UAlbany Remains in First Place in NEC Standings with 45-17 Victory Against Robert Morris

NEC Standings

Albany 4-0
C.Conn 4-1
Wagner 3-2
Monmo 3-2
St.Fran 1-4
Sacred 0-5

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. – Sophomore tailback David McCarty rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 61-yard scoring pass to lead UAlbany to a 45-17 victory over Robert Morris in Northeast Conference play on Saturday, Nov. 3 at University Field. The Great Danes, who have won five in a row, remained in sole possession of first place in the conference standings.

UAlbany (6-3, NEC 4-0) led 17-10 in the second quarter, when McCarty gathered in a pass in the right flat, cut to the sideline, dodged two defenders, and raced to the end zone with 3:16 remaining before halftime. McCarty’s 61-yard touchdown represented the longest pass play by the Great Danes’ offense since 2001.

The Great Danes, who accounted for 292 of their 377 yards on the ground, featured McCarty exclusively on an eight-play scoring drive that extended the lead to 31-10 with 11:49 left in the third quarter. McCarty’s five-yard run, his third touchdown of the day, capped the scoring sequence. UAlbany completed its string of 21 unanswered points when reserve tailback Justin Gannon reached paydirt on a two-yard run over the right side with 6:35 remaining in the final period. Linebacker Justin Brancaccio’s interception set up the 57-yard march.

UAlbany jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the opening period. Safety Dave Nicomini recovered a fumble on the second play from scrimmage which led to Jason Fralicker’s 33-yard field goal. McCarty, who rushed for more the 100 yards for the fifth time this season, later broke free over the left side and eluded a defender en route to a 35-yard touchdown scamper. Following Dave West’s blocked punt with less than two minutes left in the quarter, tailback Omar Johnson bulled his way through the middle on a two-yard scoring run.

“Our defense came to play in that first quarter and held them without a first down in that period,” said UAlbany coach Bob Ford, whose team matched its longest winning streak at the Division I FCS level. “(David) McCarty is a pretty good back, and our offense played fairly well except for a few foolish penalties. Every week is a championship week for us. We have to keep winning the next one to get to the next one.”

Robert Morris (3-6, NEC 2-3) responded with a 10-point second quarter to close the gap. Michael Walser ended an 11-play drive with a 41-yard field goal. Quarterback Erik Cwalinski, who connected on 19-of-37 through the air for 223 yards, then delivered a 23-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Julian Ellison. The series was kept alive by a roughing-the-punter penalty and Cwalinski’s fourth-down completion to tight end Regis Flowers.

“I am trying to be a good running back,” explained McCarty, who has gone over the 100-yard rushing mark in three consecutive games. “We have three other talented backs, so every practice is struggle where you have to go 110 percent or the other people will take your spot. We have a tight camaraderie as a group that has improved as the season has gone along.”

Cwalinski, a 6-foot-3 junior, also threw a three-yard scoring pass to Sean McElhinny in the final period, but the RMU offense was limited to 64 net rushing yards. Ellison finished with six receptions for 116 yards. UAlbany’s Johnson, who was playing in his final home game along with 13 other seniors, added 70 yards on the ground in 16 attempts. He scored his second TD of the game, an 18-yard run around right end with 1:24 left.

‘We had a good all-around game,” offered senior inside linebacker Colin Disch, who made a team-high eight tackles and added one sack. “The special teams blocked a punt and were solid, the offense moved the ball, and the defense played well for the most part. I am not too emotional at this point because I am fortunate that we have two more games and are fighting for a conference championship.”