Football Preseason Comes To A Close With Final Scrimmage
ALBANY, N.Y. – With game week approaching, the University at Albany football program closed its three-week training camp Friday evening with its third and final intrasquad scrimmage.
The Great Dane offense in gold and the defense in purple battled to impress the coaches who wore headsets and simulated game day with both sideline and elevated positions.
“I think you had to be impressed with the enthusiasm and the way they played,” said head coach Bob Ford, who enters his 44th and last season at the helm. “It’s hard to believe that our three weeks of preseason have gone by.”
In the evenly matched friendly, both sides of the football made highlight reel plays. On the offense, fullback Nic Ketter stood out with two touchdowns and a fumble recovery. In one roller coaster of a play that started with an interception by Parrish McKnight, Ketter stripped the ball on the return and recovered the fumble, putting the pigskin right back into the hands of the gold team.
Later on, Ketter connected with freshman quarterback Shane Sweeney for a 30-yard touchdown, and then again with freshman Kyle Downer for a 25-yard touchdown reception.
“Nic’s a good football player, he’s got a great work ethic,” said Ford. “He’s done a tremendous job in the weight room and it think he’s really going to be a player this year as a redshirt freshman.”
In the pocket, Sweeney, Downer, Ryan Smith, and Will Fiacchi all shared time, getting a number of last-minute preseason reps in.
One of the most notable improvements from week one to week three was with the Great Danes’ special teams. Looking to fill a void at the punter and kicker positions, sophomore Tom O’Riordan rose to the occasion and made all three of his field goal attempts.
“I think we didn’t get all our things squared away with the special teams, but I feel a little bit better with where we are with the snapper, holder and field goal kicker,” said Ford.
Looking ahead to game preparation week for Duquesne, Coach Ford and the Great Danes will look to do some fine-tuning before Saturday’s 12:10 p.m. kickoff in Pittsburgh.
