#5 Football Set to Play #4 Idaho in FCS Quarterfinals

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany Football Team continues its historic season, advancing to the NCAA FCS Quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The Great Danes will take on the #4 Idaho Vandals on Saturday night from the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. The game will kick off at 10:00 p.m. EST on Saturday with coverage on ESPN+ and 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.

The Great Danes claimed their first ever Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Championship after finishing the regular season with a 7-1 league record, tied with Villanova and Richmond. After earning the #5 overall seed and receiving a bye week, the team knocked out Richmond in the Second Round at home, 41-13. 

Game Info

Saturday, December 9 vs. #4 Idaho

Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho

10:00 p.m. EST

ESPN+ | 104.5 The Team | Media Center 

Leading the Pack

• The UAlbany defense continues to dominate. The Great Danes boast the best rushing defense in the FCS, allowing just 75.9 yards per game on the ground. The unit has shined in the red zone, ranking 4th in the FCS in red zone defense with a .660 percentage. The team ranks eighth in scoring, allowing just 16.8 points per game – pacing the CAA. 
• The defense has been led by defensive ends Anton Juncaj and AJ Simon. Juncaj leads the CAA and ranks second in the FCS with 14 total sacks, just half a sack off the UAlbany single-season record. Simon follows closely behind with 12.5 sacks on the year. 
• Quarterback Reese Poffenbarger has had a memorable season, leading the FCS in passing TDs with 33. He’s thrown for 3,030 yards, completing 223 of 387 attempts. The mobile quarterback has added five TDs on the ground, two of which came last week against Richmond. 
• Offensive Rookie of the Year Griffin Woodell has been the team’s main back, rushing for an average of 60.7 yards per game. He’s scored seven TDs on the ground and four through the air for a grand total of 11. 
• Brevin Easton and Julian Hicks have dominated the passing game fore the Great Danes. Hicks leads the CAA with 11 TD receptions, going for 709 yards. Easton leads the team in yards with 837, totaling 10 TDs – including seven straight games with a TD reception. 
• Linebacker Dylan Kelly, the 2023 CAA Defensive Player of the Year, sits second in the FCS with 148 tackles. He’s recorded 8.5 TFLs, three sacks, and two INTs. 
• Corner Aamir Hall has been on an island this year – recording an FCS high of five INTs (tied first) and 18 PBUs (tied second). 

CAA Champs

The Great Danes shut out the Monmouth Hawks to close out the regular season, 41-0, to earn the first ever CAA regular season championship in school history. With the win, the Great Danes advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs for the third time in program history (2011, 2019). Officially CAA Co-Champions, UAlbany shared the regular season crown with #8 Villanova (7-1 CAA) and Richmond (7-1). The league's automatic bid went to Villanova, winning the three-way tiebreaker due to point differential. The Great Danes defeated the Wildcats, 31-10, earlier in the year, and defeated Richmond, 41-13, in the Second Round this past weekend. 

National Seed

Following the team’s CAA Championship victory, the Danes gathered in the brand-new Broadview Center to watch the FCS Selection Show in front of fans, friends, and family. UAlbany was given the No. 5 seed, the highest ranking in program history. With the national ranking, UAlbany was given a First Round bye, automatically advancing to the Second Round, where the team took down CAA foe Richmond.

All-Conference Nods

The Great Danes were well represented in the CAA’s annual season awards release. In total, 14 student-athletes collected All-Conference awards and the team took home three major awards in linebacker Dylan Kelly (Defensive Player of the Year), running back Griffin Woodell (Offensive Rookie of the Year), and Head Coach Greg Gattuso (Coach of the Year). 

Five standouts were named to the CAA Football First Team Defense – Anton Juncaj, AJ Simon, Aamir Hall, Larry Walker Jr., and Kelly. In addition, Ori Jean-Charles was named to the Second Team Defense. On the offensive side of the ball, four Great Danes were named to the CAA Football Second Team Offense in Reese Poffenbarger, Brevin Easton, Julian Hicks, and Ozzie Hutchinson. Lineman Will Marotta was named to the Third Team Offense and tight end Ian Renninger was named Honorable Mention. On Special Teams, punter Tyler Pastula was named to the CAA Second Team and kicker John Opalko was named to the Third Team.

