Bye offers no relief for UAlbany football, blown out again by URI

ALBANY — The University at Albany football team is no match for first-place Rhode Island, and having a bye last week couldn’t solve that problem.

With extra rest and preparation following their worst loss in the Stony Brook rivalry on Oct. 4, the Great Danes stumbled to a 58-17 loss to URI on Saturday, their most lopsided defeat in a Coastal Athletic Association game.

UAlbany committed four turnovers on two interceptions and two fumbles while falling to 1-6 overall, 0-3 in the CAA.

“I figured we would (play a cleaner game),” UAlbany interim coach Jared Ambrose said. “We made too many mental errors in the game for a team that’s this good. And when you’re playing teams that have this amount of talent, you don’t have that luxury. You have to be ice cold, locked in and no errors. They (URI) saw the benefits of that.”

The margin of defeat surpassed UAlbany’s 37-0 home defeat against CAA rival Villanova in 2015. The Great Danes entered the league in 2013.

UAlbany has lost its three CAA games this season by a combined score of 129-35, including the 47-12 setback to SUNY rival Stony Brook two weeks ago.

“We’ve got five football games left,” UAlbany redshirt junior running back Griffin Woodell said. “That’s five games we’re trying to win.”

Woodell, a Glens Falls native, rushed for a team-high 62 yards and took a short pass from Jack Shields for a 46-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

UAlbany trailed URI 38-3 before Woodell scored and backup quarterback Aidan Semo added a 2-yard touchdown run to get within 38-17 with 2:42 left in the third.

“They showed fight and they will continue to fight,” Ambrose said. “No doubt it. I don’t question my team’s effort at all and I do not think that 41-point differential is an accurate depiction of who this football team is.”

After stopping UAlbany on downs to start the fourth quarter, URI (6-2, 4-0) poured on three straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The final indignity came when freshman running back Keon Kenner fumbled on his fourth career carry and URI’s Leisaan Hibbert ran it back 47 yards for a score with 51 seconds left.

Even though UAlbany struggled last season, the Great Danes nearly upset URI on the road. They jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the Rams pulled out a 20-17 lead.

Saturday’s rematch was never really in doubt.

“I think it’s a lapse in focus,” Woodell said. “I think we’re struggling focusing on what our assignments are and what we need to do.”

UAlbany senior safety Denzel Patrick, who had a team-high 11 tackles, blamed the blowout on a lack of discipline.

“No matter how many points are on the board, I feel a loss is a loss,” Patrick said. “We’ve just got to be able to look at film tomorrow and keep pushing.”

URI receivers broke wide open against UAlbany’s coverage. Greg Gaines, who had no receiving touchdowns entering the game, grabbed scoring passes of 32 and 42 yards in the second quarter.

Rams quarterback Devin Farrell finished 19-of-20 passing for 333 yards and four touchdowns.

“When you battle a quarterback like him, as veteran as he is, you’ve got to throw stuff at him that’s going to give him a hard time,” Ambrose said. “We busted a couple of coverages. I think (defensive coordinator) Bill (Nesselt’s) plan was a solid one. We’ve just got to execute it.”

Shields, in his first game back from a knee injury, was 12-of-26 for 192 yards with a touchdown. His two interceptions both came on deflected passes.

“Not going to excuse our performance because I have to own everything this program does,” Ambrose said. “But those guys (URI) are as as you’re going to find in this conference.”

UAlbany returns to action at Villanova next Saturday.