Football Looks To Turn Tides At FBS-Transitioning Old Dominion
ALBANY, N.Y. – After two tough home losses, the University at Albany football team will look to turn the tides Saturday, traveling to take on Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) transition program Old Dominion in the 64th edition of the Oyster Bowl – an annual game to help support the Shriners Hospital for Children. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 p.m. at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
CATCH THE ACTION
AUDIO: The game can be heard in the Capital Region on WGY 810AM/103.1FM or anywhere online here. To listen on your mobile device, download the iHeartRadio app and search for WGY. Rodger Wyland and Zach Bye will have the call.
VIDEO: Saturday’s action will be live streamed through Monarch Media.
TWITTER: Follow @UAlbanySports on Twitter for live updates, photos and highlights.
LIVE STATS: Live stats can be found here. A full recap and box score will be available at the conclusion of the game at UAlbanySports.com.
GAME NOTES: An in-depth look at the weekend’s matchup.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
UAlbany’s game at Old Dominion marks the first of three consecutive road trips, as well as the first of three games set in the state of Virginia this season. The Danes travel to No. 14 James Madison next week (10/5) and then to Delaware on Oct. 12th. After hosting Towson for Homecoming and a bye week, UAlbany heads back to Virginia, taking on No. 20/22 Richmond Nov. 2nd.
SCOUTING THE GREAT DANES
2013 Record: 1-3, 0-1 CAA
2012 Record: 9-2, 7-1 NEC (T-1st)
2013 CAA Preseason Poll: 10th/11
Head Coach: Bob Ford (41st varsity season at UAlbany/44th overall at UAlbany/45th overall as head coach) (256-162-0 / 265-183-1)
THE COACH: Bob Ford ranks first among active NCAA Division I FCS coaches with 265 career victories and is also fourth on the all-time FCS chart. Ford, the architect of the UAlbany program, has led the Great Danes to a 256-162 record in his 41st varsity season. Under his direction, the Great Danes have moved from the club level in 1970 to its present NCAA Division I FCS status. At the team’s media day on Aug. 13th, Ford announced that his 44th season at the helm in 2013 will be his last. More than 100 of Bob Ford’s assistant coaches are currently working in the professional, college and high school ranks.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite a touchdown lead heading into the fourth quarter, the University at Albany football team suffered its second straight home loss at Bob Ford Field Saturday night, as the visiting Central Connecticut State Blue Devils scored 10 unanswered points in the final stanza to steal a 20-17 victory. CCSU’s Steven Calitri hit a 40-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining after driving 61-yards down the gridiron, improving the Blue Devils’ record to 1-3 on the season, while the Great Danes also fell to 1-3 overall. UAlbany tried to respond quickly in the closing seconds, throwing a 40-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired. Jameel Gay caught Will Fiacchi’s toss but he was brought down at the 10-yard line, ending the game. Leading UAlbany’s strong running attack, Omar Osbourne earned his second 100+ yard rushing game of the season, totaling 119 yards with two touchdowns. Also leading the Great Dane offense, Fiacchi finished with 140 passing yards on 12 completions in 21 attempts. Gay totaled 50 receiving yards on two catches. Defensively, Cody Greenhagen led the Great Danes with eight tackles, including one for a loss.
SCOUTING THE MONARCHS
2013 Record: 2-2
2012 Record: 11-2, 7-1 CAA (1st)
Head Coach: Bobby Wilder (5th season at ODU) (40-12 / Same)
THE COACH: Bobby Wilder was hired on February 13, 2007, resurrecting the Old Dominion football team from a 69-year absence. Since restarting its football team in 2009, Old Dominion has compiled a four-year total of 40 wins and only 12 losses and has twice advanced to the FCS Playoffs. Wilder led the Monarchs to a school-record 11-2 record in 2012. Under Wilder’s tutelage, the Monarchs led the FCS in scoring offense, total offense and passing offense in 2012 as the Monarchs won the Colonial Athletic Association Championship in its final season in the FCS. Wilder was named American Football Monthly Coach of the Year as well as CaptainU Coach of the Year.
