UAlbany's David McCarty & Justin Gannon Earn Weekly Northeast Conference Football Awards

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Somerset, N.J. -- University at Albany’s David McCarty has been selected as the Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Week in football, as announced today by the conference office. McCarty earned the weekly award for the fourth time this season. UAlbany’s Justin Gannon was chosen NEC Special Teams Player of the Week.

McCarty, a junior tailback from Gansevoort, N.Y., rushed for 208 yards, including 185 in the second half, and scored one touchdown, as his team rallied for a 35-17 victory over Monmouth last Saturday. McCarty, who became the first UAlbany player to rush for 200-plus yards three times in the same season, gave the Great Danes a 28-17 lead on a 14-yard run with 6:14 remaining. He extended his touchdown streak to 17 consecutive games. McCarty, who has reached the 100-rushing mark in 14 of his last 15 starts, ranks third among the Division I FCS national leaders in both rushing (149.8 ypg) and all-purpose yards (184.3 ypg).

Gannon, who hails from Sussex, N.J., accounted for 136 all-purpose yards, the second-highest total of his career, against Monmouth. He jump-started his team’s second-half comeback with a 37-yard kickoff return to begin the third quarter. Gannon, a junior tailback, added a 51-yard kick return after Monmouth took a 17-14 lead on a 27-yard field goal with 4:20 left in the third quarter. Gannon registered 100 or more all-purpose yards for the fourth time as a collegian.


Paw Prints: UAlbany (6-3, NEC 5-0) has moved into sole possession of first place in the Northeast Conference standings ... the Great Danes have won 11 consecutive NEC contests, tying Dayton (Pioneer Football League) for the longest active Division I FCS conference streak ... UAlbany can clinch a share of the NEC title and earn the right to host the Gridiron Classic on Dec. 6 with a victory at Robert Morris this Saturday ... TB David McCarty climbed to No.3 on the school’s all-time rushing list with 2,849 yards ... McCarty needs 185 yards to break Gary Jones’ career rushing record ... UAlbany is receiving votes in both the Sport Network and FCS Coaches’ national polls ... the Great Danes have won five in a row to equal the second-longest win streak in the program’s FCS history ...