Gattuso Captures 100^th Career Win In 37-20 Victory Over URI

Photo Credit: Nick DeRegis/Rhode Island Athletics

GAME STATS (PDF)

KINGSTON, R.I. – The University at Albany football program scored 37 consecutive points en route to a 37-20 win over the hosting University of Rhode Island Rams Saturday afternoon at Meade Stadium. Improving to 3-0 on the year, the victory marked the first CAA conquest in program history, as well as Head Coach Greg Gattuso's 100^th win of his coaching career.

“Every game has tons of adversity and we started out with a lot of adversity,” said Gattuso. “These guys are resilient and they play hard. The big thing is if they keep believing in what we do well, we have a chance to win games and that's what they did. They didn't panic, we just kept doing what we do.”

In the milestone triumph, the Great Danes racked up 437 yards of offense, while holding the Rams to 286. Redshirt senior running back Omar Osbourne rushed for 153 yards on 27 carries, marking his ninth career 100+ rushing performance. He was supplemented by sophomore Andre Martin's 14 carries and 45 yards, while Jake Meek led the squad with two rushing touchdowns on seven touches and 41 rushing yards.

Totaling four touchdowns as a team, redshirt senior Will Fiacchi threw for two, connecting with tight end Brian Parker and freshman wide receiver Josh Gontarek, while completing 14-of-29 passes for a total of 188 yards.

In addition to grabbing his first career touchdown, Gontarek finished with five receptions and 87 yards, followed by Cole King's five catches for 60 yards.

Defensively, the Great Danes once again snuffed out the oppositions' ground game, holding URI to just 79 rushing yards on 29 attempts (2.7 yards/rush). In addition, UAlbany benefitted 17 points off of turnovers thanks to UAlbany's hardnosed defensive attack.

Redshirt senior tackle Tim Kologrivov was the defensive playmaker of the game, recovering a fumble that eventually resulted in a field goal, and forcing a fumble on a ferocious sack that ultimately gave the Danes' a touchdown in the resulting drive. Safety Kyle Sakowski also added a spark, recording a 24-yard interception that led to a UAlbany touchdown, in addition to logging five tackles. Rayshan Clark led the team with six solo tackles, while Christian Dorsey also brought down six (3 solo).

UAlbany kicker Patrick Toole had a career game, sailing three straight field goal attempts through the uprights, including a 46-yarder and a pair of 23-yarders. In addition he made all four point-after kicks, as well as averaged 61.0 yards on seven kickoffs with two touchbacks.

In front of a home-opening crowd of 6,351, the Rams encompassed the energy to jump out to a 14-0 head start in the first quarter. Using six plays to travel 50-yards down the natural grass gridiron, URI took a 7-0 lead on Mack Lowrie's seven-yard pass to Ross Kim with 11:04 on the clock. In their next possession, the Rams moved 43-yards on six plays, capped by Lyle McCombs' one-yard touchdown run with 7:32 remaining in the first.

However, those would be Rhode Island's final points until the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.

Converting on 4^th-and-6 on Meek's 16-yard scamper, UAlbany broke onto the board with Toole's 23-yard field goal with 2:25 left in the opening quarter.

After URI fumbled back-to-back snaps, Kologrivov recovered the second, giving UAlbany possession on the URI-14 at the turn of the quarters. Osbourne put the ball on the goal line after consecutive runs, but the Rhode Island defense stood strong, forcing the Danes to settle for another Toole 23-yard field goal with 13:02 remaining in the second.

The second of three straight turnovers, Sakowski's 24-yard pick gave the Danes possession with 9:32 to go in the half. Using seven plays to travel 51-yards, Meek took a direct snap and scrambled nine-yards into the end zone, cutting the margin to one, 14-13, with 6:54 on the clock.

For the third straight URI possession, UAlbany's defense forced a turnover, as Kologrivov hit Lowrie and Jack Forster recovered the football on the UA-41. With 3:29 to go, UAlbany took the lead for good, 20-14, on Parker's nine-yard reception from Fiacchi.

Toole put an exclamation point on the comeback-half with a career-best 46-yard field goal with no time left on the clock, sending the Danes into the break with a 23-14 advantage.

The Danes continued to stretch the margin in the second half, as Meek scampered for another touchdown on a four-yard run with 4:03 left in the third quarter, capping a five-play, 80-yard drive.

Running the clock, UAlbany slowly but surely moved its way down the field, using 19-plays to travel 69-yards in 9:41 minutes. Fiacchi found Gontarek in the back corner of the end zone on the final play, giving the Danes a 37-14 lead after Toole's PAT.

URI broke its silence in its last drive of the contest, scoring a touchdown on McCombs' 10-yard run with 1:14 remaining.

McCombs led Rhode Island with 72 rushing yards on 21 carries, while Lowrie passed for 207 yards, completing 18-of-30 tosses. Senior wide receiver Robbie Jackson finished with five catches and 97 receiving yards.

Up next, UAlbany returns to Bob Ford Field for three straight home games. The Danes host Columbia on Sept. 27 for a 6:00 p.m. Hall of Fame Weekend non-conference clash.

TEAM NOTES: Head Coach Greg Gattuso recorded his 100th career win against URI (100-32/13th season) … He is the 5th active CAA coach to hit the century mark … Gattuso is the winningest active coach at the FCS level with .758 winning percentage … UAlbany is 3-0 for the first time since 2001 when UAlbany started the season with five straight wins … UAlbany is one of 11 FCS teams with an undefeated record … With 188 passing yards against URI, redshirt senior quarterback Will Fiacchi hit the 5,000 career passing yard milestone … Fiacchi ranks third all-time with 5,047 passing yards … UAlbany ranks 1st in the CAA and 3rd in FCS for scoring defense (11.0), as well as 1st in the CAA and 4th in FCS for rushing defense (72.3) … UAlbany ranks first in the nation for turnover margin (2.67), gaining nine turnovers this season, while losing only one … UAlbany is tied for fourth in FCS for fumble recoveries, recovering seven, while losing none.

Scoring Summary (Final)

ALBANY (3-0,1-0) vs. Rhode Island (0-3,0-1)

Date: Sep 20, 2014 • Site: Kingston, RI  • Stadium: Meade Stadium  •  Attendance: 6351

Team Statistics (Final)

Individual Statistics (Final)

Drive Chart (Final)

Drive Chart (By Quarter)

Defensive Statistics (Final)

Participation Report (Final)