Nation's Top Tailbacks on Display in Saturday's Northeast Conference Football Showdown: UAlbany vs Monmouth

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. -- Two of the nation’s top tailbacks will be on display when UAlbany and Monmouth battle for first place in the Northeast Conference standings on Saturday, Nov. 1 at University Field. Kickoff is 1:00 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on Fox Sports 980 (WOFX-AM).

Monmouth’s David Sinisi is the top NCAA Division I FCS rusher at 161.9 yards per game, plus is second in scoring with a 12.8 average. Sinisi, a Walter Payton Award candidate, ran for 194 yards and scored four touchdowns in his last outing against Central Connecticut State. Sinisi, who rushed for a school-record 247 yards against Saint Francis, Pa. earlier this season, is the Hawks’ career leader with 3,233 yards.

UAlbany’s David McCarty ranks fifth in rushing (142.5 ypg) and third in all-purpose yards (180.1 ypg) among the national leaders. He has reached the century mark in 13 of his last 14 starts and has scored a touchdown in 16 consecutive games. McCarty is fifth on the program’s career rushing chart with 2,641 yards.

“They are good backs who have stood the test of time,” said UAlbany coach Bob Ford, who posted his 230th career win at the collegiate level last week. “They each have great balance and have stayed relatively healthy throughout their careers. They both have good pass receiving skills and are just complete football players.”

UAlbany (5-3, NEC 4-0) and Monmouth (5-3, 4-0) are currently tied for first atop the NEC standings. The two teams enter their annual meeting with unbeaten conference records for the first time since 2003. The two programs have combined to win eight league titles in the conference’s history.

Paw Prints: The Great Danes have won 10 straight against NEC opponents ... UAlbany has registered four or more conference wins for the 10th consecutive season as a conference member ... Monmouth’s Kevin Callahan, who has a 94-65 career record, was a member of Bob Ford’s coaching staff from 1977-79 ... Vinny Esposito has become the fourth UAlbany quarterback to surpass 3,000 career passing yards (3,098) ... TB David McCarty’s 1,140 rushing yards represent the program’s fourth-best single-season total ... UAlbany went undefeated in the month of October for the second straight year ...