Gattuso has coached the Great Danes to a 9-3 overall record, going 9-1 against FCS opponents. Under Gattuso, the program recorded its first ever CAA regular season championship this past week after defeating Monmouth, 41-0, and finishing with a 7-1 conference record. The UAlbany defense is the best in the CAA and the defensive front leads the nation as the best run stopping corps in the FCS. Under Gattuso, UAlbany was awarded the No. 5 seed in the FCS postseason – the highest mark in school history. Gattuso has also been named the America Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Region 1 Coach of the Year.

Kelly finished the regular season with 145 total tackles, second in all of the FCS. He recorded 23 stops in an Oct. 7 matchup at Towson, a career-best and more in a single-game than any other player in the FCS this season. The senior linebacker added eight TFLs for 31 yards, three sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. His total tackles number broke the UAlbany single-season record, a mark set in 1974 by Ken Schoen.

Woodell has played in all of UAlbany's 12 games, netting 694 yards on the ground over 143 attempts for an average of 4.9 yards per carry. He's averaging 57.83 yards per game and has compiled six rushing TDs. Through the air, Woodell has brought in 24 receptions for 231 yards and an additional four TDs to bring his season total to an even 10. He has been named CAA Rookie of the Week four times.

National Finalists

Stats Perform announced finalists for the season’s FCS National Awards last week, with five Great Danes making the cut for the best players in the nation. Running back Griffin Woodell was named a finalist for the 2023 Jerry Rice Award, which honors the national freshman of the year. Head Coach Greg Gattuso was named a finalist for the 2023 Eddie Robinson Award, which is given annually to the national coach of the year. Defensive players Dylan Kelly and Anton Juncaj were named finalist for the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award, given annually to the national defensive player of the year. And finally, Reese Poffenbarger was named a finalist for the 2023 Walter Payton Award, given annually to the national offensive player of the year. 

This week it was announced that Kelly was chosen as a top-three finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award. Kelly will Travel to Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 6 to take part in the awards ceremony. 

Last Time Out

UAlbany took down CAA foe Richmond,41-13, in the Second Round of the NCAA Football Champion Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs this past Saturday. The Great Danes advanced to the Quarterfinals – the farthest any UAlbany team has been in program history.

• Quarterback Reese Poffenbarger completed 12 of 23 passes for 170 yards and two TDs. He added two rushing TDs for a grand total of four scores.
• Julain Hicks led the way for the UAlbany receivers, finishing with five receptions for 61 yards. Brevin Easton and Marqeese Dietz recorded one TD each.
• CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year Griffin Woodell got the ball rolling early on the ground. He finished the afternoon with 96 yards and a TD.
• Bill Hacket jumped a route and brought one all the way back to the house for a 71-yard pick-six. Aamir Hall, a former Spider, also recorded a pick in the game.
• UAlbany finished with five sacks thanks to four different players – AJ Simon (2), Anton Juncaj (1), Joseph Greaney (1), and Elijah Hills (1)
• Linebacker Ori Jean-Charles led the defense in tackles with eight.

Scouting #4 Idaho

Idaho earned the NCAA’s #4 seed heading into the playoffs, compiling an overall record of 8-3 and going 6-2 in Big Sky play before defeating Southern Illinois this past weekend. In that game, Idaho special teams came up big. Jermaine Jackson scored an 86-yard punt return touchdown, Xe'Ree Alexander recorded a block on a go-ahead Southern Illinois field goal attempt at the end of regulation, and Ricardo Chavez hit a pair of field goals, including the game-winner in overtime, to help Idaho outlast Southern Illinois 20-17 in overtime and advance to the FCS Quarterfinals for the first time since 1993.

