UAlbany Football loses to Monmouth, 3835 in overtime

uwan Green and Jeff Undercuffler’s record performances weren’t quite enough for the University at Albany football team in a 38-35 overtime loss at Monmouth on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Juwan Green set a program record with 15 catches. He totaled 245 yards, which was just six short of the UAlbany record, and caught three TD passes, tying a program mark.

Jeff Undercuffler tied the program record for yards in a game (398) and TD passes in a game (four). He established new records for both completions (31) and attempts (53).

Karl Mofor ran for 99 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown.

UAlbany piled up 511 yards of total offense.

Coach Gattuso: “The big thing was, when teams try to take away

our run game, we have great receivers, and they played really good after the first quarter. The first quarter we had big plays all over the field — we just didn’t finish the plays. But we got back in it. We fought hard. The defense fought hard.

“I think (Jeff Undercuffler) played really well. I think he’s a tough kid. I love how he competes. He’ll do whatever we ask him to do. Whether it’s hand off 50 times or throw it 50 times, he’s all in.”

Despite record-setting days from Juwan Green and Jeff Undercuffler as well as a game-tying TD grab from Jerah Reeves with four seconds left in regulation, the University at Albany football team fell to Monmouth, 38-35, in overtime Saturday in a nonconference game at Kessler Stadium.

UAlbany fought back from a 21-0 deficit to start the game and got a prolific offensive performance. Green set the program record for receptions in a game with 15 while piling up 245 yards, the second most in program history, and three touchdowns. Undercuffler tied program marks with 398 yards and four TD passes.

Karl Mofor also ran for 99 yards and a touchdown, and Reeves’ TD catch, in which he out-leaped several defenders for the ball, sent the game to overtime.

The Hawks won the game with a 25-yard field goal on their first possession of OT.

Still, facing a former Northeast Conference rival and the team picked to finish second in the Big South, the Great Danes battled back from a threetouchdown deficit.

Undercuffler found Green for the first of their three TD hookups with 5:33 left before halftime. On the 64-yard connection, Green blazed past his defender, caught a pass in stride and raced the end zone.

They struck again just 20 seconds before the intermission, this time on a 28-yard strike, making it 21-14 at halftime.

Later, with the Great Danes down 28-21, Green pulled in a 32-yard pass in the end zone to tie the game three minutes into the fourth quarter.

Still, UAlbany found itself needing a score down 35-28 with 1:27 left on the clock and the ball at its own 30-yard line. Undercuffler fired six completions on the drive, but UAlbany faced a fourthand-10 from the Hawks 21. On the play, Undercuffler heaved toward the right side of the end zone, where Reeves elevated above several defenders and pulled in the pass.

A UAlbany penalty after the play forced Dylan Burns to make a 35-yard extra point to tie the score and force overtime, in which UAlbany’s only drive failed to produce points.

Defensively, Levi Metheny led UAlbany with 12 tackles and an interception.

UAlbany returns home for a game next Saturday, Sept. 21, vs. Lafayette on Hometown Heroes Day. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.