ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany football team is set to embark on its unique 2021 Spring season with a trip to New Hampshire on Friday.  The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston.
 
Game Info
Friday, March 5 at #14 New Hampshire (7:00 pm)
Live Stats | FloFootball
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany will take the field for the first time since December 7, 2019, a span of 454 days
• UAlbany set a number of individual single-season records during the 2019 season. Among them: QB Jeff Undercuffler (41 passing TDs; 3,543 passing yards), WR Juwan Green (17 receiving TDs; 1,386 receiving yards), Eli Mencer (14.5 sacks).
• UAlbany also returns top players Karl Mofor and Levi Metheny
• The Great Danes finished second in the CAA in 2019 with a 6-2 mark.
• UAlbany won its first-ever FCS Playoff game in 2019 with a dominating 42-14 victory against Central Connecticut State. Redshirt-freshman Jeff Undercuffler tossed a program-record six touchdowns in the rout.
• Friday marks the eighth meeting between UAlbany and New Hampshire as CAA opponents. New Hampshire leads the series 4-3.

 
Scouting New Hampshire
The Wildcats enter the game ranked #14 in the latest STATS FCS poll, one spot behind UAlbany.  New Hampshire went 6-5 last season, including a 5-3 mark against CAA teams.  The Wildcats return seven starters each on offense and defense, including their starting QB, RB, two receivers and three offensive linemen.  New Hampshire went undefeated at home in 2019, and has won 18 of 23 games in Wildcat stadium since it opened in 2016.  Additionally, New Hampshire has won 14 of its last 15 home openers.  Overall, New Hampshire holds a 5-3 series lead against the Great Danes.
 
Last Time vs. New Hampshire
The Great Danes hosted New Hampshire on their senior day in 2019, defeating the Wildcats 24-17 to keep in the running for at least a share of second place in the CAA.  During the game, QB Jeff Undercuffler set a new program record for single-season passing yards, surpassing the previous mark of 2,636 set in 2014 by current Great Dane WR coach Will Fiacchi.  RB Karl Mofor recorded 107 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and the Great Dane defense recorded two interceptions and a game-clinching sack with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter.
 
Last Time Out
The Great Danes' record-setting 2019 season came to an end in the second round of the 2019 FCS Playoffs at #5 Montana State.  The Bobcats defeated UAlbany by a final score of 47-21.  Jeff Undercuffler threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns, and Karl Mofor ran for 64 yards and recorded his 10th rushing touchdown of the season.  After scoring the first touchdown of the game, UAlbany was outscored by Montana State 47-14.
 
Around the CAA
James Madison has taken over as the top team in the country following the loss by North Dakota State last week.  The CAA has five teams ranked in the STATS FCS Top-25, with Villanova joining the Dukes in the top five.  James Madison, at 2-0 through the early part of the season, is ranked #1 for the first time since 2017.  This week, CAA-exclusive play begins across the conference, and will run through April 17 with each team playing six games within their respective divisions.  Only James Madison and Elon (1-1) have taken the field so far this season, exercising their opportunities to play non-conference games.
 
Friday's CAA Games

• #13 UAlbany at #14 New Hampshire, 7:00 pm

 
2021 Schedule
The University at Albany announced an 11-game schedule for the upcoming 2021 fall season.  The schedule features marquee road trips to North Dakota State and to FBS member Syracuse.  The Great Danes' eight CAA opponents include Rhode Island (home opener), Delaware, William & Mary, Villanova, Maine, Towson, New Hampshire, and Stony Brook, and the team plays its first of five home games on September 11.
 
Preseason Accolades Redux
Though limited in their scope due to circumstance, the 2021 Spring FCS season did feature a handful of revised preseason awards and rankings.  The Great Danes jumped to #12 in the revised HERO Sports preseason poll, their highest mark ever in any FCS ranking.  Additionally, Levi Metheny retained his preseason All-America honors from the fall.
 
NFL Debut
Former University at Albany defensive back Jarren Williams made his NFL debut on December 13, 2020 for the New York Giants.  Williams recorded one tackle on special teams.  He was called up to the active roster from the practice squad ahead of the Giants' game against the Arizona Cardinals, the team that signed him to an undrafted free agent deal following the 2020 NFL Draft.  Williams signed with the Giants for training camp.
 
CAA Announces Spring Schedule
Nearly one month following the release of the 2021 spring season model, the CAA announced its full slate of in-conference games.  UAlbany, playing in the seven-team North Division, begins its CAA season on March 5 at New Hampshire, and plays straight through to their final game, at home against Villanova, on April 10.  The Great Danes' bye week is scheduled for the final week of the regular season, April 17.
 
NIL
A proposal by the NCAA Division I Council on October 14, 2020 would allow student-athletes to use their name, image, and likeness to promote camps and clinics, private lessons, and their own and commercial products and services.  Student-athletes would be allowed to get paid for their autographs and personal appearances, to crowdfund for nonprofits, charitable organizations, family hardships, and educational expenses.  Additionally, student-athletes would be able to use professional advice and marketing assistance, and professional representation in contract negotiations related to name, image, and likeness activities. Schools would be prohibited from involvement in the development, operation, or promotion of a student-athlete's business activities, and from arranging endorsement opportunities on behalf of a student-athlete.  Student-athletes would be restricted from using the institutions marks in advertisements or endorsements, and could not participate in activities involving commercial products conflicting with NCAA legislation, such as betting or banned substances.  A vote is expected in January 2021.
 
