob Ford, but that will not make Saturday night’s home opener any easier.
“What I know is that we had better be prepared, because he and his team will expose any flaws,” Morris said as the Minutemen (0-1) eyed the 6 p.m. game against Albany (0-1) at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
“Coach Ford will leave no stones unturned.”
UAlbany Football Will Play First-Ever FBS Opponent with Trip to Cincinnati in 2011 Season
Albany, N.Y. – University at Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on Thursday, Aug. 27 that the school’s football program will play its first NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent when the Great Danes travel to the University of Cincinnati for the projected 2011 season opener. UAlbany has competed at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level since 1999.
Albany Favored in the NEC, All-Conference Team Named
UAlbany stands as the unanimous favorite to capture the 2009 Northeast Conference football crown, which would be its third straight. The Great Danes received eight first-place votes to finish atop an annual survey of league’s head coaches for a fourth consecutive season. Monmouth, the 2008 NEC runner-up, garnered the lone remaining first-place nod to finish second in the preseason poll, the results of which were announced during a media teleconference Tuesday morning. The Conference also unveiled its Preseason All-NEC Team during the media session, which served as a prelude to the NEC’s 14th season on the gridiron.
- 2485 words - Northeast Conference, Monmouth Hawks, Albany Great Danes, Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, Wagner Seahawks, Duquesne Dukes, Robert Morris Colonials, Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash, Sacred Heart Pioneers Northeast Conference Announces 2009 Television Slate
Set to commence its 14th football season, the Northeast Conference (NEC) today announced plans to televise four games in 2009.
- 437 words - Northeast Conference, Monmouth Hawks, Albany Great Danes, Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, Wagner Seahawks, Duquesne Dukes, Robert Morris Colonials, Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash, Sacred Heart Pioneers Sports Network Announces Second Group on Payton Award watch list
Two returning Walter Payton Award candidates, Weber State quarterback Cameron Higgins and Elon wide receiver Terrell Hudgins, and two newcomers to the list, Southern quarterback Bryant Lee and Albany running back David McCarty, have been added to the watch list for the Payton Award, bestowed annually upon the top player in FCS.
- 1131 words - FCS News Articles, Weber State Wildcats, Albany Great Danes, Elon Phoenix, Southern Jaguars Schenectady Star Desbiens Chooses UAlbany
Another Daily Gazette All-Area football star is heading to the University at Albany.
Linebacker Dan Desbiens, who excelled during Schenectady’s finest season last fall, has committed to play for the Northeast Conference champion Great Danes and head coach Bob Ford.
Desbiens and fellow linebacker Connor Hadcock of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake shared the Gazette’s Defensive Player of the Year award last fall. Desbiens will be joining Gazette Offensive Player of the Year Paul Layton, a quarterback-kicker from Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, at Albany.
NFL's Giants Invite Albany's Nguti to Rookie Camp
As the 2009 NFL draft reached the seventh round and his name still hadn’t been called, Brighton High and University at Albany standout offensive lineman Raphael Nguti wasn’t panicking.
Even though he would have loved to be selected via the draft to play in the NFL, the 2008 All-America tackle said before draft day that his opportunity to showcase his skills in the NFL would come eventually.
Fast forward two weeks: Nguti is getting that coveted chance with one of the league’s most storied franchises — the New York Giants, who made the playoffs last year and won Super Bowl XLII in 2008.
UAlbany's Lynch excited about shot
Like a lot of football fans, Chris Lynch watched the NFL draft on TV. He didn’t expect to hear his name called, and it wasn’t, but that didn’t keep him from getting his shot at pro football.
Lynch, a punter for the University at Albany, agreed to report to the Cleveland Browns’ three-day minicamp beginning Friday.
- 247 words - Northeast Conference, Albany Great Danes, FCS In The Pros Brighton Graduate Nguti is Worth the Wait
As Raphael Nguti watched game film over Christmas break from his days with Brighton’s varsity football team, something stood out to the University at Albany standout offensive lineman.
Back then, Nguti relied more on superior size than technique to control the line of scrimmage, not hard for a 380-pound kid.
- 641 words - Northeast Conference, Albany Great Danes, FCS In The Pros Justin Gannon's Late Touchdown Leads Gold to 10-3 Triumph
Albany, N.Y. – Dan Di Lella threw a 23-yard scoring pass to Justin Gannon with one minute and 59 seconds remaining to lift the Gold to a 10-3 victory over the Purple in the UAlbany spring football game on Saturday, April 18 at University Field. The Great Danes, who have won consecutive Northeast Conference championships, wrapped up their spring workouts in preparation for the 2009 campaign.
