Albany picked to win the NEC

[danefan]

http://www.northeastconference.org/News ... path=fball

Somerset, NJ -- UAlbany stands as the unanimous favorite to capture the 2009 Northeast Conference football crown, which would be its third straight. The Great Danes received eight first-place votes to finish atop an annual survey of league’s head coaches for a fourth consecutive season. Monmouth, the 2008 NEC runner-up, garnered the lone remaining first-place nod to finish second in the preseason poll, the results of which were announced during a media teleconference Tuesday morning. The Conference also unveiled its Preseason All-NEC Team during the media session, which served as a prelude to the NEC’s 14th season on the gridiron.

Central Connecticut State, which has posted a winning conference record in each of the past five seasons, claimed third in the poll ahead of Sacred Heart in fourth and Robert Morris in fifth. Embarking on its second NEC season, Duquesne was chosen sixth while new league member Bryant took seventh. Wagner, in eighth, and Saint Francis (PA), in ninth, round out the preseason selections.

The Northeast Conference kicks off the 2009 campaign on September 5 when all nine of its members take the field. Monmouth will host Duquesne to open the league schedule on September 19 in front of a NEC-TV audience, but it is not until October 3 that the NEC slate steps into full swing.

No program in Northeast Conference history has secured three consecutive outright league crowns, let alone three straight undefeated seasons. Not having lost a conference game since the 2006 season finale, Albany (9-3, 7-0 NEC) has the opportunity to accomplish both feats in 2009 and reigning NEC Coach of the Year Bob Ford welcomes back six preseason all-NEC performers to help in the effort. Walter Payton Award candidate David McCarty (Gansevoort, NY/LaSalle Institute), the league’s all-time single-season rushing leader (1,852), returns for his senior season at tailback. After moving from flanker into the backfield prior to the 2007 campaign, McCarty has rushed for a program-record 3,355 yards and 26 touchdowns in 24 games as the starter.

The Great Danes enjoy continuity at the other offense skill positions as well. All-NEC receiver Tim Bush (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs), who gained a fifth year of eligibility due to medical hardship, owns Albany’s single-season receptions record (67). Senior quarterback Vinny Esposito (Demarest, NJ/Northern Valley Regional) has a 17-7 career record as a starter and has thrown for 25 touchdowns to only 16 interceptions during that span.

Despite opening the 2008 season with three of four games against top-10 teams in FCS, Albany managed to lead the NEC in both scoring defense (18.2 ppg) and rushing defense (119.1 ypg). The Great Danes’ three preseason all-NEC selections had much to do with that. Sophomore defensive end Eddie Delaney (Holtsville, NY/Sachem East) made 37 tackles and broke up six passes. Senior captain Justin Brancaccio led the linebacking corps with 91 tackles. Meanwhile, senior Dave Casale (Troy, NY/Troy) was all over field in making 74 tackles and seven interceptions.....

[bobbythekidd]

This guy has his own thread on GSUFans.

http://troyrecord.mycapture.com/mycaptu ... ryID=42218

[dbackjon]

Good luck to the Danes

[danefan]

This guy has his own thread on GSUFans.

http://troyrecord.mycapture.com/mycaptu ... ryID=42218

Yeah I've been lurking, but I'll leave the pot stirring to my buddy Ruler (man he loves to stir the pot).

And McCarty is showing the guns off for Coach Coughlin to see. This is the first year the Danes are practicing side-by-side with the Giants. In the past we used to practice on intramural fields while the Giants used our practice fields. Now the Giants have agreed to "share" the practice fields and coordinate the schedules. That has resulted in some UA practices with a few thousand spectators watching as they wait in between Giants practices. (Bigger than the most of the gameday crowds! )

[Mountaineer]

That's a real nice run by the Danes! Good luck to 'em this season.

[dbackjon]

OK - I'm a fan...

[danefan]

A couple of articles from yesterday's media day:

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/st ... ory=SPORTS

http://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/wei ... for-danes/

http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2009 ... 265464.txt

[danefan]

Tom Coughlin spoke to the team this morning.
http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticl ... =204777829

Coach Coughlin and Coach Ford are old friends and Coach Coughlin routinely speaks to the team during preseason camp.

[SUUTbird]

Good luck to the Danes in 09, hopefully you guys could get a bid into the playoffs, i found some highlights of Mcarty and the Danes playing Jacksonville last year in the Gridiron Classic

[danefan]

Here's another great article on McCarty.
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2009 ... 208205.txt
"The few, the proud ... UAlbany All-American plans on career in U.S. Marine Corps"

ALBANY — David McCarty, First Team All-American.

David McCarty, United States Marine.

“I’d love to be both,” University at Albany’s battering ram running back said at the Great Danes’ Media Day earlier this week.

If it’s a choice of one?

“No contest,” the former La Salle Institute two-way star said. “Being in the military is something I’ve wanted to do all my life. I’m a big history buff and a big military buff and I’ve been anxious to serve my country ever since 9/11.”

First, though, is the 2009 season.

McCarty is among 14 starters back from last season’s team that won all seven Northeast Conference games, went 9-3 overall and routed Jacksonville (28-0) in the Gridiron Classic.

McCarty rushed for a school-record 1,852 yards and 13 touchdowns and set another mark with 2,208 all-purpose yards. His 357 carries was four short of a 30-carry per game average. His rushing total breaks down to 154.3 yards per contest. He was second on the team in receiving with 27 catches for 356 yards and four TDs.

“Just an amazing season,” UAlbany coach Bob Ford said.

McCarty’s humility always precedes him.

He capped off his standout junior season with one of the best individual performances of the college football season — all divisions. He carried the ball 33 times for 271 yards and scored all four touchdowns on runs of 16, 1, 3 and 77 yards in the Gridiron Classic.

His reaction?

“It just felt good to make a contribution to my team’s victory,” he said.

In recent pictures, McCarty looks as much like a body-builder as a football player. How much bigger is he?

“Last year at this time, I was right around 200 (pounds),” he said. “Right now, I’m about 215 (217, Ford says). This summer I had an opportunity to work out every day and run every day, so I’ve been training pretty hard. I didn’t stop after the season ended. I was still lifting, still working out. All spring, same thing. It’s been a non-stop thing.”

Will his mobility be affected by the ripped upper body, some might ask, if he had to make an open-field tackle on an interception, or on a difficult pass reception.

“Not at all, not at all,” he laughed. “Am I gonna fall over, is that what you’re asking? I’ll be fine.”

He's the type of kid you want your daughter to marry.