Levi Metheny did what he could to make up for lost time during Albany’s 24-20 season-opening victory at New Hampshire last weekend.

Metheny, a 6-foot, 235-pound linebacker, recorded a team-high 10 tackles -- nine solo -- in the win. On Monday he was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week. 

“It definitely was a long time since we played our last game and I was really, really excited,” Metheny said. “Honestly, with all the ups and downs of COVID and stuff, you just never really know what’s going to happen. You just have to take things day by day. We finally got to game time and I was really excited to get out there and start playing again.

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“I had the pregame nerves. That’s natural, but once that first play gets under your belt it was just like riding a bike. Our defensive line played outstanding, which freed me up a lot and gave me the availability to make those tackles. The (defensive) line … they get after it and their job is to create chaos. Wherever the ball goes the linebacker has to track it and make plays.”

Albany will no doubt be hoping for a similar performance from Metheny when it plays at Maine on Saturday (noon). The Black Bears opened the season with a 37-0 loss at Delaware.

Albany limited New Hampshire 186 yards of offense and 11 first downs Friday. The Wildcats were held to 63 yards of offense after their first two drives.

“We’re not real fancy on defense,” Albany coach Greg Gattuso said. “We have to play hard and run to the ball. Levi’s kind of the ringleader of that. I thought he had a great game from the standpoint of he got us lined up properly 100 percent of the time, which was a little bit of an issue at times last year. 

Defensively, the Great Danes were at their best late in the fourth quarter, when a botched punt gave New Hampshire possession on the Albany 7-yard line with 1:07 to play. The Wildcats went backwards from there, however as two penalties and four incomplete passes allowed the Great Danes to take over on their 17.

WEEKLY AWARDS ALERT 🚨

Our guys Levi Metheny and Mike Gray have been named @CAAFootball Players of the Week!

Metheny - Defensive Player of the Week

Gray - Rookie of the Week

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/joUl4wOdkh#BeGreat // #CAAFB

— UAlbany Sports (@UAlbanySports) March 8, 2021

“No matter what our mentality is ‘control what we can control,’” Metheny said. “So if we get an opportunity to go back out there we have to get a stop. That’s our defense’s mentality. No matter what happens throughout the game we just have to know whenever we go back on the field we have to do our job. I think that’s very important, and I think we executed very well on (New Hampshire’s final possession). 

Metheny, a senior, said deciphering plays as they develop is one of his strengths.

“Studying the film helps with that a lot,” he said. “I think I’m a physical player, which helps out. Being able to react to what I see that’s definitely a huge help whenever I’m playing out there.”

After redshirting the 2016 season, Metheny played primarily on special teams as a freshman. He recorded 92 tackles (48) solo in 11 games as a sophomore, and had a breakout season in 2019, when he played in all 14 games, recorded a team-high 120 tackles and led the CAA with 63 solo stops. He made the All-CAA Second Team that season.

“Levi, the player of the week, he deserves it,” New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell said. “He played his (tail) off against us two years in a row. Very good football player.”