Albany announced official schedule

[danefan]

http://www.albany.edu/sports/stories.htm#foot07_schedule


UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY ANNOUNCES 2007 GREAT DANES FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Albany, N.Y. -- University at Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on Wednesday, March 21 the school's football schedule for 2007. The Great Danes will play six games against Northeast Conference opposition. The non-league schedule features Montana, last year's Big Sky Conference champion, a first-ever meeting with Colgate, and Atlantic 10 Conference opponent Hofstra. UAlbany also meets Fordham, of the Patriot League, and Stony Brook, who is competing as an independent.

The Great Danes begin on the road for the seventh time in the last nine years against Colgate on Saturday, Sept. 1. The Raiders have made seven NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) playoff appearances and captured five Patriot League titles. Associated Press All-America linebacker Mike Gallihugh made 140 tackles last season. UAlbany faces Hofstra in the home opener at University Field on Sept. 16. Kickoff is 6:00 p.m. Head coach Dave Cohen, a former Great Danes' assistant, has two excellent linebackers returning in first-team all-conference selection Gian Villante (92 tackles) and the A-10's defensive rookie of the year Luke Bonus (98 tackles).

UAlbany travels to both Fordham (Sept. 8) and Montana (Sept. 22). The Grizzlies, who won the 2001 national championship, made their 14th consecutive FCS postseason appearance last year. Montana posted a 12-2 record and led the country in home attendance, averaging 22,600 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Defensive end Kroy Biermann, who had 78 tackles and 11 sacks, and placekicker Dan Carpenter (24 field goals) were each selected to the Associated Press All-America first team.

Sacred Heart will be the opponent for Homecoming and Family Weekend on Oct. 13. Stony Brook (Oct. 6) and NEC-rival Robert Morris (Nov. 3) also visit University Field. The Sacred Heart and Stony Brook games start at 4:00 p.m. The Colonials, who are led by former New York Jets' head coach Joe Walton, are slated to play a 1:00 p.m. contest.

Bob Ford, who is set to begin his 35th varsity season and is second among active FCS coaches with 217 career victories, has 43 letterwinners, including 11 starters, back from last year's squad. UAlbany posted a 7-4 record and tied for second in the NEC standings in 2006. Colin Disch, a member of the AFCA FCS All-America team and the NEC defensive player of the year, tops the list of returnees. Michael Dungey, a first-team all-conference defensive tackle, leads a unit that ranked among the top five nationally in points allowed, rushing defense and total defense. Left guard Sam Pagano (6-3, 305) earned second-team All-NEC recogniton. Chris Lynch, a first-team all-league punter, averaged 38.8 yards per attempt. Mike Wall, an all-conference special teams standout, returned kickoffs (24.9 yards per return) and punts (13.7 average).

****************

2007 University at Albany Football Schedule

September --
1 (Sat.), at Colgate, 1:00
8 (Sat.), at Fordham, TBA;
15 (Sat.), Hofstra, 6:00;
22 (Sat.), at Montana, 3:05;
29 (Sat.), at Central Connecticut State*, TBA.

October --
6 (Sat.), Stony Brook, 4:00,
13 (Sat.), Sacred Heart* (HC), 4:00;
20 (Sat.), at St. Francis, Pa.*, 1:00;
27 (Sat.), at Wagner*, 1:00.

November --
3 (Sat.), Robert Morris*, 1:00;
10 (Sat.), at Monmouth*, 1:00.

*Northeast Conference Opponent (HC) - Homecoming/Family Weekend All Times Eastern

[GannonFan]

Good schedule, very good schedule. Heck, 8-3 against that schedule will probably get you in the playoffs, 9-2 and it's a certain lock. A schedule like this proves you don't need the autobid to make the playoffs (although I recognize it's nice having that fallback) - put together a good schedule, win most of the games, and that's all it takes!

[UNHWildCats]

With this theres now just 24 incomplete FCS schedules, including Illinois State and North Dakota State who seem to be complete pending the signing of the contract for there matchup.

[BigApp]

dang, I was just on their website about 90 minutes ago! Up to the minute here!

[UNHWildCats]

dang, I was just on their website about 90 minutes ago! Up to the minute here!

Ditto

[BigApp]

4 of first 5 on the road... and 3 of last 4 xeekx

[danefan]

Yeah, our stadium blows that bad right now.

[BigApp]

is it being renovated or something?? If so, those roadies would make a lot more sense

[UNHWildCats]

i think its just a crappy place and there in the process of building a very nice new stadium

[UNHWildCats]

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4530/uastadiumah4.jpg

[danefan]

groundbreaking is supposed to start this fall, but in a different location then our current field.

[aceinthehole]

As usually, Albany has the top schedule in the NEC, and one that if you can go 9-2 (or possibly 8-3) as Gannon said, should earn you an at-large bid. It won't be an easy task for the Danes, as the non-conference portion is very, very tough. RMU and CCSU should be 2 of the tougher conference games.

Good luck (except against the Blue Devils)!

[dbackjon]

Good schedule. OOC is very respectable.

