ALBANY — The year 2023 marked a historic milestone for UAlbany football, setting unprecedented records and achieving remarkable success.
This Saturday night, the Great Danes are all set to embark on their next thrilling chapter.
Following an impressive 11-4 season, clinching a share of the program’s inaugural Coastal Athletic Association championship, and making their debut in the FCS playoffs semifinals, the Great Danes are ready to kickstart their 2024 season. They will be hosting LIU at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium for a 7 p.m. non-conference showdown.
“This is a fresh start, a new opportunity to set the tone,” said MarQeese Dietz, the Great Danes’ junior wide receiver, on Thursday. “This out-of-conference game is a chance for us to test our mettle, get a feel for the game, and gear up for the next big match after this week.”
Dietz, who made 45 catches for 515 yards and scored three touchdowns last season, is one of the few familiar faces in a UAlbany roster that has seen significant changes entering 2024.
Despite the Great Danes retaining their entire starting offensive line and featuring the reigning CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year, Griffin Woodell, as their running back, the team has been hit hard by graduation and transfers.
The defense, which topped the FCS in sacks and run defense last season, has been virtually reconstructed, while the receiving corps lost a combined 1,906 yards and 24 touchdowns due to the exits of Brevin Easton and Julian Hicks, both of whom were in NFL camps this preseason.
The quarterback position also saw a change, with Reese Poffenbarger transferring to Miami of the Atlantic Coast Conference after setting new passing records in his two seasons with the Great Danes.
Stepping into his shoes is Wisconsin transfer Myles Burkett, who emerged victorious in a training camp competition with returning backup Trey Lindsey for the starting position.
“I’m always ready,” Burkett said. “Even at my previous school, I was always prepared to play. Being named the starter doesn’t change my routine. I’m a very routine-oriented person, so my routine remains the same.”
With limited playing time at Wisconsin, Burkett is looking forward to surprising the LIU defense, which may not know what to expect.
“They’ve only seen about 70 snaps of me playing in college, mostly in garbage time,” he said. “So, they really don’t know what I’m capable of, do they?”
The Great Danes’ opening match is against LIU, a team that recorded a 4-7 season last year, including losses to UAlbany’s CAA rivals Bryant and Maine.
Great Danes’ head coach Greg Gattuso is hoping his team can minimize errors on Saturday. If they can, they might replicate last year’s tone-setting opener, a 34-13 victory over Fordham.
“Of course, the goal is to win the game, but more importantly, I want us to play a physical style of football and really minimize mistakes,” Gattuso said. “We have three key principles to win a game. Win the turnover battle, win the big-play battle, win the line of scrimmage. If we do that, I believe we’ll win. If we do it and we don’t win, then that’s an anomaly, because generally when we follow these three principles, we win about 80% of our games.”
CHEHADE RECEIVES FIRST ‘PLAY LIKE AJ’ AWARD
The UAlbany program was deeply affected in April when former Great Danes defensive end Amitral ‘AJ’ Simon passed away while preparing for the NFL Draft.
In memory of Simon — who accumulated 17.5 sacks in his two seasons with UAlbany, including 12.5 in 2023 — UAlbany has launched its “Play Like AJ” initiative. Each week, a defensive player will be selected to wear Simon’s No. 8 for that week’s game.
The selection will be announced every Thursday and will be given to a player who exemplifies Simon’s work ethic and preparation during that week’s practices.
The first to be honored is junior defensive lineman Ghassan Chehade, who will don the No. 8 jersey against LIU.
For Chehade, a Shaker High graduate set to make his second career start on Saturday, this is a significant honor.
“I’m truly honored,” Chehade said. “I’m at a loss for words. I wasn’t expecting it. I’m glad that the coaches see me in that light, to represent someone like AJ.”
Gattuso commended Chehade, a human biology major planning to attend medical school to become an orthopedist, for his dedication and character.
“I’ve got a soft spot for him,” Gattuso said. “He came here as a walk-on, he does everything we ask him to do. He’s an exceptional student, he’s a great human being. He’s going to be a doctor — and he’s actually a player I’d let work on me as a doctor.”
Disagree with playing in this game against a weak opponent
Disagree with scheduling weak opponents #uptheante
Disagree with scheduling weak opponents.
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