Loretto, Pa. (Oct. 3, 2009) - Facing an opponent with a stifling defense and a dominant running attack, the Saint Francis Red Flash dropped a 27-6 decision to the Albany Great Danes at DeGol Field on Saturday. The loss marked the third in a row for the Red Flash, and was the 11th straight loss to the Great Danes.
"They moved the ball very well against us, " said Saint Francis head coach Dave Opfar. "They were using the run to set up play action, and it is very tough to defend when someone runs the ball that well."
Albany came to Loretto with an impressive defensive pedigree, having not surrendered a touchdown since the first half of their 20-16 win against #20 Maine on September 19. They continued that dominance in a similar fashion by not allowing the Red Flash into the endzone, despite a pair of Saint Francis trips inside the 5-yard line in the first half. The first resulted in quarterback John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) getting stopped short on the 4th-and-1 on the 5, while the other saw receiver Omar Winston (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland South) (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland South) stopped at the 1 on third down, forcing the Red Flash to kick a field goal.
Kelly would finish 17-for-29 passing for 176 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The interceptions were the first Kelly had thrown since the final quarter of the Sept. 5 game against New Hampshire. Overall, this was the first game in which Saint Francis had a negative turnover differential (-2; they had been +9 entering the game).
In total, Albany's streak of quarters without a touchdown allowed now sits at 10.
Albany began the game quickly, using tailback David McCarty to bully their way down the field for an opening drive touchdown (a five-yard McCarty run) to make the score 7-0. It would be a common theme throughout the day; Albany gained 257 of their 389 yards on the ground, with McCarty accounting for 170 and two touchdowns.
Saint Francis responded with a field goal drive, as running back Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) (Easton, Pa./Easton) set the tone with a 49-yard kick return to the Albany 44. Kelly and the offense bogged down inside the 20, however, and had to settle for a field goal, another pattern that reared its ugly head throughout the day; the Red Flash were just 2-of-4 in the red zone, and both scores were field goals.
The Albany offense took the next two scores, a 38-yard field goal by Herb Glass and a nine-yard throw by Vinny Esposito to Tim Bush that capped a 14-play, 95-yard drive for the Great Danes. Those scores made the game 17-3. The Flash would kick another field goal before the end of the half, but it would mark the end of the offense for the day.
The defense faced some serious headaches from the Albany offensive attack, but a bright spot could be found in the performance of linebacker Scott Lewis (South Fork, PA/Bishop McCourt) (South Fork, Pa./Bishop McCort). Lewis finished with 19 tackles, a season-high both for himself and the team, and also recorded a pair of sacks. Also of note was Richard Rivera-Ortiz (Philadelphia, Pa./Abraham Lincoln) (Philadelphia, Pa./Abraham Lincoln), getting his first start of the season at cornerback. He had six tackles, one sack, three pass deflections and a fumble recovery.
The Red Flash fall to 1-4 overall, with a 0-2 record in the Northeast Conference. They play next Saturday, traveling to Fairfield, Conn. to take on the Sacred Heart Pioneers. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
