Score: UAlbany 38, Rhode Island 21
Location: Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I.
Records: UAlbany (5-3, 3-1 CAA) | Rhode Island (4-4, 1-3 CAA)
Short Story: The University at Albany football team handed Rhode Island its first home loss in nearly three seasons, snapping the Rams' 17-game home winning streak with a dominant 38-21 victory. Powered by a career-best, 196-yard rushing performance and three touchdowns from
Rahshan La Mons, a disruptive defensive effort highlighted by 3.0 sacks from
Jamari Young, and 450 total yards of offense, the Great Danes advanced to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
Key Stat Lines
- Rahshan La Mons rushed 24 times for a game-high 196 yards and three touchdowns (8.2 avg), featuring a 65-yard breakaway score.
- Kai Colón completed 15-of-20 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown while adding 25 rushing yards.
- BJ Norman caught three passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.
- Tavahri Groves hauled in four receptions for a team-high 56 yards.
- Jamari Young anchored the pass rush with 3.0 sacks (22 yards) and 4.0 tackles for loss.
- Drew Buckley recorded five total tackles and an interception.
- Dillon Dunathan led the defense with eight total tackles (2 solo).
- The UAlbany Offense churned out 265 rushing yards on 6.5 yards per carry and went 9-for-13 on third-down conversions.
How it Happened:
- On UAlbany's opening drive, Rahshan La Mons capped a 10-play, 78-yard march with a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Great Danes a 7-0 lead with 10:01 remaining in the first quarter.
- Later in the first quarter, Drew Buckley intercepted an Alex McClelland pass at the UAlbany 40-yard line and returned it 6 yards to halt a Rhode Island threat.
- With eight seconds remaining before halftime, Colón connected with BJ Norman on a 29-yard touchdown strike to cap an 11-play, 89-yard drive.
- UAlbany held a 14-0 lead over Rhode Island at the half, outgaining the Rams 231 to 104 in total offense and controlling the clock.
- Rhode Island opened the second half with a 12-play, 75-yard drive ending in a 1-yard touchdown run by Terrence Campbell with 8:46 on the clock, cutting UAlbany's lead to 14-7.
- Responding immediately on the ensuing possession, La Mons broke loose for a 36-yard rushing touchdown to extend the lead back to 21-7 with 5:26 remaining in the third quarter.
- Rhode Island answered right before the end of the third period as McClelland connected with Sean Byrd for a 20-yard touchdown pass, trimming the deficit to 21-14.
- On the first play of the fourth quarter's opening drive, La Mons exploded for a 65-yard touchdown run to push UAlbany ahead 28-14 with 13:17 left.
- The Rams retaliated with a 6-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 1-yard quarterback sneak from McClelland, making it 28-21 with 10:48 remaining.
- Brayden Heitmeyer solidified a multi-score advantage by converting a 33-yard field goal with 4:12 on the clock, capping an 11-play, 60-yard drive to make it 31-21.
- Joey Koch sealed the victory with a 7-yellow yard touchdown rush with 1:54 remaining, extending the final margin to 38-21.
Next: The Great Danes return to the friendly confines of Tom & Mary Casey Stadium next weekend when they host Campbell for Spooky Saturday on Halloween day. Keep up with all of the latest news, highlights, and insights on UAlbany football by following the team on
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