Danes can’t hold on vs. No. 13 Delaware
Promising debut for Ualbany QB Undercuffler, but Hens score with 18 seconds to play
A promising performance by freshman quarterback Jeff Undercuffler in his first career start had a familiar ending for the University at Albany football team.
The Great Danes fell 21-16 to 13thranked Delaware on Kani Kane’s 14-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left before a crowd of 3,182 at Casey Stadium. It was Ualbany’s fifth straight loss, three of which have come in the final minute.
When it was over, Ualbany head coach Greg Gattuso directed his frustration at the Colonial Athletic Association officials, who flagged his team 11 times for 88 yards.
“These kids played their butts off and I just feel like they deserved a better finish and a better result for the way they played under the circumstances we were under,’’ Gattuso said. “But some of the stuff that goes on in this league with some of these people, it’s ridiculous and it’s disappointing.”
Delaware (7-2 overall, 5-1 CA A) was penalized nine times for 83 yards by referee Jerry Pumphrey and his crew.
Ualbany (2-7, 0-6) still led 16-15 on sophomore running back Karl Mofor’s determined 4-yard touchdown run with 11:44 on the clock. The two-point conversion attempt failed when the officials ruled Undercuffler was stopped short of the end zone on a rush.
After both teams punted twice, Delaware took over at its own 17 with 2:35 to play. The Blue Hens drove 83 yards in 11 plays for the winning score by Kane.
One key penalty came when freshman safety A.J. Mistler was called for offsides coming on a blitz. The play was a screen pass that Ualbany snuffed out for no gain. Instead of fourth-and-10, Delaware faced a third-and-5 and quarterback Pat Kehoe completed a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Joe Walker for a first down at the Ualbany 39.
Gattuso said he didn’t see it, but his coaches told him Mistler was onside.
Gattuso was also upset about penalties that weren’t called when he felt freshman wide receiver Dev Holmes of Troy was being held. Holmes, who has expressed his frustration, was held to four catches for 16 yards.
“There were multiple calls,’’ Gattuso said. “I think it was pretty darned obvious. You’ve got to overcome officials sometimes. They make mistakes, too. But some of these things, it’s been an epidemic. It’s very difficult to understand sometimes. We have to fight through it and we’ve got to make plays and finish off drives and not throw picks and some things like that.”
Gattuso said he wasn’t going to speak directly to the league or commissioner Joe D’antonio because he felt it wasn’t his place.
Undercuffler, starting in place of injured senior Vince Testaverde (ankle), completed 15 of 28 passes for 171 yards with a pair of interceptions in heavy winds. He had a crucial turnover in the first quarter when he was picked off by linebacker Charles Bell at the Delaware 1.
But he also led the Great Danes back from a 12-0 deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter. He found Jerah Reeves for completions of 32 yards in the second quarter and 38 yards in the third quarter to set up scores.
“There was a lot going on, you know, mentally and physically, playing the No. (13) team in the country,’’ Undercuffler said. “But I feel like we played like we were the No. (13) team in the country today. Like Coach said, we didn’t get a lot of calls, nor have we gotten calls all season, but we’ve just got to keep fighting through adversity.”
Ualbany’s Elijah Ibitokun-hanks rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown.
msingelais@timesunion.com 518454-5509 @Marksingelais