UAlbany Football Downs Duquesne Entering NEC Conference Play With Help From Esposito & McCarty

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Pittsburgh, Pa. -- Vinny Esposito threw a career-high three touchdown passes and David McCarty rushed for 230 yards, his second-highest total as a collegian, in leading UAlbany to a 33-23 victory over Duquesne in the Great Danes’ Northeast Conference opener on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Rooney Field.

UAlbany (2-3, NEC 1-0) led 20-17 in the fourth quarter, but then reached the end zone on consecutive possessions to pull away. The Great Danes, who have won eight of 10 games to begin NEC play since joining the league in 1999, marched 60 yards in nine plays, using their high-caliber ground attack. Esposito finished off the sequence by hooking up with Tim Bush on a five-yard slant pattern on third-and-goal. The series was set up by cornerback L.B. McCloskey’s interception.

After a Duquesne fumble was recovered by linebacker Justin Brancaccio, UAlbany went eight plays to build a 33-17 margin with 3:54 remaining. Esposito, who completed 10 of 18 attempts, hit tight end Dan Archer for a first down at the nine-yard line. He later teamed with fullback Justin Petersen on a two-yard scoring touchdown in another third-down situation.

Duquesne (2-2, NEC 1-1) tried to mount a comeback behind the strong arm of Connor Dixon, who connected on 21-of-46 through the air for 338 yards and two touchdowns. Dixon found tight end Sean Bunevich across the middle on a 41-yard scoring pass to close the gap. The Dukes, who are in their first season as a league member after winning nine straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles, recovered the on-side kick, but UAlbany’s defense stiffened at its own 36 to end the threat.

“I was very impressed with Duquesne,” said UAlbany coach Bob Ford, whose defensive unit forced five turnovers, including three interceptions. “But I think our offensive line grinded on them and eventually wore them down. We were trying to keep our defense off the field, but we made too many mental mistakes and had a ton of penalties.”

The first half featured three lead changes as the offenses combined for more than 400 yards in the opening two periods. The Dukes, who rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Dayton last week, scored on the game’s first possession. Cleodis Williams capped an 11-play drive by breaking off right tackle on a 20-yard touchdown.

UAlbany regrouped to take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. Colin Simmons tied the contest with a two-yard blast over left tackle. McCarty, whose rushing total tied the fifth-highest single-game mark in school history, set up the touchdown with a 45-yard scamper around left end. The Great Danes’ defense helped put their team ahead when inside linebacker Marc Wargo recovered a fumble at the Duquesne 19. Esposito would later run a quarterback sneak over left guard into the end zone from two yards out.

Duquesne rallied with 10 unanswered points. Dixon, a Michigan State transfer and the state of Pennsylvania’s top player coming out of high school, found a streaking Conrad Carter on a post pattern for a 42-yard touchdown. The Dukes recovered from a third-and-20 situation when Bunevich hauled in a 23-yard completion. Bunevich, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound junior who caught eight passes for 163 yards on the day, later made a 30-yard catch to set up the go-ahead points. Mark Troyan booted a 20-yard field for a 17-14 advantage.

UAlbany went back in front before the intermission with a nine-play march. The Great Danes overcame a holding call in the Duquesne red zone, as Esposito, under pressure, dumped a pass to McCarty in the right flat. McCarty, who accounted for 270 all-purpose yards, used his blocking to finish off the 24-yard scoring pass.

“We did a much better job in the second half than we have in previous weeks,” offered McCarty, whose squad has won seven straight and 11 of its last 12 against conference opponents. “The mental errors made it a little nerve-racking at times, but there is always going to be mistakes in a game. Our offensive line and receivers allowed us to pound the ball.”


UAlbany 33, Duquesne 23 (Oct 04, 2008)