UAlbany Football's Linebacker Justin Brancaccio Named Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Somerset, N.J. – University at Albany’s Justin Brancaccio has been selected as the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week in football for his performance in last Saturday’s 24-22 victory over Central Connecticut State, as announced by the conference office on Monday, Oct. 13.

Brancaccio, a junior inside linebacker from Rockaway, N.J., had a team-high 11 tackles and six unassisted hits as his unit held the nation’s ninth-best rushing team to 160 net yards, nearly 80 under its average. Brancaccio also made three huge defensive plays, including a break-up of a two-point conversion pass with 55 seconds remaining and stonewalling a fourth-down run on his own 19-yard line in the third quarter.

Brancaccio, who has made double-figure stops four times as a collegian, is tied for 33rd among the Division I FCS national leaders in tackles at 9.33 per game.

PAW PRINTS: Junior tailback David McCarty is eighth among the nation’s leaders in rushing at 135.2 yards per game, plus is tied for seventh in all-purpose yards (176.5 ypg) ... McCarty, who has rushed for 100-plus in 11 of his last 12 starts, moved to fifth on the program’s career rushing list with 2,312 yards ... UAlbany (3-3, NEC 2-0) travels to NEC-rival Sacred Heart (6-0, 2-0) on Saturday, Oct. 18 ... Sacred Heart, Liberty and San Diego are the only undefeated Division I FCS teams ... the Great Danes will play an unbeaten squad in the second half of the season for the first time since Oct. 18, 2003 ... Sacred Heart is receiving votes in the Sports Network’s FCS Top-25 Poll ...