FOOTBALL OPENS CAA SLATE AT RHODE ISLAND SATURDAY

UAlbany Sports Information

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Coming off the programs’ first FBS victory, overcoming Buffalo 22-16, the University at Albany football team opens CAA play at Rhode Island on Sept. 10 at Meade Stadium.

UALBANY-RHODE ISLAND SERIES UAlbany owns a 2-1 lead in the all-time series with Rhode Island, including wins in the last two meetings. Last season, the Great Danes topped the Rams 35-7 in Albany. In their last meeting in Kingston, UAlbany captured the program’s first CAA victory in program history on Sept. 20, 2014, winning 37-20.

GREAT DANES RECEIVE VOTES IN TOP 25 With the season-opening win over Buffalo, UAlbany is on the brink of breaking into the Top 25 in both the FCS Coaches Poll and the STATS FCS media poll. The Great Danes were the first team off the Coaches Top 25 list with 53 points, and fifth off the media’s top 25 with 181 points. UAlbany was last ranked in the Top 25 in 2014.

 SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND Rhode Island (0-1, 0-0 CAA) comes off a 55-6 loss at Kansas. In 2015, the Rams finished the season with 1-10 overall mark and 1-7 record in the CAA. URI returns nine offensive starters and seven defensive starters from last year.

 A UALBANY WIN WOULD… - Improve UAlbany’s record to 2-0 overall. - Give UAlbany a 4-14 all-time record vs. CAA opponents. - Improve UAlbany’s series record to 3-1 against Rhode Island. - Improve UAlbany’s all-time varsity record to 268-183. - Improve Coach Gattuso’s career record to 109-45. - Improve Coach Gattuso’s record at UAlbany to 12-13.

 A UALBANY LOSS WOULD… - Make UAlbany’s record 1-1 overall. - Give UAlbany a 3-15 all-time record vs. CAA opponents. - Drop UAlbany’s series record to 2-2 against Rhode Island. - Drop UAlbany’s all-time varsity record to 267-184. - Drop Coach Gattuso’s career record to 108-46. - Drop Coach Gattuso’s record at UAlbany to 11-14.

 NICASTRO PICKS OFF WHERE HE LEFT OFF Ending his season with a knee injury in UAlbany’s first game of the year at Buffalo in 2015, redshirt junior linebacker Michael Nicastro picked up where he left off this year at UB. Nicastro picked off the first pass of the game and returned it 38 yards to the 7-yard line, setting up the Danes’ first touchdown. Nicastro totaled 11 tackles (six solo) in the victorious opener.

 SUSSMAN CONNECTS FOR TWO Sophomore quarterback Neven Sussman totaled 113 passing yards and two touchdowns in UAlbany’s win over Buffalo, completing 14-of-21 passes with no interceptions. Sussman connected a 5-yard TD pass to Anthony Manzo-Lewis just 2:03 into the game. He then threw a career-long 35-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Brad Harris with 9:37 left in the game and also hit Harris on the two-point conversion to give UAlbany a 22-16 lead. 

BROWN’S BIG RETURN At Buffalo, redshirt sophomore Kareem Brown recorded a 43-yard kickoff return with 2:24 remaining in the second quarter, putting UAlbany on the UA-47. The kickoff return set up UAlbany’s second touchdown of the game that gave the Great Danes a 14-6 lead. 

IBITOKUN-HANKS RUNS FOR 100 Sophomore running back Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks recorded his third career 100+ rushing game at Buffalo, logging 104 yards on 23 carries. He also hit the mark in back-to-back games at Richmond (202 yards, 25 carries) and Delaware (135 yards, 28 carries) in 2015.

 UALBANY FOOTBALL WEEKLY ON MY4 For the third straight year, UAlbany Football Weekly will air on MY4 (WNYA). NBC13 (WNYT) sports director Rodger Wyland along with Chris Onorato and Ashley Miller will host the 30-minute show with Great Danes football coach Greg Gattuso every Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

 UALBANY TEAMS UP WITH ESPN RADIO UAlbany agreed to a new broadcast partnership with ESPN Radio for all football and men’s basketball games this year. Fans in the Capital District can tune their dials to 104.5 FM to listen in, or hear the broadcasts live online from anywhere in the world on 1045theteam.com. However, due to scheduling conflicts, UAlbany’s first two football games at Buffalo and Rhode Island will be aired on Rewind 105.7 FM and rewind.1057.com.

 GREAT DANES TO OPEN 2017 AT OLD DOMINION, 2018 AT PITT UAlbany will open the 2017 football season at Old Dominion University and the 2018 season at the University of Pittsburgh. The meetings will mark UAlbany’s third and fourth Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) games. In the program’s first two FBS clashed were against Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.

 UP NEXT UAlbany opens its home schedule against Holy Cross on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets.