ALBANY, N.Y. – A strong year for the No. 25 University at Albany football team was personified in the 2019 All-CAA Teams, as Jeff Undercuffler and was tabbed the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year and Greg Gattuso was selected as the 2019 Coach of the Year.
In addition, UAlbany earned six All-CAA selections, including a program-high three on the First Team. This is the most All-Conference players from UAlbany since 2014, when the Great Danes had seven All-Conference selections. 2014 is also the last time UAlbany had two major award winners in the CAA.
The First Team consists of two All-Offensive selections in Karl Mofor (RB) and Juwan Green (WR) and one All-Defensive honoree in Eli Mencer (DL).
Levi Metheny (LB) garnered Second Team accolades while LJ Wesneski (TE) and Sean Kennedy (OL) were named to the Third Team.
All-CAA awards are voted on by the league's 12 head coaches following the culmination of the regular season.
Undercuffler ranks second in the FCS with a school-record 33 touchdown passes. So far this season, the Delran, N.J. native has completed 225-of-397 passes for a program-record 2,966 yards and has been picked off just seven times. The redshirt-freshman has thrown for over 300 yards four times and has had seven games with three or more touchdown passes. He ranks eighth in the FCS in points responsible for and 26th in pass efficiency. He is a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, awarded to the top freshman in the FCS.
Picked to finish 12th in the league's preseason poll, Gattuso guided UAlbany to a best‐ever second‐place finish in the CAA with a 6‐2 mark. The Great Danes went 8‐4 overall, earned a berth in the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2011, and were ranked No. 25 in the final regular‐season STATS FCS Top 25 poll. UAlbany won five of its final six games and achieved its highest victory total since 2012. Gattuso is a finalist for the STATS Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented to the top head coach in FCS football.
Green is the top target for the Great Dane passing attack, standing second in the FCS with a school-record 14 receiving touchdowns, eighth in receiving yards (1,158) and 15th in receiving yards per game (96.5). The senior has had four games with two or more touchdown receptions and five games with 100-plus receiving yards.
Mofor, a junior, leads the CAA in rushing yards (1,204) and rushing yards per game (100.3). Mofor ranks fourth in the league averaging 123.3 all-purpose yards per game. The Greenbelt, Md. native also averages 5.0 yards per carry and has scored nine touchdowns.
Mencer has started every game on defense this season, earning his second All-Conference honor after being named to the Second Team in 2017. Mencer ranks seventh in the FCS and first in the CAA with a school-record 13.5 sacks. He has five forced fumbles on the year and 22.0 tackles for loss which rank first and second, respectively, in the conference. Mencer is a finalist for the STATS Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the top Defensive Player in the FCS.
Metheny notches his first-ever All-Conference honor at linebacker for the Great Danes, leading the team in tackles with 107. The redshirt-junior enters the playoffs ranked third in the CAA in tackles per game with 8.9.
Wesneski picks up All-Conference honors as a tight end. The redshirt-junior is second on the squad with a career-high six touchdowns. The redzone threat has pulled in 17 catches for 236 yards.
Kennedy, a redshirt senior, earns All-Conference honors as an offensive guard. He anchored the offensive line that ranks third in the CAA in scoring offense with 31.3 points per game and sixth in total offensive with 391.0 yards per game.
The Great Danes take on Central Connecticut State on Saturday, Nov. 30 at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and will broadcast on ESPN3. CLICK HERE for tickets.
CAA Major Awards:
--Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jeff Undercuffler
--Coach of the Year: Greg Gattuso
All-CAA First Team:
Karl Mofor (RB)
Juwan Green (WR)
Eli Mencer (DL)
All-CAA Second Team:
Levi Metheny (LB)
All-CAA Third Team:
LJ Wesneski (TE)
Sean Kennedy (OL)
