After a successful September, UAlbany opens its month of October with a trip to Richmond, where the Spiders are still looking to gain some traction.

Who: UAlbany (3-2, 1-0) at Richmond (1-3, 0-1) 

When: Saturday, Oct. 5, 2 p.m. ET 

Where: Robins Stadium; Richmond, Virginia 

Watch: LIVE on FloFootball

Coming into the 2019 season, UAlbany had no players tabbed for 1^st Team All-Colonial Athletic Association. 

That’s especially noteworthy on offense, as the Great Danes rank No. 24 in the nation in points per game at 35.2; have Juwan Green, the country’s No. 14-ranked receiver in terms of yardage at 437, and tied for second with seven touchdown catches; and running back Karl Mofor, who's 10^th in the FCS with 497 yards rushing. 

UAlbany has already defied plenty of expectations. A win in Week 6 at Richmond would give the Great Danes their first 2-0 start in conference play since joining the CAA in 2013. Beating the Spiders would also give UAlbany its first back-to-back CAA wins in the same season since 2016. 

As for Richmond, it returns home to Robins Stadium for the first time in almost a month. The Spiders were last here on Sept. 14 for their CAA opener, a 42-20 loss to Elon. 

After dropping a 23-16 heartbreaker last week at Fordham, the Spiders seek to get back on track with their first win since Aug. 29. 

Backfield Disruptions

Limiting the prolific UAlbany passing attack starts with a solid pass rush, and Richmond has perhaps the most talented pass-rusher in the nation in Maurice Jackson. However, Richmond has been limited in its ability to get to opposing quarterbacks, with just four sacks at four; Jackson is responsible for half of that number. 

Meanwhile, UAlbany quarterback Jeff Undercuffler has operated from a well-protected pocket. The Great Danes have given up just six sacks in five games. The protection also translates to the running game, as UAlbany ranks 29^th in the nation with 20 tackles for loss allowed. 

Although sacks have come at a premium for Richmond, the Spiders are getting into the backfield for 23 tackles for loss. Limiting Mofor and Alex James on the ground by getting behind the line of scrimmage could be key to create possible turnover-generating situations. 

Richmond has only two turnovers gained on the season, and no interceptions. 

Quarterback Questions

Undercuffler won UAlbany’s starting job ahead of Week 1 and has locked down the position nicely. At Richmond, a quarterback question looms heading into Week 6. 

Beau English made his second career start last week against Fordham with Joe Mancuso scratched from the lineup. English threw for 298 yards and a touchdown but was also intercepted twice.  

“Beau was solid. He did some good things. He made some mistakes, like most quarterbacks who hadn’t played a lot,” said Spiders coach Russ Huesman. “He made some big throws, possibly could have had some more.” 

Some of those opportunities for more came on Richmond’s final drive with an opportunity to send the game to overtime. The Spiders were unsuccessful on a few last shots at the end zone. 

A decision for a Week 6 starter looms. 

“Joe is healthy now. We’ll go through the week and see performs the best in practice, and make a decision as we get to the game,” Huesman said. 

This makes a second consecutive week in which UAlbany has had to face an opponent with a fluid quarterback situation. In Week 5, William & Mary played both explosive runner Hollis Mathis and more traditional passing quarterback Kilton Anderson. 

Both made some key plays – Mathis broke off a long run for a touchdown, and Anderson threw a touchdown late that gave the Tribe a shot at tying the game – but the Great Danes defense also forced two turnovers from each. 

Mencer & Metheny

No, this isn’t the name of a law office. The duo of Levi Metheny and Eli Mencer aren’t chasing down court cases, but they are in hot pursuit of the football.

Linebacker Metheny is UAlbany’s tackling leader with 47, and he’s picked off three passes on the season. Defensive back Mencer has been equally busy with a team-high 6.5 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and a remarkable three forced fumbles; that’s tied for most in the nation. 

Turnover creation has been central to UAlbany’s success, particularly in the CAA-opening win over William & Mary. Mencer & Metheny are the Great Danes’ firm for takeaways.