OLD DOMINION OVERVIEW: In 2012, ODU earned the No. 4 national seed in the FCS Playoffs, advanced to the quarterfinals and ranked No. 6 in the final The Sports Network and coaches polls. Old Dominion featured 10 student-athletes on the CAA All-Conference team including the Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke’s honors continued to roll in, earning six All-America honors, as well as the Dudley Award for the top division I player in Virginia and the Walter Payton Award for the top player in the FCS. The Monarchs also continued to be the hot ticket in town finishing fourth nationally in attendance with capacity crowds at all eight home contests and in 2013 has extended its streak to 31 consecutive sellouts at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium. This season, the Monarchs are transitioning to the Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA. They will play a full C-USA schedule in 2014.
ODU LAST TIME OUT: The Monarchs enter Saturday’s meeting with a two-game win-streak, topping both Howard (76-19) and The Citadel (59-58) in two home offensive-heavy contests. Most recently, Larry Pinkard caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Heinicke with 3:36 to go in the fourth quarter and Reggie Owens tackled Ben Dupree on a two-point conversion attempt with 1:39 to play to clinch a 59-58 victory over The Citadel. ODU totaled 542 yards of offense led by Heinicke’s 363 passing yards and three touchdowns (35-42-0) and Antonio Vaughan’s 11 receptions for 107 yards and a TD.
OSBOURNE TOPS 100 AGAIN
Leading UAlbany’s strong running attack, Omar Osbourne earned his second 100+ yard rushing game of the season, totaling 119 yards with two touchdowns against CCSU. With 96 points scored in his career, Osbourne is now tied with Orin Griffin (1973-76) – a member of the 1974 team that was inducted into the University’s Hall of Fame last weekend – for 23rd all-time in the program’s archives. Osbourne carried the ball 32 times against CCSU, and also made a 10-yard reception, totaling 129 all-purpose yards.
MARTIN’S STRONG PUNTING PERFORMANCE
Jonathan Martin punted seven times, totaling 299 yards, against CCSU. Martin averaged 42.7 yards per kick, including a 73-yarder that was downed at the 15. The booming kick ties for the sixth-longest punt in program history. In the first quarter, Martin’s line-drive punt proved tough to handle for the Blue Devils, as they fumbled the fair catch attempt at midfield, and UAlbany recovered. The Great Danes tied it up, 3-3, as a result of the play. Through four games in his rookie season, Martin is averaging 42.2 yards per punt.
FIACCHI BREAKS 3,000
Against Central Connecticut (9/21), Will Fiacchi became the sixth quarterback in program history to pass for over 3,000 career yards. Fiacchi (257-436-8, 14 TD) has currently thrown for 3,003 yards in just his second season as a starter, and is 150 yards away from becoming top-5 all-time.
KING CLIMBS INTO TOP-10
With 78-career reception (1,263 yards), senior Cole King is tied with John Donnelly (1983-85) for 10th all-time in UAlbany’s archives. He is six receptions away from ninth place.
TOP CROWDS
The largest crowd UAlbany has ever played in front of was 23,097 at Montana on Sept. 22, 2007. With Old Dominion selling out in 31 consecutive games (20,118), the Great Danes are expected to play in front of the fourth-largest crowd in program history. UAlbany has a 1-2 record in games played with 20,000+ in attendance.
UALBANY’S TOP FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE MARKS
1. 23,097 vs. Montana, 9-22-07 – L (35-14)
2. 22,196 vs. Delaware, 9-27-08 – L (38-7)
3. 22,016 vs. Delaware, 9-16-06 – W (17-10)
4. 19,511 vs. Montana, 9-7-02 – L (45-7)
5. 18,118 vs. Georgia Southern, 9-5-09 – L (29-26)
6. 15,840 vs. Youngstown State, 9-15-12 – L (31-23)
7. 15,112 vs. Massachusetts, 8-30-08 – L (28-16)
8. 14,000 vs. Central Florida, 11-8-80 – W (28-27)
UP NEXT
UAlbany hits the road for two more away games, traveling to James Madison (10/5), and Delaware (10/12) before returning home on Oct. 19th to host Towson for Homecoming.
