Black Out – No. 16 Football Kicks Off 2024 Season Against LIU

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany football team, fresh off a historic 2023 season, is ready to get back to work as the Great Danes host Long Island University (LIU) on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. with Coverage on Flo Football and 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.  

Game Info

Saturday, Aug. 31 vs. LIU

Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium in Albany, N.Y.

7:00 p.m.

Live Stats | Flo Football | 104.5 The Team | Tickets

Black Out! 

It’s our lone night game of the year! The team will be in black, and we are encouraging our fans to do the same. In addition, the first 1,000 students in attendance will receive a free Great Danes black t-shirt! 

Leading the Pack

• The Great Danes enter the 2024 season with an entirely new roster. Of the 22 starters taking the field on Saturday night (offense/defense), only 12 were on the roster a season ago. Of those 12, only seven were regular starters. 
• The offensive line is the most complete unit on the team, with five returners lining up. Ozzie Hutchinson, Scott Houseman, and Will Marotta bring the most experience. Sean Dugery and Nolan Latulippe enter 2024 as sophomores, both earning Freshman All-American honors in 2023. 
• Quarterback Myles Burkett was named the week one starter against LIU. Burkett transferred to UAlbany this past spring, coming from Wisconsin. 
• Burkett will have plenty of options to throw to in week one. Familiar faces in the receiving corps include MarQeese Dietz, Jackson Parker, Levi Wentz, and Caden Burti. New faces looking to make a splash include Seven McGee and Jamal Cooney. 

Scouting LIU

LIU finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 4-7, going 4-3 in NEC play. The Sharks sported a 2-2 record when playing at home and a 2-5 record on the road. Last year’s team averaged 19.64 points per game with opponents averaging 26.36 per game. 

Earlier this season, five different Sharks were named to the 2024 Phil Steele All-NEC Preseason Team. Earning First-Team honors were offensive lineman Jake Timm, punter Will Lynch and special teams star/wide receiver Michael Love, who earned two First-Team nods as both a punt returner and an all-purpose special teams player. Love earned two Second-Team selections, one at receiver, and the other as a kick returner. Offensive lineman Kristos Fernandez and linebacker DQ Watkins were also named to the All-NEC Preseason Second Team.

Into the Rankings

The Great Danes enter week one as the No. 16 team in the FCS, according to the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. uAlbany finished the 2023 season as the No. 5 team in the country after making it to the FCS Playoff Semifinals. 

UAlbany is the fourth highest ranked team in the CAA. Villanova came in at No. 6 in the poll, while Richmond came in at No. 13 and William & Mary came in at No. 15. Last season, The Great Danes beat Villanova 31-10, beat William & Mary 24-8, and beat Richmond in the FCS Playoffs, 41-13.  

Play Like AJ

The team will honor former Great Dane Amitral "AJ" Simon during the 2024 season with a special number dedication in each game.

In April of 2024, while preparing for the NFL Draft, Simon was tragically taken from us – sending shockwaves through both the UAlbany and football communities.

Before each contest in 2024, the UAlbany coaching staff will designate one defensive player to wear the number eight jersey, in game, to honor their fallen brother. The individual chosen will be one who best exemplifies Simon's work ethic and preparation in that week's practices. The football program will announce their selection on Thursdays leading up to games.

For the 2024 season opener, it was announced that defensive lineman Ghassan Chehade has been awarded the honor of wearing AJ’s number eight. 

Leadership Council

Earlier this week, head coach Greg Gattuso named 10 players as part of this year’s Leadership Council – as voted on by members of the team. This year’s Leadership Council includes returners Ozzie Hutchinson (OL), Scott Houseman (OL), Will Marotta (OL), Brad Igweike (DB), DaeSean Winston (DB), Trey Lindsey (QB), MarQeese Dietz (WR), and Faysal Aden (RB). In addition, newcomers Dasean Dixon (DL) and Seven McGee (WR) were voted in by their peers. 

A Historic Season

The 2023 UAlbany football season was the best in program history. The Great Danes finished with an 11-4 overall record, going 7-1 in CAA action. Under Gattuso and his staff, the team claimed its first ever conference title, sharing it with Villanova and Richmond. The Great Danes defeated Villanova midway through the season, 31-10 at home, and took down Richmond in the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs, 41-13 at home.

UAlbany was awarded the NCAA's #5 seed in the playoffs, the highest the team has ever been ranked, while also receiving a First Round bye. The team's Second Round win over Richmond cemented the furthest the Great Danes had ever reached in the postseason, having previously reached the Second Round in 2019. In the Quarterfinals, UAlbany flew across the country to #4 Idaho – taking down the Vandals, 30-22, in the Kibbie Dome to advance to the Semifinals before falling to South Dakota State, the top seed and eventual National Champions.

The UAlbany football program joined Field Hockey (2014) and Men's Lacrosse (2018) as the only programs in school history to reach an NCAA Division I National Semifinal.

UAlbany Football Weekly

Head to UAlbanySports.com every Saturday morning at 10:00 for UAlbany Football Weekly, the only show that covers ALL THINGS UAlbany football. 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. 

Click here to view all episodes. 

New Turf, Who Dis?

New turf for Bob Ford Field was installed over the summer. 

The new playing surface features updated branding at midfield and in both end zones, replacing the original turf that has been in use since the stadium’s construction in 2013. The turf project began in late June and was finished in time for soccer preseason practices. The project was completed by Sprinturf, LLC. 

Unlike the original turf, yardage markers and numbers were not included with the updated surface. The department will utilize a painting system to install necessary markers before home contests to keep a “clean” look when switching between sports. 

“The new turf looks absolutely stunning,” said Gattuso. “We made a ton of history over the years on the old surface, but this upgrade was definitely needed, and we’re excited to get to work on it right away. We can’t wait for the Capital Region to come out and see it for themselves on Aug. 31 as we begin our CAA title defense.”

Parking Update! 

IMPORTANT NOTE - Our secondary parking setup will be in effect for this Saturday’s season opener. All pre-purchased season and single game digital parking passes will now be valid for Dutch Lot. 

The UAlbany Department of Athletics is excited to announce finalized plans for a new football game day parking setup for the 2024 season.

Dutch Lot, which has traditionally been used as the primary single game parking and tailgating area, will shift to the grass fields located adjacent to Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.

By shifting the single game parking area to the "Grass Lot," all fans will now be able to experience the lead up to kickoff just a stone's throw from Bob Ford Field. The Grass Lot will drastically shorten the walk to the stadium gates and will increase the tailgating experience for all fans on game day.

For more information, click here. 

Students Always FREE

UAlbany students get in free to all athletic events! Download the UAlbany Sports mobile app to reserve tickets ahead of time. Students must claim tickets through the mobile app to gain access to UAlbany events. 

Stay Connected

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