The University at Albany Great Danes won 19-7 in their first Northeast Conference football championship and an ECAC Football Classic berth in the regular-season finale against Monmouth on Saturday, Nov. 16. This victory gives the Great Danes the outright NEC title. The Danes played with a clear vision of what was at stake. "You realize if we lose the ball game, we let a championship slip away from us," UAlbany head coach Bob Ford said. "We needed to be focused�and to play with a lot of passion." No one seemed out of step with this thinking.

This was the fifth meeting between UAlbany and Monmouth � the Danes won the four previous games, including last year�s 19-10 victory at Kessler Field.

Albany put together a 13-play, 54-yard drive that took more than seven minutes off the clock for its first touchdown. Jones, who ran for 100 or more yards for the sixth straight game, and broke the school�s single-season record for all-purpose yards, rushed four consecutive times to the Monmouth 1. Fullback Eddie Unverzagt busted into the end zone for the final yard, and his team had a 13-0 advantage with 10:45 left in the second quarter. Tailback Gary Jones rushed for 103 yards and quarterback Ryan Roeder scored on a 59-yard run in the second quarter.  The extra-point was blocked, following a celebration penalty, and the Great Danes led 19-0 at halftime.

Nine seniors made their final regular-season appearance at University Field. OG Alex Argulewicz, LB Josh Bazan, FS Samson Brown, OLB Brian Eidens, DE Josh MacAnn, ROV Ryan MacLean, QB Ryan Roeder and TE Greg Sigler each earned his fourth varsity letter this season. P Billy Pike received his third letter.