Football Battles for Golden Apple to Close Out Season

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany football team travels south to face archrival Stony Brook in the annual rivalry game for the ‘Golden Apple’ trophy. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. EST, and will be streamed on FloFootball and broadcast on 104.5 FM The Team ESPN Radio in Albany.

Game Info

Saturday, November 20 at Stony Brook

Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium

1:00 p.m. EST

FloFootball| 104.5 FM The Team ESPN | Live Stats 

Karl Mofor runs in one of his three touchdowns last week in a 41-14 win over Morgan State, with Jeff Undercuffler showing his support in the background

Leading the Pack

• With a win over Morgan State this past Saturday, the Great Danes captured their second victory in a row with a win over New Hampshire coming the week prior
• In the win over New Hampshire, running back Karl Mofor was handed the ball a UAlbany record 45 times, running for 222 yards and two TDs. He was named the CAA Offensive Player and the College Sports Madness CAA Player of the Week for his efforts. He followed up that performance with another 90 yards and 3 TDs on 24 attempts against Morgan State. His 89.8 yards per game are second in the conference.
• Last week, Jeff Undercuffler had one of his most complete games of the season. He threw for 328 yards with two TDs, not turning the ball over in the win.
• On the season, Jackson Ambush leads the team with 86 tackles, 52 solo. He has four quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
• Jared Verse’s 10.5 sacks on the year are tied for second most in the CAA behind only W&M’s Nate Lynn (11). Verse has racked up 45 tackles, 32 of which have been solo.

The Golden Apple Trophy - The prize given to the winner in the annual UAlbany vs. Stony Brook rivalry game

The Golden Apple

Dating back to 2015, the winner of Saturday’s matchup will receive the ‘Golden Apple’ trophy. In that time, the two archrivals are deadlocked in a 3-3 tie, with Stony Brook taking the latest round in the spring of 2021 by a score of 7-21. UAlbany has picked up wins in 2016 (13-6 in Albany), 2018 (25-23 in Albany), and 2019 (31-26 in Stony Brook). During the Golden Apple era, the Great Danes have gone 2-1 at home and 1-2 on the road. 

Scouting Stony Brook

The Seawolves head into the final weekend with a mark of 4-6, going 3-4 in CAA play. Wins on the year have come against Colgate (9/11), No. 14/15 Delaware (10/16), Richmond (10/23), and most recently against Maine (11/6). The team is coming off a loss to No. 8 Villanova a week ago, falling 14-13 on the road. The Seawolves were led on offense by star back Ty Son Lawton, who leads the CAA with 95.8 yards per game. Lawton recorded 19 carries and rushed for 71 yards. The Staten Island, N.Y. native has rushed for 70 yards or more in six out of 10 games played this season. He and Mofor are the conference’s top two backs, setting the stage for a great showing on Saturday. 

The Great Danes and Seawolves last played in the 2021 spring season, pictured above

Last Time Against Stony Brook

Stony Brook took the latest rivalry matchup last spring, defeating UAlbany 21-7 a few months ago during the CAA’s Spring season. The Great Danes were down their usual starting quarterback (Undercuffler) and instead started Braeden Zenelovic before turning to Joey Carino. Karl Mofor had a huge game on the ground for the Great Danes, netting 148 yards on 31 attempts for an average of 4.8 per carry. The All-American running back also hauled in three receptions for another 18 yards. Jared Verse had a standout day on defense, leading the team with 10 tackles. Verse recorded seven solo tackles and three assisted, registering a sack and three solo tackles for loss.

Around the CAA

Three CAA Football teams were ranked in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll released on Monday. James Madison (No. 2), Villanova (No. 6) and Rhode Island (No. 25). In addition, William & Mary received votes in the latest poll. Last week’s results from around the CAA can be found below.

• Morgan State 14, UAlbany 41
• Maine 35, UMass 10
• Stony Brook 14, Villanova 33
• New Hampshire 3, Rhode Island 28
• Delaware 27, Richmond 51
• Elon 37, Towson 14
• James Madison 32, William & Mary 22

Season Schedule

Click here for UAlbany’s full 2021 online season schedule. 

Sept. 4             at NDSU (L, 6-28) - RECAP

Sept. 11           RHODE ISLAND (L, 14-16) - RECAP

Sept. 18           at Syracuse (L, 24-62) - RECAP

Oct. 2              at Delaware (L, 15-20) - RECAP

Oct. 9              at William & Mary (L, 24-31) - RECAP

Oct. 16            VILLANOVA (L, 10-17) - RECAP

Oct. 23            MAINE (L, 16-19) - RECAP

Oct. 30            at Towson (L, 24-38) - RECAP

Nov. 6              NEW HAMPSHIRE (W, 20-7) - RECAP

Nov. 13            MORGAN STATE (W, 41-14) - RECAP

Nov. 20            at Stony Brook

Let’s Get Social

Keep up with all of the latest news, highlights, and insights on UAlbany football by following the team on Twitter and Instagram and by using the hashtags #BeGreat and #WinTheDay.