Guilderland Star Smith Progressing at UAlbany
ALBANY — University at Albany’s Andrew Smith ran downfield pumping his fist on Wednesday after throwing a screen pass that Justin Gannon turned into a long touchdown.
“Way to block!” Smith, a former Guilderland High star, yelled to his teammates in the end zone.
A few minutes later, Smith missed open receiver Devin Wooten deep downfield with an underthrown pass.
Albany's Nguti eyes NFL future
There’s no doubt University at Albany offensive tackle Raphael Nguti has the size to play in the NFL.
He’s 6-foot-6 and weighs 330 pounds. His arms are 341/8 inches long, which ranks among the top 10 prospects at his position entering the NFL Draft April 25-26.
- 549 words - Northeast Conference, Albany Great Danes, FCS In The Pros Kevin Galuski Jr.: The Man Behind the Scenes at Albany
Three young professionals from the University at Albany, Sridar Chittur, research scientist at the Center for Functional Genomics; Kevin Galuski Jr., assistant director of athletics; and Michael Boots, sponsored programs associate in the Office of the Vice President for University Development, help comprise this year’s 40 Under Forty honorees by The Business Review. The program, in its ninth year, recognizes the business accomplishments and community involvement of 40 businesspeople under the age of 40.
Albany's Bush Gets Good News
UAlbany receiver granted another year with Danes.
ALBANY — A cruel joke had a thrilling outcome for University at Albany senior wide receiver Tim Bush.
UAlbany assistant coach Eric Evans somberly told Bush on Feb. 10 the NCAA had denied his appeal for a fifth year of eligibility, which meant his career was over.
“I was pretty much shocked and sat there for about five minutes, probably wanting to tear his head off,” recalled Bush, who’s from Saratoga Springs. “I was very angry.”
Then Evans broke a smile. He was only kidding.
Pair of Albany Football Players Try Their Hand at Lacrosse
Nicomini becomes hard-hitting face-off specialist.
When Dave Nicomini joined the University at Albany lacrosse team in January, he wasn’t only new to the team but also to the sport. Nicomini had never played organized lacrosse on any level.
As if trying to find playing time on a Top-20 ranked team in a sport he had no prior experience in wasn’t hard enough, Nicomini had another challenge: He was recovering from a knee injury which required reconstructive surgery.
Nicomini, a starter on the UAlbany football team, beat the odds and is now taking some face-offs for the No. 18 Great Dane lacrosse team.
BH-BL Standout Layton Bound for UAlbany
Paul Layton, who spearheaded the most successful three-year run in the history of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake football, has made a commitment to the University at Albany.
Layton’s play at quarterback and his kicking helped the Spartans win a trio of division championships and two Section II Class A titles in three Super Bowl trips. They posted a 30-4 record behind their leader, and last fall won 12 straight games before a 35-28 loss to Sweet Home in the state final.
Northeast Conference Champion University At Albany Announces 2009 Football Schedule
University at Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced today the school’s football schedule for the 2009 season. The Great Danes, who are coming off consecutive Northeast Conference championships, meet a group of challenging Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponents. The non-league schedule features Georgia Southern and Massachusetts, two programs that have won FCS national championships, Maine and Bryant. In addition, UAlbany battles seven NEC teams.
UAlbany Lays Foundation for New Football Season
With many of its key skill-position players returning, University at Albany’s football team should be a good bet to win is third consecutive Northeast Conference championship this fall.
The Great Danes start building toward that goal today from 10 a.m. until noon when they kick off spring football practice. Albany will conduct 15 NCAA-allowed practices through April 18.
Winning program lures Papso to Albany
Link: http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20090228/SPORTS0501/902280305/1003/sports
BINGHAMTON - Two-time All-Metro receiver Nate Papso of Binghamton High will move on to a University at Albany football program that has ruled the Northeast Conference roost of late.
Friends and family members celebrated Papso’s signing of a National Letter of Intent to attend Albany, a member of the Football Championship Subdivision, on Friday in Binghamton High’s Patriot Hall.
“When I met coach Ford, that was one of the most important things. He just stood head-and-shoulders above every other coach that I met,” Papso said of veteran Great Danes coach Bob Ford, whose 234 career victories lead all active FCS coaches.
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