[danefan]

I think the only real long shot here is Montana. Everything else is winnable. Shoot we said Delaware was a long shot last year too.

[Dane96]

Again, 10-1...insane to dream about. 9-2...ecstasy for us Dane fans. 8-3...plausible, but difficult. 7-4, a successful season. 6-5...hey it happens...and we are still building with around 40 underclassman.

UA is still about 2 years away from making serious noise.

[rmutv]

Very impressive schedule for the Danes.

I think CCSU, Monmouth, Albany, and RMU will continue to distance themselves as the class of the NEC this year. Some very potentially exciting NEC games this year!

[letsgopards04]

As a former resident of the Albany area I have to give props to the Danes for their OOC schedule. I would love to see Albany v Lafayette in the future. Nice stadium concept! Very reminicient of the Horseshoe at Ohio St.

[Seahawks Fan]

Excellent OOC schedule. Take it to them.

As for an FCS bid, they have to win the NEC and go 10-1?

[ChickenMan]

Nice scheduled.. but very much front loaded.. by necessity I assume.

[89Hen]

Good schedule, very good schedule. Heck, 8-3 against that schedule will probably get you in the playoffs
Agreed on the good schedule, but 8-3 would depend on a lot of things including who the 8 and 3 are and what the rest of the at-large teams look like.

If it's 8...
at Fordham
at Central Connecticut State
Stony Brook
Sacred Heart
at St. Francis, Pa.
at Wagner
Robert Morris
at Monmouth

and 3...
at Colgate
Hofstra
at Montana

that very well could be no wins over ranked teams and that could be tough if we have year with a lot of other 8-3 teams with wins over ranked teams. That said, Stony or Monmoth could be ranked, we just don't know yet.

[appfan2008]

seven on the road that is pretty tough!

[UAalum72]

10-1 won't get into the playoffs if Montana, Colgate, and Hofstra suck this year, thus discounting the 'name' wins like the NEC's wins over Lehigh, Delaware, and Ga Southern last year.

[youwouldno]

It's impossible to say before the season even starts. I think 9-2 is necessary for playoffs to be a possibility, 10-1 would make it quite possible, 11-0 a lock.

[Franks Tanks]

It is amazing that in such a short time Albany has went from non-factor to potential playoff contendor in the FCS. Shows what afew scholarships can do and congratulations. Also they will be a dangerous force if the satadium gets built and they expand closer to the 50 scholarship level.

[GannonFan]

Agreed on the good schedule, but 8-3 would depend on a lot of things including who the 8 and 3 are and what the rest of the at-large teams look like.

If it's 8...
at Fordham
at Central Connecticut State
Stony Brook
Sacred Heart
at St. Francis, Pa.
at Wagner
Robert Morris
at Monmouth

and 3...
at Colgate
Hofstra
at Montana

that very well could be no wins over ranked teams and that could be tough if we have year with a lot of other 8-3 teams with wins over ranked teams. That said, Stony or Monmoth could be ranked, we just don't know yet.

That's why I said 8-3 would be "probably" - fact is, no team in the FCS is an absolute lock with an 8-3 record anyway - you can find teams from any conference (A10/CAA) included that went 8-3 and didn't make the playoffs - there are just too many variables to be sure about that. But, in Albany's case, that's the good thing about their schedule - if the go 8-3, they are in the same boat as any other FCS team that goes 8-3. And of course, 9-2 gets them in. That's all you can ask for regardless of which conference you come from.

[JMG1MON]

The scholarships haven't had an affect on the field yet. You are seeing the rewards of being able to offer some sort of aid. The scholarship impact is still another year or 2 away for most schools. Monmouth will have some of the players on scholarship making significant contributions next season (heavy graduation losses), but I can't comment on the rest of the NEC.

[89Hen]

fact is, no team in the FCS is an absolute lock with an 8-3 record anyway
Not sure that's a fact either. xsmiley_wix

[th0m]

Apart from the fact that Hofstra is now a CAA opponent and not an Atlantic Ten opponent, very nice schedule! Obvious killer roady @ Montana.

[Seawolf97]

Albany always puts up a strong schedule. Wish them luck on that new stadium it looks big time football!

[seahawkfan2007]

Great schedule! Coach Ford should be admired for scheduling the best OOC competition possible.

[alumNEC]

Very excited about the big games this year... Coach Ford does deserve a lot of credit, the program at albany has grown incredibly under him... starting out as a club team (I believe) and moving up and up and up to where it is now as a very respectable 1aa team, and things look to only get better with the addition of scholarships, stadium, and continuing to play a great OOC schedule... Very happy with albany and the NEC as a whole

[Proud Griz Man]

10-1 won't get into the playoffs if Montana, Colgate, and Hofstra suck this year, thus discounting the 'name' wins like the NEC's wins over Lehigh, Delaware, and Ga Southern last year.

Montana will be OK this year. ;)

[UAalum72]

Montana will be OK this year. ;)
That's alright. We don't need you to be great. Just OK will do nicely.