What Is 2018 Albany Great Danes football team

Overview

The 2018 Albany Great Danes football team represented the University at Albany, SUNY in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Competing as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), the team was led by head coach Greg Gattuso during his second full season at the helm.

The Great Danes played their home games at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium, a 8,500-seat facility in Albany, New York. Despite a winning record, the team did not qualify for the FCS playoffs, missing out on postseason contention for the second consecutive year.

• Record: The team finished the season with a 7-5 overall record, marking a slight improvement from the previous year’s 6-5 mark.
• Conference play: In the highly competitive CAA, the Great Danes posted a 5-3 conference record, finishing tied for fourth place.
• Head coach: Greg Gattuso entered his second full season as head coach, continuing the program’s transition after the retirement of long-time coach Bob Ford.
• Home stadium: Tom & Mary Casey Stadium, located on the UAlbany campus, hosted all home games and underwent upgrades in recent years to improve fan experience.
• Postseason: Despite a winning record, Albany did not receive an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs, ending their season in November 2018.

Season Performance

The 2018 campaign featured a mix of strong offensive performances and inconsistent defense, a hallmark of the Great Danes’ season. They opened with a tough loss to FBS opponent Buffalo but rebounded with wins over Colgate and Stony Brook.

• Early struggles: A 49-10 loss to Buffalo (FBS) in Week 2 tested the team’s resilience early in the season.
• Non-conference wins: Victories over Colgate (24-17) and Stony Brook (35-28) helped stabilize the team’s confidence.
• Quarterback play: Quarterback Jeff Undercuffler started most games, throwing for 2,042 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season.
• Defensive challenges: The defense allowed an average of 28.3 points per game, struggling against top CAA offenses like James Madison and Maine.
• Key win: A 38-31 overtime victory over Maine in October was a highlight, showcasing the team’s offensive firepower.
• Final game: The season concluded with a 31-28 loss to rival Stony Brook in the regular-season finale, snapping a two-game win streak.

Comparison at a Glance

How the 2018 Great Danes stacked up against recent seasons in key statistical categories:

The 2018 team showed modest improvement over the previous two seasons in both overall and conference records. However, they failed to reach the postseason for the third straight year, a decline from their 2015 playoff appearance. The offense generated more points than in 2017, but defensive lapses in close games proved costly.

Why It Matters

The 2018 season was a transitional year for Albany football, reflecting both progress and persistent challenges under new leadership. While the team demonstrated competitiveness in the CAA, it underscored the difficulty of returning to postseason contention in a deep conference.

• Program development: The season marked continued growth under Greg Gattuso, who was rebuilding the team’s identity post-Bob Ford era.
• Player development: Several underclassmen gained starting experience, setting the foundation for future seasons.
• Recruiting impact: A winning record helped maintain recruiting momentum in the Northeast region.
• CAA competitiveness: The league remained one of the toughest in FCS, making playoff qualification increasingly difficult.
• Fan engagement: Home games continued to draw solid attendance, supporting athletic department revenue goals.
• Long-term goals: The team aimed to return to the FCS playoffs by 2020, using 2018 as a developmental stepping stone.

The 2018 Albany Great Danes season, while not historic, played a key role in the program’s ongoing evolution. It highlighted both the promise of young talent and the challenges of achieving consistency at the FCS level.