What’s Up With Albany Area College Football?

I don’t mean to be totally negative, but the start of the local college football season has been anything but triumphant.

The University at Albany, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union College football teams has combined for a 1-6 record in the early going.

There are some reasons for that. RPI’s lone loss is to No. 16 Alfred, Union has lost two games by a combined four points and UAlbany has lost two games to difficult non-conference competition, but so far things are not off to a great start.

I’ve covered both of UAlbany’s games so far this season, saw RPI in a preseason scrimmage and saw some of Union’s loss to my alma mater, Ithaca College, this past Saturday.

For my first post here at 104.5 The Team, I’d like to quickly give a little info about myself.

I grew up in the Capital District and after going away to college, returned to the area.

I’ve been covering local sports for the past six years, so I feel I have a pretty good background. I’ve covered everything from high school sports, to New York Giants training camp, to Siena’s trips to the Division I NCAA college basketball tournament.

For the past five years, I’ve worked at The Troy Record.

I have a blog over there (therecordsports.blogspot.com) and I hope you continue to read my posts here and on my other blog, as they will be filled with plenty of local sports.

I’m also on Twitter @AndrewSantillo and would love to hear from you about what I’ve posted or what your opinions are.

Getting back to college football, it’s been a long calendar year for the Union College football team. The Dutchmen have lost nine straight games, dating back to last season, when they finished 2-7. Their last win came Oct. 2, 2010.

Before that, Union had never had a losing season under coach John Audino, who is in his 20th season.
At 0-3, the Dutchmen have a tough road to climb if they want to right the ship in 2011, but they still have a chance as Liberty League play begins this weekend, at Rochester.

UAlbany has probably played the toughest schedule of the local squads, losing to Colgate in overtime and then being beaten by a solid Maine team that pushed Big East, err.. ACC err.. whatever they are, Pitt, to the wire.

RPI has the local school’s only win. The Engineers are coming off a 51-21 victory over Castleton State, the first victory for new coach Tim Landis. Like Union, the Engineers begin league play this weekend at WPI, a big rivalry game for the Transit Trophy.

I think there’s plenty of time for these teams to turn it around and I hope they will because the Capital District is lucky to have three teams that have solid recent traditions.