HAMILTON, N.Y. (9/1/07) – Junior tailback Jordan Scott (Hyattsville, MD) carried 44 times for 180 yards and one touchdown to lead Colgate to a 13-11 win over Albany at Andy Kerr Stadium.

 

Colgate (1-0) snapped a three-game losing streak in openers in its first ever meeting with the Great Danes (0-1).

 

“Collectively as a unit, in the end, we played very well and did what we needed to do to win,” said Scott.  “This was about the Super Bowl after last season.  This was the only game we were focused on and now with the win we can focus on the next one.”

 

Colgate exploded on the opening kickoff when senior cornerback Cody Williams (Blasdell, NY) returned the ball 87 yards to the Albany four.  It was the 13^th longest kickoff return in school history.  On the first play from scrimmage, Scott bolted in for the touchdown, and Mike Buck (Basking Ridge, NJ) added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

 

The Raiders took advantage of an eight-yard punt by Albany on its first possession giving the home team possession at the Great Danes’ 28-yard line.  Albany defense held Colgate forcing a career-long 36-yard field goal by Buck with 11:44 left in the quarter.

 

Albany managed to cut the 10-point deficit in half before the end of the opening quarter, scoring on a safety and Jason Fralicker’s 37-yard field goal with 5:29 remaining.

 

On the third play of the second quarter, Fralicker capped a 39-yard drive with a 41-yard field goal to make the score 10-8.  On its next possession, Albany managed its first lead of the game when Fralicker booted a 45-yarder for a 11-10 lead.

 

The game-winning points came in the third quarter on Buck’s 19-yard field goal on Colgate’s first possession.  Albany had a bad snap on a punt attempt, that was downed at the visitors’ 15-yard line.  The Raiders were faced with fourth-and-goal at the two-yard line, and coach Dick Biddle settled tor the field goal.

 

Colgate’s defense played a strong game holding the Great Danes to 57 yards rushing and 154 passing.

 

“It’s a enormous win,” said senior linebacker Mike Gallihugh (Midlothian, VA), who led Colgate with 11 tackles.  “We were really well prepared by coach Biddle.  We knew what they were going to do.  We knew their tendencies and formations and we conditioned well.”

 

Junior quarterback Anthony Fucillo (Winthrop, MA) started for the Raiders playing the first three quarters.  He connected on four-of-nine passes for 31 yards and rushed 10 times for minus-26.  He was replaced in the fourth quarter by junior Alex Relph (Victor, NY), who completed 2-of-6 for 39 yards including a key 33-yard connection with sophomore Pat Simonds (Sidney, NY) for a first down that helped the Raiders run out the clock over the final 4:27.

 

RAIDER NOTES:  This was the second time in Buck’s career he has kicked a pair of field goals in a game … Scott went over 100 yards for the 14^th time in his career.  He is 21 yards from seventh place on the school’s all-time rushing list … Senior defensive end Ryan Keller (Colts Neck, NJ) made 10 tackles and combined with Gallihugh on a quarterback sack, while sophomore linebacker Greg Hadley (Fayetteville, NY) had six tackles and one sack … senior safety Andre Dawson (Erie, PA) had his first career interception … Simonds finished with three receptions for  48 yards.