Score: #17 UAlbany 13, #4 Idaho 41
 
Location: P1FCU Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho
 
Records: #17 UAlbany (1-2, 0-0 CAA) | #4 Idaho (2-1, 0-0 Big Sky)
 
Short Story: The No. 17 University at Albany football team returned to the P1FCU Kibbie Dome for the first time since defeating the Idaho Vandals last season in the NCAA FCS Playoffs, but came up short on Saturday afternoon, falling by a score of 41-13 to the fourth-ranked team in the country.

Key Stat Lines

• Myles Burkett went 23-38 passing, throwing for 290 yards and a TD.
• Levi Wentz led the receiving corps with five receptions for 114 yards and a TD, with a long reception of 58 yards.
• Seven McGee and Jackson Parker followed, both with five receptions. McGee finished with 56 yards, Parker finished with 54.
• Dontae Lunan led the defense with 11 tackles, six of which were solo. Two of his tackles went for a loss.
• John Opalko went 2-3 on field goal attempts, hitting kicks from 25 and 33 yards.

 
How it Happened:

• The UAlbany offense took the field first, marching to midfield before being stopped on a 3^rd & 11 on the Idaho 47-yard line. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Vandals' Keyshawn James-Newby kept the drive alive for the Great Danes, but the visitors were unable to capitalize with a missed field goal from 35-yards out.
• It took the Vandals just three plays on the ensuing drive to find the end zone with a 28-yard rush from Emmerson Cortez-Menjivar, a 40-yard rush from Elisha Wager, and a 12-yard completion from Jack Wagner to Jordan Dwyer for the score. The extra point was unsuccessful after a fumbled snap, putting the Vandal advantage at 6-0.
• The Great Danes responded with another drive into Vandal territory, this time settling for a 25-yard field goal from John Opalko to get on the board and make it 6-3.
• Idaho's second offense possession once again resulted in a TD, this time on a two-yard rush from Nate Thomas to push the score to 13-3. The score capped a drive that spanned 79 yards on 10 plays.
• The Vandals made it three-straight possessions with a TD early on in the second quarter when Idaho's Wagner found wideout Jordan Dwyer for a four-yard score to make it 20-3. The drive spanned 54 yards on seven plays.
• Idaho's Andrew Marshall returned a punt 47 yards to the house midway through the second quarter to increase the Vandal lead to 27-3.
• Idaho's Cameron Pope missed a 50-yard field goal, wide left, to end the first half with the Vandals up 27-3.
• Idaho out-rushed UAlbany 125 -34in the first half. The Great Danes put up 109 yards through the air with the Vandals recording 136.
• Nate Thomas pushed the lead to 34-3 for the Vandals midway through the third quarter on a one-yard rush up the middle, capping a five-play 61-yard drive.
• Idaho's Tommy McCormick recorded a pick-six on UAlbany's next offensive possession, taking it back 32 yards to the house to make it a 41-3 game.
• UAlbany's Opalko hit his second field goal of the game with 4:38 remaining in the third, this one from 33 yards out, to push the score to 41-6.

 
Next: The Great Danes get a quick break with their bye scheduled for week four. The team will be back in action on September 28 when UAlbany hosts Maine in its annual Hometown Heroes Game. Keep up with all of the latest news, highlights, and insights on UAlbany football by following the team on X and Instagram and by following UAlbany Athletics on Facebook.