Luke McAuliffe barely saw the field for two years at Monmouth University, but after transferring to the University at Albany last winter, his decision to come home and get on the field is paying off huge right now. This Saturday, it all comes full circle as UAlbany faces Monmouth in a Coastal Athletic Association matchup at Casey Stadium.
The Transfer Gamble Pays Off, But Not Without Heartbreak
McAuliffe is out there playing regularly at wide receiver for the Great Danes. Remember, he only appeared in a single game for Monmouth. You know that had to sting. He said it himself: “Obviously, it was tough not getting a chance to play over there.” But his new coaches, Tom Perkovich and Dylan August, gave him the shot, and he feels like he’s “taken advantage of it so far.” We’ve seen him snag five catches for 41 yards this season, making a real difference. His first college reception was a 12-yard grab on the opening drive of UAlbany’s 21-17 loss to Buffalo on September 3rd. That was his first college start!
Talk about high drama: the Buffalo game ended with another McAuliffe reception. On fourth-and-goal from the 9, he caught a pass right over the middle. But he got tackled at the 3, and UAlbany turned the ball over with just over a minute left. Brutal. He summed it up perfectly: “That was tough. It sucks it came down to that, but I was in the right spot. Just came up short.” Ouch.
Earning Trust and a Shot at Redemption
UAlbany bounced back big, grabbing a 35-13 victory last Saturday against Long Island University, where McAuliffe pulled down two catches for 17 yards off the bench. Head Coach Tom Perkovich clearly trusts the guy, noting how McAuliffe has “done a good job of buying into what we’re doing and trying to ask a lot of questions.” He was looking for effective guys in that young wide receiver room, and despite some injuries, McAuliffe has “done a nice job of earning our trust just with the way he’s worked and the way he’s made some plays in practice.”
This isn’t McAuliffe’s first rodeo with UAlbany’s staff. Will Fiacchi, the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, actually recruited McAuliffe out of Shenendehowa High School back in the day. Back then, McAuliffe was a beast, hauling in 85 passes for 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns in his career, earning first-team all-area honors twice. He even played basketball! While he agreed to play for Monmouth and learned a lot there (“I feel like I grew a lot”), he ultimately decided it was time to move on for more playing time.
Now, he’s got that playing time, and his former team is walking into Casey Stadium. This game is huge for McAuliffe to show exactly what he can do, not just for his team, but against the program that barely gave him a look. It’s all about what he does “week by week” from here on out, and this Saturday is the ultimate test.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply