Albany

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Defense Shines In UAlbany Spring Football Game

GAME STATS I FLIP CARD

ALBANY, N.Y. -- With blue skies and sunshine overhead, the University at Albany football team played its annual spring game Saturday afternoon on Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium. With a scoring system that gave points to both sides of the ball, the Great Danes’ defense came away with the victory, 56-32.

Donning grey, the defense forced three fumbles and intercepted four passes in the friendly competition. Redshirt senior cornerback Rayshan Clark served as a playmaker, forcing a goal line fumble in the second quarter, as well as logging a 64-yard pick for a touchdown in the second half.

In addition, redshirt sophomore DaSharnte Thompson led the defense with seven tackles, a fumble return for 29 yards and an interception for 11. Sophomore Josh Wynn added six tackles and an interception, and redshirt freshman Joe Crowley had a pick with a 20-yard return along with four tackles.

“What you’re seeing out of our defense, hopefully going forward, is that we’re taller, more athletic, and there’s a lot of depth coming up,” said Head Coach Greg Gattuso. “I like where we’re at on defense right now. You’ve got to win with defense and we’re getting much better.”

Offensively, UAlbany totaled 131 rushing yards, piloted by sophomore Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks’ 45 yards on eight carries. Redshirt senior Power Lawrence and sophomore Jamal Williams each totaled 35 yards on the ground on 7 and 13 rushed, respectively.

Splitting time in the pocket, sophomore Neven Sussman completed 7-of-16 pass attempts with three interceptions, totaling 72 passing yards. Redshirt junior DJ Crook also completed seven passes for a total of 55 yards, going 7-for-13 with one interception and an 18-yard touchdown toss to redshirt freshman Austin Ellis.

Ellis finished with two receptions, totaling 23 yards. Eight different Danes caught passes in the game led by redshirt freshman Joe Germinerio’s three receptions for 20 yards, while redshirt junior wide receive Brad Harriscaught two passes for 30 yards, including a game-long 25 yard snag.

In the kicking game, redshirt sophomore Ethan Stark made all three of his field goal attempts with a long of 43-yards.

“I think we did some good things today. We made some silly mistakes on offense, but that’s part of the growing process,” said Gattuso. “Overall the thing I look for as a head football coach is that we had great enthusiasm. They were into it, and I was happy with our energy and our competitive level.”

 

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Local coverage:

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/capital-...nt.html?SPSID=70366&SPID=8009&DB_OEM_ID=15800

 

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UAlbany football's Brad Harris plays, talks a good game
Danes' wide receiver gives as good as he receives at practice
By Jason Franchuk

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Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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UAlbany's #85 Brad Harris runs a Will Fiacchi pass completion back for a touchdown during Saturday's game against Columbia at Bob Ford Field in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)


Albany

Shutting down Brad Harris is one thing. Shutting up the University at Albany wide receiver is wholly another.

The Great Danes are through a week of spring practices and one part of the depth chart is crystal clear: Harris and linebacker Julian Cox bring more gab than daytime talk shows. Virtually the entire Great Danes' roster howled Saturday morning when Harris dropped a short pass in a team drill, no one louder than Cox.

It was comeuppance for three practices worth of in-your-face, which does not get turned away by the UAlbany coaches these days.

"When I first got here, the kids don't know (me)," third-year coach Greg Gattuso said when asked of Harris, who's about to enter his fourth year (redshirt junior). "As a staff, we wanted to have some fun, too. This is a natural progression of recruiting the kids, of knowing them for awhile; since they were in high school. I'm really tough on over-the-line, but we need this. You've got to have some enthusiasm."

On a bleak morning, as a biting breeze encompassed Casey Stadium, it was suddenly like the group was sitting around a campfire as Harris was blasted for his butterfingers. Everything from hearing it would be nice if he showed up to practice to telling him a little while later, after a wayward pass thrown in his direction, that he really needed to get on the same page as the quarterback.

There have been a few points already at camp when Harris has grabbed a face mask or had his tugged at the completion of a play, and a taunt. It looked like it could get ugly.

That notion gets shrugged off as much as the words.

"It helps us get better," said fellow receiver Zee Roberson. "It's nothing negative."

And it may show the value of finding comfort. Coaches say Harris has come out of his shell.

Harris agrees. The Orlando, Fla., native didn't even start until hallway through his junior year of high school — right around the time the previous coaching staff discovered him — but still became a senior captain at University High.

He said the lure of a strong criminal justice program encouraged him to check out UAlbany, though he mostly kept to himself his first year.

It was the arrival of Cox, a sophomore from Pennsylvania, that apparently awakened the smack-talker inside.

"That's my boy," Cox said. "I really respect him. When he messes up, I get to get on him. Same thing if I mess up. It's constructive criticism — we're building chemistry through competition."

After his drop, Harris caught a dazzling tightrope pass late in Saturday's practice, athletically getting his feet inbounds — after complaining several times that he couldn't feel his hands. Offensive teammates greeted him joyously.

Even Cox rushed over to the offensive sideline.

"He thought I was going to talk smack," Cox said. "I said, 'No, I'm serious. That was a really good catch.' "

Harris and Roberson have basically switched roles this year, Gattuso said.

Roberson (6-foot-2, 175 pounds) will be the deep-ball threat. Harris' bigger size and "advanced route running, plus knowledge of the offensive system" says Gattuso, will likely have him be a target in the middle of the field or the sideline on shorter patterns.

Harris was second on the team with 32 catches last year, 14 behind Roberson, but had seven more yards gained (438).

Listed at 6-3, about 200 pounds, teammates skeptically call him "Chunky." Harris confides that he's put on some weight. It's not clear if he intends to cut it.

He'll hear about it when he's standing in the defensive huddle, where he'll "chill until they kick me out."

His smile gets big. The southern kid who came to the Capital Region wary of differing personalities has discovered common ground with his team. Talking, competing, it's all the same this time of year.