Great Danes stick to old rivalries, face off against former NEC foe Monmouth
ALBANY, NY >> Last week, UAlbany Football handled Bryant to a 45-3 win.
Now in week three, the Great Danes will travel to Monmouth in hopes to build off of last week’s win and become 2-1 after a season opening loss to Central Michigan.
In last week’s win over Bryant, Albany had its most productive offensive performance since 2017 and its most lopsided win since 2010.
Alex James was named CAA Co-Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 229 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries against Bryant. Karl Mofor also rushed for a career-high 123 yards in the win. Quarterback Jeff Undercuffler has thrown four touchdown passes and no interceptions through the first two games. He’s been sacked only once.
Levi Metheny leads the defense with 20 tackles this season. Eli Mencer has 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
Last week, Monmouth earned a 24-21 win over Lafayette. Junior running back Pete Guerriero rushed for 152 yards in the victory.
Monmouth now has won 11 of its past 12 home games and are averaging 175.5 rushing yards per game through their first two games of the 2019 season.
Monmouth dropped their opener to Western Michigan, an FBS opponent, 48-13.
UAlbany and Monmouth, which now competes in the Big South, were NEC rivals for 14 seasons before both moved to new conferences. The Great Danes won the most recent meeting, 28-14, in the 2017 home opener at Casey Stadium. The teams last played in West Long Branch, N.J., in 2011, a game UAlbany also won, 41-24. Overall, the Great Danes have won seven straight in the series.
UAlbany’s defense already has forced six turnovers (four fumble recoveries, two interceptions) and scored twice over the first two games. In the opener at Central Michigan, Eli Mencer had a strip sack, fumble return for touchdown, and against Bryant, Jarren Williams hauled in a deflected pass and ran 63 yards for a Pick 6. UAlbany already has forced six fumbles.
UAlbany posted 362 yards rushing in this past Saturday’s win over Bryant. Alex James ran 12 times for 229 yards and a TD, while Karl Mofor carried 18 times for 123 yards. James ran for an 80-yard TD in the first quarter. In the fourth quarter, he nearly had an 85-yard score, but it was called back when replay showed his foot touched the boundary at the 2-yard line. Through two games, UAlbany backs are averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
UAlbany plays the first of two straight games at home next Saturday, Sept. 21, against Lafayette on Hometown Heroes Day.