Great Danes Go Rolling into Bye Week
In the rearview mirror was a third straight win over a top 10 opponent. On the horizon was the bye week. The danger for UAlbany was either looking back or ahead with a 1-5 Rhode Island team in town for homecoming.
In front of 7,763 people at Casey Stadium, the Great Danes' offense continued to thrive; many of the opportunities built on the back of turnovers forced by the defense. The biggest turnovers of the game came in the third quarter with a strip sack fumble returned for a touchdown and a kickoff return fumbled which led to points.
Early in the third quarter, Eli Mencer came crashing down on URI quarterback Vito Priore, knocking the ball free and Shaker grad Nick Griffin took it the other way 55 yards for a touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, Rhode Island fumbled and UAlbany's offense quickly turned that into more points. Jeff Undercuffler squeezed a throw into tight end LJ Wesneski for a 21-14 lead.
Undercuffler threw four touchdown passes and now is one away from tying the program's single season record of 25 set by Dan DiLella in 2011. Meanwhile, wide receiver Juwan Green caught two TDs bringing his season total to 10 and into a tie for most touchdown catches in a single season by a player in UA purple and gold.
After beating then-9th ranked Towson on the road last week, UAlbany backed it up with a 35-28 win over Rhode Island. The Great Danes are now 5-3, 3-1 in the CAA going into their bye.