A common cliché repeated about football is that it’s a game of inches, a phrase invoking imagery of just how close a team can come to falling on two different ends of an outcome. 

For UAlbany, a 2018 filled with narrow margins of both victory and defeat is better measured in time than in distance. In fact, fewer than three minutes made the difference in the Great Danes finishing 6-5 and 4-4, and their actual final mark of 3-8 and 1-7 in the Colonial. 

Yielding last-minute scores in the final minute of three CAA losses doomed UAlbany to a disappointing record, but also prepared the Great Danes to close out one of the most impressive upsets of the season. A 25-23 win over rival Stony Brook provides coach Greg Gattuso’s team a springboard into 2019. 

“It [solidifies] the theory of ‘play until the end of the game,’ and they understand that completely now,” Gattuso said at CAA media day. “It was a huge win, and I’ve been part of games like that when you look back on it and say, ‘Yeah, that one turned the tide for a football team.’” 

Showing last season it could hang with—and not just hang with, but beat—an FCS Playoffs-caliber opponent positions UAlbany nicely as an intriguing dark horse in the 2019 Colonial Athletic Association.

Head Coach: Greg Gattuso (6^th year at UAlbany, 24-32; 19^th year overall, 121-64) 

Offensive Coordinator: Joe Davis 

Defensive Coordinators: Keith Dudzinski and Joe Bernard

2018 Record: 3-8 (1-7 CAA)

2019 Preseason Poll: 12th, 34 points 

Defense

UAlbany struggled in all phases of defense a season ago, finishing in the bottom-fourth against the run (No. 10 at 151.9 yards per game allowed); the pass (No. 10, 219.1 yards per game); and points allowed (No. 11, 30.6 per game). 

One area in which the Great Danes stand to see improvement is in generating more backfield pressure. The defense returns the majority of its leaders in tackles for loss and sacks with linebackers Levi Metheny, an honorable mention Preseason All-CAA selection (92 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss), and Isaiah Watson (3 tackles for loss, two sacks). Watson has breakout potential in what could be his first full season; he missed half of 2018. 

The Great Danes also have hybrid rush end Eli Mencer (58 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, team-high 4.5 sacks), defensive end Anthony Lang (5 tackles for loss, four sacks), and defensive tackle Nick Dillon (three tackles for loss, two sacks). 

UAlbany isn’t without experience in its secondary, either. Kareem Gibson made nine pass deflections, appearing in all 11 games at cornerback. Tyler Carswell heads into his senior season coming off his most productive season, despite missing three games.  

Offense

At CAA media day, Greg Gattuso praised the potential for his offense. Wide receiver Dev Holmes earned Preseason All-CAA honorable mention recognition after showing off some explosiveness in his freshman debut. 

Holmes doesn’t appear likely to slow down as a sophomore, either.

UAlbany football hopes to see much more of this: Troy High grad Dev Holmes, the team’s leading receiver as a freshman, taking a short pass all the way to the end zone: pic.twitter.com/q5INLkKcPp

— Mark Singelais (@MarkSingelais) August 6, 2019

The run game also offers some pop from Karl Mofor, who came on strong down the stretch. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry for 596 total, and scored the bulk of his five touchdowns in the final month. Mofor’s also another option in the passing game as a target. 

A more pressing question, which Gattuso brought up at media day, is at quarterback. Vincent Testaverde graduated after missing the final three games of 2018. Jeff Undercuffler replaced him, and threw his first career touchdown against Maine’s outstanding defense. 

Still, with more interceptions (5) than touchdowns (4), and a completion percentage of just 47.7, Undercuffler has to make strides to bolster the UAlbany offense in 2019. Some of that comes down to his blockers’ improvements. 

UAlbany surrendered 35 sacks a season ago, more than anybody in the CAA except New Hampshire, and tied with Towson.  

So long as Undercuffler has time, he could put up some impressive numbers. The UAlbany corps of receivers is stacked, with Juwan Green, Donovan McDonald and Jerah Reeves all back to join Holmes. Each of the four caught at least 23 passes for between 383 and 734 yards in 2018. 

Special Teams

Wide receiver Donovan McDonald manned punt return duties a season ago, and showed how dangerous he can be with a touchdown in the win over Morgan State. 

Highlights | WR Dev Holmes caught 8 passes for 238 yards and the game-winning TD, while Donovan McDonald returned a punt to the house and Ethan Stark booted a 51-yard FG for @UAlbanyFootball as they beat Morgan State, 30-27 #GreatnessLivesHere #CAAFB pic.twitter.com/HqKLCT23uI

— UAlbany Sports (@UAlbanySports) September 16, 2018

Placekicker Ethan Stark will be difficult to replace, however. Stark played a critical role in the upset of Stony Brook, capping off his career with the second-most made field goals in program history. 

Stark doubled up with the majority of punting responsibility, which included pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line on more than one-fourth of his kicks. 

The Schedule

@ Central Michigan, Aug. 29 (Thursday): The Colonial has something of an unofficial rivalry developing with Central Michigan. UAlbany is the third different CAA program in as many years to face the Chippewas. Maine fell in Mount Pleasant last season, 17-5, and in the 2017 opener, Rhode Island took the Mid-American Conference members to overtime in a 30-27 loss.

Bryant, Sept. 7 | Watch Live: Before joining the Colonial in 2013, UAlbany enjoyed a run of dominance in the Northeast Conference — a league that includes Bryant. The Great Danes last faced the Bulldogs in 2012, winning 31-14 en route to the last of their six NEC championships.

@ Monmouth, Sept. 14: Monmouth is another former NEC counterpart of UAlbany, though the two programs have faced since the Great Danes’ move to the CAA. UAlbany won a 2017 matchup with the Hawks, 28-14.

Lafayette, Sept. 21 | Watch Live: UAlbany has not faced a member of the Patriot League since beating Holy Cross in 2016, 45-28.

William & Mary*, Sept. 28 | Watch Live: In one of the more gut-wrenching of UAlbany’s close losses last season, William & Mary scored a go-ahead touchdown with 50 seconds remaining to down the Great Danes, 25-22. After notching its first CAA of 2018 in the finale, this home opener presents a prime opportunity to build a conference winning streak.

@ Richmond*, Oct. 5 | Watch Live: A second consecutive final-minute heartbreak doomed UAlbany against Richmond in 2018, one week after losing in similar fashion at William & Mary. Wide receiver Dev Holmes had a memorable game against the Spiders, though, catching for one touchdown and passing for another.

@ Towson*, Oct. 12 | Watch Live: Despite touchdown passes of 60 and 50 yards from Vincent Testaverde, Towson unfurled a 28-point, second-quarter deluge in last season’s meeting that proved too much to weather.

Rhode Island*, Oct. 19 | Watch Live: Karl Mofor scored a pair of touchdowns in last year’s CAA-opening loss.

Maine*, Nov. 2 | Watch Live: Maine’s vaunted Black Hole Defense lived up to its billing in last season’s meeting with UAlbany. The Black Bears held the Great Danes to nine points. UAlbany seeks its first win over Maine since 2014 in this season’s encounter.

@ Delaware*, Nov. 9 | Watch Live: UAlbany rallied from down 12-0 in the first half to take a fourth-quarter lead over Delaware last November, but for the third time in CAA play, a final-minute score wiped out the advantage. Karl Mofor scored a touchdown in the loss.

New Hampshire*, Nov. 16 | Watch Live: Although UAlbany dropped its decision to New Hampshire last season, the Great Danes have had recent success against a program that’s long been a CAA standard-bearer, scoring wins in both 2016 and 2017.

@ Stony Brook*, Nov. 23 | Watch Live: The Empire Clash is one of the younger rivalries in the CAA, dating back to 1995. However, it isn’t lacking for classic encounters. The total margin of victory in the last three Battles for the Golden Apple is 16 ponts, with one overtime decision, and perhaps the upset of the 2018 CAA season: UAlbany’s 25-23 victory. Ethan Stark booted a game-winning field goal from 48 yards out with zeroes on the clock for the Great Danes.