Football challenges Albany, falls 31-14

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team scored 11 seconds apart to take a 14-7 lead at the half, but the University at Albany shutout the Bulldogs in the second half on its way to a 31-14 victory on Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.

For the fourth time this season, the Bulldogs (0-6, 0-4 NEC) saw a third-quarter lead disappear as the Great Danes (5-1, 3-0 NEC) tied the game on a one-yard rush and took the lead on a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown just over a minute and a half later.

On a day in which the Bulldogs forced three Albany turnovers and the Great Danes missed three field goals, you would have expected a different outcome. The three turnovers, however, led to just seven points and the Black and Gold were able to muster just 103 yards of total offense in the second half.

The day appeared to be headed in the Bulldogs' favor on several occasions in the first half. On Albany's second play of the game, sophomore safety Sebastian Amedee (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) put a big hit on Drew Smith to force a fumble that the Bulldogs would recover the on the Great Danes' 24. Five plays and -6 yards later, the Bulldogs were forced to punt. They were able to down it at the one-yard  line but Albany drove 71 yards before missing a 46-yard field goal attempt.

Albany finally broke through midway through the second quarter. The Great Danes forced the Bulldogs to punt from their endzone and took over at the Bulldog 37. Eight plays and two third-down conversions later, Smith rumbled in from three yards out to make it 7-0.

Bryant immediately responded with what appeared to be  a possible season-changing three minutes. Jump-started by a 30-yard return from Jordan Brown (Glastonbury, Conn.), the Bulldogs quickly marched into Albany territory as Mike Westerhaus (Farmingville, N.Y.) completed his first four passes of the drive, including a 22-yard strike to Jordan Harris (Lincoln University, Pa.) that moved Bryant to the Albany 17. Two plays later, Westerhaus lofted a pass to the back of the endzone that Harris snared for his sixth touchdown of the season to tie the game at 7-7.

It took just two plays for the Bulldogs to grab their only lead of the game. Will Fiacchi's first-down pass intended for Cole King never reached its destination as Bobby Rutland (Bethesda, Md.) intercepted the pass at the Albany 18. On the next play, Westerhaus quickly threw to Harris on a screen pass, but instead of running, Harris stopped and threw to a wide open Robert Ingebretsen in the endzone to make it 14-7. The touchdown pass was Harris's first career and it was the first-career TD reception for Ingebretsen.

It was all Great Danes after that, however. Albany didn't allow the Bulldogs a first down until the final 3:30 minutes of the third quarter and allowed just five total in the second half. The Bulldogs had a great chance to increase their advantage as Ryan Schermerhorn (Bedord, N.Y.) forced Smith to fumble at his own 47. The drive had potential as a draw play on third-and-10 sprung Brown for 31 yards before a holding penalty nullified it.

A third missed field goal  with 8:27 remaining in the third quarter gave Bryant the ball back but it was stuffed on a third-and-one run play and forced to punt. The Bulldogs never recovered. Albany used a pair of big completions to Ryan Kirchner to get into Bryant territory and then six-straight runs to put the ball in the endzone and tie the game.

Then, as it has all season, a turnover proved deadly for the Black and Gold. For the first time in the half the Bulldogs were moving the ball as Westerhaus connected with Matt Roncaioli (Southington, Conn.) for 27 yards and Chad Ward (Delray Beach, Fla.) for 15 yards on consecutive plays. Three players later, though, Bryant faced a third-and-11 and Westerhaus was forced from the pocket and threw downfield. The pass was off target and Justinian Mason intercepted it and took it 75 yards for a touchdown and effectively took any wind out of the sails.

Albany would benefit from another Bulldog penalty to get the ball back at its own 38 with 12:49 to play and proceeded to score seven plays and 62 yards later. Smith broke off a 27-yard run and Fiacchi connected with Kevin Chillis for 22 yards on a fourth-and-five to put Albany at the Bryant 2. Smith scored his third touchdown of the game on the very next play to make it 28-24.

Westerhaus finished 17-of-32 for 157 yards and a touchdown and Harris caught four passes for 50 yards. Danny Basil (Amityville, N.Y.) led the defense with 10 tackles, while Rutland and Aaron Dixon (Danbury, Conn.) each picked up eight stops.

The Bulldogs are back in action next weekend when they welcome Robert Morris to Bulldog Stadium on October 13. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Parents and Family Weekend.