The University at Albany football team officially crashed the Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 today, making their season debut at No. 25 in the American Football Coaches Association poll. What a wild ride, especially after they finished last season with a dismal 2-10 record. Seriously, talk about a glow-up!
From The Basement To The Rankings
This isn’t some fluke, folks. UAlbany is sitting at 5-3 overall, with a strong 3-1 record in the Coastal Athletic Association. They’ve been on a climb, and the rankings finally caught up. It’s an incredible turnaround, seeing as they haven’t been nationally ranked since early in the 2024 season. And if the AFCA poll isn’t enough for you, they were also first among other teams receiving votes in the Stats Perform FCS media Top 25 poll released on Monday. The Great Danes are making noise, whether some folks want to admit it or not.
Shattering Streaks And Eyeing The Future
They didn’t just sneak into the rankings, either. UAlbany punched their ticket by taking down Rhode Island 38-21 on Saturday in Pawtucket. That win wasn’t just another notch on the belt, though, it *snapped* the Rams’ insane 17-game home winning streak, which was the longest in the entire FCS. You read that right: the longest in the FCS! First-year head coach Tom Perkovich is definitely making an impact, and he knows everyone is watching. “Obviously, we’re getting some eyes on us, right, with what we’re doing,” Perkovich said. But don’t expect him to be soaking it all in. He was quick to add, “I don’t take a ton of solace in polls, to be honest with you, but it’s nice to be recognized. It’s an honor for our players. But, as we know, we’ve got another really, really good football team coming into our place this weekend. This is one of the best quarterbacks in the country.” That’s the mindset you love to see, focused on the next challenge.
Big Showdown Ahead
And what a challenge it is. The Great Danes are set to face No. 15 Campbell this Saturday at noon in Casey Stadium. Campbell isn’t just a good team, they’re 7-1 overall, 4-0 in the CAA, and ranked 12th in the Stats Perform poll. They’ve got quarterback Kamden Sixkiller leading the charge, and Perkovich is right, he’s one of the best out there. What’s even crazier? Campbell, like UAlbany, was also 2-10 last season. This isn’t just a CAA showdown, this is a battle of incredible comebacks. Can UAlbany prove this ranking is no fluke against another team that knows how to turn a season around? You absolutely don’t want to miss it.
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.
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