Week 2 Preview - Football 2024

No. 16 Football Travels to FBS West Virginia

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany football team is set to make its first road trip of the season as the Great face off against FBS level opponent West Virginia University on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. from Morgantown with coverage on ESPN+ and 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio in Albany.  

 

Game Info

Saturday, Sept. 7 at West Virgina (FBS)

Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va.

6:00 p.m.

Live StatsESPN+104.5 The TeamUAlbany Football Weekly

Griffin Woodell

Leading the Pack

  • Myles Burkett was named the week one starter against LIU entering the season. In his first game in the Purple & Gold, Burkett completed 12-26 passes for 165 yards and a TD. His longest pass of the day went to Seven McGee for 75 yards over the missile for the score. 
  • McGee led all receivers in his first game as a Great Dane. The transfer hauled in five receptions for 119 yards, including the 75-yard catch in run to close out the first half. On the stat sheet, McGee was followed by MarQeese Diets (1 reception, 10 yards), Levi Wentz (1 reception, 10 yards), Jackson Parker (1 reception, 5 yards), and Carter Moses (2 receptions, six yards). 
  • Griffin Woodell, the 2023 CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year, picked up right where he left off a year ago. The now sophomore netted 85 yards on the ground on 20 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per rush, while scoring a TD. Woodell also brought in two receptions for 15 yards. 
  • On the defensive side of the ball, Dontae Lunan led the team with 13 total tackles, eight solo and five assisted, including one TFL. Also recording TFLs on opening night was Ibrahim Sanogo (1.0), Ron Holmes (0.5), and Marcus Winfield (0.5). 
  • Jack Iuliano and Brock Boyer each recorded a sack in the home opener. Iuliano also picked up a fumble and returned it 20 yards to the house for the first UAlbany TD of the season in the second quarter. 
  • Kicker John Opalko hit both field goals (40 & 41 yards) in his 2024 debut. Last season, Opalko finished 13-18 on field goals attempts with a season-long of 46 yards. 

Scouting West Virginia

The Mountaineers enter Saturday’s game with an overall record of 0-1 after falling to No. 8 Penn State in the team’s season opener at Milan Puskar Stadium. West Virginia finished 2023 with an overall record of 9-4 and were picked to finish seventh in the 2024 Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll. 

 

In the season opener, quarterback Garrett Greene completed 15-28 passes for 161 yards. His favorite target in game one was sophomore wideout Traylon Ray, who hauled in four passes for 37 yards. On the ground, junior running back CJ Donaldson Jr. led the way with 42 yards on 12 attempts. 

 

On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter let the team with 10. tackles. He was followed by Anthony Wilson (9.0 tackles) and Trey Lathan (6.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL). 

Into the Rankings

The Great Danes remained at No. 16 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, the organization announced on Monday. The Great Danes entered the season as the No. 16 team after finishing 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 (1-0) came in at No. 5 in the poll, while William & Mary (1-0) came in at No. 13 and Richmond (1-0) came in at No. 14. 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 this weekend's trip to West Virginia, it was announced that linebacker Dontae Lunan was awarded the honor of wearing AJ’s number eight. Defensive lineman Ghassan Chehade wore #8 in week one. 

Daseasn Dixon

Leadership Council

Before week one, 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.

Greg Gattuso

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. 

 

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