Three players to watch from Idaho include quarterback Gevani McCoy, running back Anthony Woods, and cornerback Marcus Harris. McCoy received the 2022 Jerry Rice Award as the national freshman of the year, UAlbany’s Poffenbarger was the runner-up. In 11 games this season, McCoy has passed for 2,593 yards and 14 TDs on 311 attempts. He’s averaging 235.73 yards per game through the air, adding another 17.2 on the ground in addition to another two TDs. Woods has rushed for 1,051 yards this season with 15 TDs on the ground, averaging 95.55 yards per game. He’s added one more TD through the air so far this season. Harris comes into Saturday’s matchup with three INTs and nine breakups to go along with his 47 tackles on the year.

Idaho ranks third in the FCS in average time of possession (34 minutes, 16 seconds) and UAlbany is ninth (32:30). In the Coach Eck era, Idaho is 12-0 with 150+ rushing yards and 4-8 when below the mark, although it includes the SIU win. Hayden Hatten is one of just two FCS players with 1,000+ receiving yards in each of the last two seasons (also Mercer’s Ty James). The special teams are strong with Ricardo Chavez (16 of 18 field goals, 48.1-yard punting average) and Jermaine Jackson (punt return TD in each of the last two games).*

*Information in this paragraph courtesy of Stats Perform

UAlbany Football Weekly

Turn the channel to MY4* Albany every Saturday morning at 11:30 for UAlbany Football Weekly, presented by USX Pest Control. See Coach Gattuso and players in studio, hear special mic’d up segments, and learn about the team with weekly feature stories. It’s all UAlbany football, every Saturday, all season long. 

*UAlbany Football Weekly will also be posted to UAlbanySports.com every Saturday at 12:00 p.m. for fans to watch online. 

Meet the Leadership Council

Every year, the UAlbany players and coaching staff elect a “Leadership Council” comprised of players who show an extortionary level of leadership both on and off the field. This year’s council is comprised of nine total student-athletes, five coming from the offensive side of the ball and four coming from the defensive side. On offense, Leadership Council selections include quarterback Reese Poffenbarger, Tight End Ian Renninger, wide receiver Roy Alexander, and linemen Scott Houseman and Ozzie Hutchinson. On defense, safety Larry Walker Jr., lineman AJ Simon, and linebackers Dylan Kelly and Ori Jean-Charles get the nod. 

A Decade at UAlbany

It’s been a decade since Head Football Coach Greg Gattuso took over the reins of the UAlbany program, replacing legendary long-time coach Bob Ford. In ten years, Gattuso has amassed a 39-57 overall record, leading the Great Danes on some of their most historic seasons. The 2019 season saw the Great Danes win nine games, including their first-ever FCS playoff game, at home against Central Connecticut State. The Danes went 9-5 overall, including 6-2 in the CAA to finish second after being picked 11th in the preseason coaches’ poll.  The 2019 team featured six All-CAA selections and two major awards, including Offensive Rookie of the Year Jeff Undercuffler, with Gattuso landing CAA Coach of the Year honors.  Gattuso was also a finalist for the STATS Eddie Robinson Award, presented annually to the top head coach in FCS football.

Gattuso was a defensive lineman at Penn State, where he helped lead the Nittany Lions to a national title in 1982. In his first collegiate head-coaching role, Gattuso piloted Duquesne to a 97-32 record during his 12-season tenure, and while making three bowl appearances at Pittsburgh, he turned the defensive line into one of the best in the nation as an assistant head coach.

Going Cashless

UAlbany Athletics will shift to an entirely cashless payment model for all events starting with the 2023-24 season. Additionally, gates for UAlbany football games will now open 60 minutes prior to kickoff.

In shifting to cashless operations, the UAlbany Department of Athletics modernizes the pregame and gameday experience for Great Danes fans, who will now enjoy shorter wait times in line for tickets, concessions, and merchandise, as well as enhanced security and convenience in their transactions.

On gameday, the UAlbany Athletics ticketing box office, merchandising, concessions, and parking will accept all major credit cards.  Additionally, concessions will further accept Apple Pay, and parking will further accept both Apple Pay and Google Pay.

All events hosted by the UAlbany Department of Athletics will be subject to the new cashless policy.  For more information, please contact the UAlbany Ticket Office by phone at (518) 442-DANE or by email at GreatDaneTickets@albany.edu.

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