Transfers
A proposal by the NCAA Division I Council on October 14, 2020 would allow, if adopted, the one-time, penalty-free transfer of all Division I student-athletes.  The proposal, put forth by the Working Group on Transfers, would expand the one-time transfer exception to all sports, where currently student-athletes competing in baseball, football, basketball, and men's ice hockey are not eligible to transfer institutions and compete immediately.  Transferring student-athletes would have to meet progress-toward-degree requirements and otherwise be academically eligible to compete.  Student-athletes seeking a transfer would have a deadline of May 1 for fall and winter sports, and July 1 for spring sports.  A vote is expected in January at the 2021 NCAA Convention, for adoption in the 2021-22 academic year.
 
CAA Announces Spring Football Scheduling Format
On September 30, 2020, the CAA announced its format for the proposed 2021 spring football season.  The conference will be divided into two divisions, North and South, and the teams within each division will play a six-game round-robin against their divisional opponents.  There will be no CAA championship game, and the team with the best conference record will represent the CAA in the FCS Playoffs.
 
NCAA Announces FCS Spring Football Format
On September 16, 2020, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved its format for the 2021 spring season.  The playoff field will be reduced to 16 teams, including 11 automatic qualifiers consisting of the champions of each FCS conference excluding the Ivy League and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.  The five remaining teams will be selected for at-large bids by the FCS Playoff Selection Committee.  Final selections will be made on April 18.  Teams will be allowed to play up to eight regular-season games during a 13-week period leading up to the playoffs, with the latest possible date of regular-season play scheduled for April 17.
 
Practice Squads
Two Great Danes who signed undrafted free agency deals were signed to NFL practice squads after the final round of team cuts.  Juwan Green signed with the Atlanta Falcons and Jarren Williams signed with the New York Giants.  Green remained with the Falcons since signing his deal immediately after the draft, while Williams was originally signed by the Arizona Cardinals before signing a deal with the Giants for their training camp.
 
Athletics on Pause
On September 11, 2020, the University at Albany, in conjunction with the Albany County Department of Health, identified a cluster of positive COVID-19 tests within the student-athlete population.  UAlbany Athletics immediately paused all athletics-related activities to ensure the health and safety of the athletics and university community.  The pause ultimately lasted 24 days before athletics activities resumed on October 5, restricted to strength & conditioning workouts.  On-field activities resumed on October 12.
 
Preseason Accolades
Following a record-setting 2019 season, the Great Danes pulled in numerous preseason awards during the offseason before the start of their 2020 campaign:
National Rankings: 17th (STATS FCS); 24th (HERO Sports); 24th (Athlon Sports)
CAA Rankings: 3rd (CAA); 4th (HERO Sports)
Danny Damico: CAA Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Levi Metheny: HERO Sports Preseason All-America Second Team, All-CAA; CAA Preseason All-Conference; Phil Steele CAA Preseason All-Conference First Team
Karl Mofor: HERO Sports Preseason All-America First Team, Preseason All-CAA; CAA Preseason All-Conference; Phil Steele FCS Preseason All-America Fourth Team, CAA Preseason All-Conference First Team; STATS FCS Preseason All-America Third Team
Jalen Rima: Phil Steele CAA Preseason All-Conference Third Team
Jeff Undercuffler: HERO Sports Preseason All-America Second Team; CAA Preseason All-Conference Honorable Mention; Phil Steele CAA Preseason All-Conference Second Team
LJ Wesneski: HERO Sports Preseason All-CAA; CAA Preseason All-Conference; Phil Steele CAA Preseason All-Conference Second Team
 
Picked Third
The Great Danes were predicted to finish third in the CAA in 2020 Preseason Coaches' Poll, behind favorite James Madison and projected runner-up Villanova.  The Great Danes earned 182 points overall.  James Madison collected 237 points with 17 first-place votes, while Villanova claimed 223 points and the remaining seven first-place votes.  Additionally, three Great Danes, Karl Mofor, LJ Wesneski, and Levi Metheny, were tabbed as preseason All-CAA performers, with Jeff Undercuffler earning a selection as an Honorable Mention.
 
UAlbany Launches Refreshed Brand Identity
On July 22, 2020, the University at Albany Department of Athletics announced a new series of primary and secondary logos in a compete refresh of the Great Dane brand identity.  The Split-A logo was replaced with a straight-on Great Dane head with an updated typeface as UAlbany's new primary marker.  The new logos were designed by a committee of campus leaders in conjunction with VIP Branding, and will debut across all team uniforms in their latest season.
 
CAA Suspends Football Season
On July 17, 2020, the CAA announced the postponement of the fall football season due to concerns surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  The CAA remained committed to exploring the possibility of conducting the football season in the 2021 spring semester, and would allow its member institutions to pursue 2020 fall regular-season competition should they choose, and manage practice activities in the manner that best suited their institutional, federal, state, local, and NCAA guidelines.
 
Undrafted Free Agents
In the hours immediately following the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft, three former Great Danes, Elli Mencer, Jarren Williams, and Juwan Green, signed undrafted free agent deals, becoming the 16th, 17th, and 18th, players in Great Dane history to sign NFL contracts.  Mencer signed with the Seattle Seahawks, Williams signed with the Arizona Cardinals, and Green signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
 
2019-20 Winter and Spring Sports Suspended
In line with the NCAA, the America East Conference, the Colonial Athletic Association and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announcements on March 12, 2020, the University at Albany Department of Athletics cancelled all sport competitions and organized practices for all teams and individual student-athletes for the rest of 2019-20 academic year, including any spring sport events that occur beyond the academic year.  The decision was made in light of the cancellation of all NCAA winter and spring championships regarding the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  UAlbany's four winter sports had all completed their respective seasons, but the spring sports regular seasons were ended in-progress.
 
Next: UAlbany visits Maine on March 13.