UAlbany's Jeff Undercuffler
CAA Football Rewind - Nov. 30
Rob Washburn
UAlbany 42, Central Connecticut State 14
Box Score
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jeff Undercuffler passed for 304 yards and a school-record six touchdowns as UAlbany (9-4) rolled past Central Connecticut State, 42-14, in the first round of the NCAA FCS playoffs. It was the first playoff win ever for the Great Danes, who advance to play 5th-seeded Montana State next Saturday at 3 p.m. (EST).
UAlbany started slowly and fell behind 7-0 after the first quarter, but pulled even just before halftime on a 12-yard TD pass from Undercuffler to Juwan Green. The Great Danes carried that momentum to the second half, where they blew the game open with 28 third-quarter points. UAlbany needed just 24 seconds to grab the lead as Undercuffler and Green connected on a 40-yard strike. A 33-yard scoring pass to Jerah Reeves increased the lead to 14 and an 11-yard toss to tight end LJ Wesneski made it 28-7 midway through the third quarter. Undercuffler capped his career day by hitting Tyler Oedekoven with a 9-yard throw late in the third quarter and capped the scoring on a 10-yard shovel pass to Karl Mofor early in the fourth.
UAlbany's standout receiving duo of Green and Reeves both topped the 100-yard mark with Green making seven catches for 105 yards and Reeves adding six receptions for 134 yards. The 42 points were the most scored against CCSU all season and it ended the Blue Devils' eight-game winning streak.
Linebacker Danny Damico recorded a team-high 12 tackles for UAlbany, while Eli Mencer had five tackles, a sack and an interception.
Southeastern Louisiana 45, Villanova 44
Box Score
Junior quarterback Daniel Smith accounted for 373 yards of offense and five touchdowns, but Villanova (9-4) dropped a heartbreaking 45-44 decision at Southeastern Louisiana in the first round of the NCAA FCS playoffs.
The Wildcats dominated the first half of action. Smith hit tight end Todd Summers with a 4-yard TD pass late in the first quarter to take a 10-7 lead, and Villanova upped its advantage to 10 midway through the second quarter when Elijah Glover returned an interception 78 yards for a score. Smith broke loose for a 53-yard TD run that made it 24-7 and a 57-yard strike to Jaaron Hayek with 28 seconds remaining in the first half put the Wildcats in front 31-14 at intermission.
Southeastern Louisiana reeled off 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to tie the contest, but a 1-yard toss from Smith to Summers put VU back on top, 38-31, early in the fourth quarter. The Lions pulled even once again with 6:36 remaining, but the Wildcats answered with a 50-yard TD pass from Smith to Changa Hodge that made it 44-38 after a missed extra point. After Southeastern Louisiana retook the lead, 45-44, with 2:56 to go, Villanova drove into Lions' territory and appeared to go back in front on a 40-yard scoring pass, but the play was nullified by an offenisve pass interference penalty. The Wildcats eventually turned the ball over on downs with 48 seconds to go.
Along with Smith's big day, Hayek finished with six catches for 105 yards and Hodge had six receptions for 98 yards. Defensively, linebacker Forrest Rhyne recorded a team-best 11 tackles.