University at Albany wide receivers Ryan Kirchner and Kevin Chillis talk about the 55-24 Northeast Conference victory over Monmouth on Saturday.

AP

ALBANY — Drew Smith wants to make the most of every opportunity he gets to carry the football.
 
The senior running back is averaging nearly 100 yards per game so far this season for the University at Albany.
 
Smith will be one of the keys, as UAlbany (1-0, 3-1) gets set to host league rival Monmouth (2-0, 3-1), at home, on Saturday afternoon.
 
“It’ll be a tough ballgame,” said Great Danes coach Bob Ford. “We’ll have to play well.”
 
Smith, who has 392 yards and five touchdowns already this season, has been the Great Danes leading back for the past two years. He credits maturity with helping him turn things up even another level, as a senior.
 
“I think it’s me being more mature and knowing what to do, when to go and not being reckless,” said the Guilderland High grad. “I know my sophomore year, I was running high and got dinged up.”
 
Smith and his fellow seniors haven’t lost to Monmouth in their careers. The last time the Hawks won in this Northeast Conference matchup was back in 2006.
 
Smith says he spends more time in the tub and talking to trainer Jay Geiger, if even the slightest things flares up.
 
“I know my body now,” Smith said. “I know what to expect of it. I have Omar too, to help me out.”
 
Sophomore Omar Osbourne and Smith have helped UAlbany excel in the running game this season. The Great Danes are averaging more than 200 yards rushing per game and haven’t been held to fewer than 110.
 
Smith will likely become just the third running back in school history to surpass the 3,000-yard mark for his career, joining David McCarty (2006-09) and Gary Jones (2002-03), both also Section II high school products.
 
Smith has dealt with injuries in past seasons, but he says he’s running lower now, which helps him avoid some of the more violent contact.
 
For his career, Smith has averaged 5.3 yards per carry (484 total rushes) and scored 27 rushing touchdowns.
 
All this for a guy who played quarterback in high school and initially was slotted behind Vinny Esposito in the QB depth chart for the Great Danes.
 
The goal for the UAlbany running backs is to pick up four yards per carry. Smith just wants to do as much as he can to help the team to victory.
 
“I want to make the most of every carry,” he said.

The Orlando Magic have hired former Siena College player Prosper Karangwa to do college scouting for the club.

Here is a link to a story in the Orland Sentinel about the new position for Karangwa, who had been running his own scouting service, Global Scouting Service.

Prosper just recently competed in the first annual Siena Legends game, back in July.

The Magic recently had another Siena connection. Former Siena coach Bob Beyer was working with Orlando, as an assistant to Stan Van Gundy. When Van Gundy was fired, Beyer was also let go, but he has recently landed a position with the Golden State Warriors.

Here is my ballot for The Sports Network FCS Top 25.

With the University at Albany's victory over previously ranked No. 23 Maine, I've moved the Great Danes into the Top 25 for the second time this year.

I have UAlbany (3-1) at No. 23. That's not far behind where the Great Danes actually land, just four spots outside of the Top 25. UAlbany's only loss is to my No. 2 ranked team, Youngstown State, and that came by just a touchdown.

Here is the rest of my ballot. The number in (xx) is where the team is in the actual poll, which can be found here.

1. North Dakota State
2. Youngstown State (3)
3. Montana State (2)
4. Old Dominion
5. James Madison
6. Delaware (8)
7. Northern Iowa (14)
8. Lehigh (15)
9. Stony Brook (18)
10. Illinois State (13)
11. Towson  (12)
12. Wofford (6)
13. Appalachian State (17)
14. Eastern Washington (7)
15. Eastern Kentucky (19)
16. Georgia Southern (10)
17. Northern Arizona (22)
18. Montana  (21)
19. Central Arkansas (16)
20. The Citadel (11)
21. Sam Houston State (9)
22. New Hampshire  (20)
23. UAlbany (NR)
24. Harvard (NR)
25. McNeese State (24)

Not on my ballot, but in the Top 25
23. Cal Poly
25. South Dakota State

Others receiving votes: Harvard 272, Tennessee State 246, Samford 237, ALBANY 235, North Dakota 175, UT Martin 116, Indiana State 74, Richmond 71, Alabama A&M 65, Jacksonville State 57, Lafayette 56, Stephen F. Austin 53, Maine 38, Bethune-Cookman 21, Villanova 18, Sacramento State 17, South Carolina State 16, Southern Utah 9, Norfolk State 5, Howard 5, Eastern Illinois 5, Jacksonville 3, Monmouth 3, Georgetown 2, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2, Tennessee Tech 1

University at Albany senior linebacker Jon Morgan talks about the team's upcoming game against Maine.

Mike McMahon - The Record

Just six months after the University at Albany women's basketball team won the America East tournament and participated in the NCAA tournament, their coach has a contract extension.

On Tuesday, UAlbany announced its reached an agreement with coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson to extend her contract through the 2016-17 season.

Here is a link to the school's release.

I think it's a good move. Coach Abe came in and immediately turned things around. I only see things getting better from here.

Here is a link to the 2012-13 schedule for the Siena men's basketball team, which was released today.

The season starts on Friday, Nov. 9, when the Saints host Vermont. The team also has a scrimmage, at the ARC, on Saturday, Nov. 3, against Skidmore.

The annual UAlbany game is Saturday, Dec. 1.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener is Friday, Dec. 7, when Siena hosts Rider.

Below is a link to highlights from the Northeast Conference, of UAlbany's 35-10 victory over Robert Morris 

Highlights

Here is my FCS Top 25 ballot, following the second week of games.

The University at Albany has cracked into my Top 25, after improving to 2-0, with a 35-10 victory over Robert Morris.

It could be a short stay, however, as they take on No. 5 Youngstown State (which beat Pittsburgh in Week 1) this Saturday. If the Great Danes win, they will surely move up my ballot and you can also believe they would move into the Top 25. 

The number in the (x) is where the team sits in the actual Sports Network FCS Top 25, which I am a voter on. 

1. North Dakota State
2. Sam Houston State
3. Youngstown State (5)
4. Montana State (3)
5. James Madison (4)
6. Appalachian State (8)
7. Northern Iowa
8. Old Dominion (6)
9. Delaware (13)
10. Lehigh (16)
11. Stony Brook (17)
12. Illinois State (15)
13. Montana (14)
14. Towson (12)
15. Wofford (9)
16. Eastern Washington (10)
17. New Hampshire (18)
18. Stephen F. Austin  (23)
19. McNeese State
20. Northern Arizona (NR)
21. Eastern Kentucky (20)
22. Indiana State
23. Jacksonville State (24)
24. Maine (25)
25. UAlbany (NR) 

Teams in the poll, but not on my ballot 

11. Georgia Southern 

21. The Citadel

Others receiving votes: Central Arkansas 462, Norfolk State 256, Bethune-Cookman 207, Harvard 159, Northern Arizona 158, Sacramento State 149, North Dakota 123, UT Martin 71, Tennessee Tech 64, Cal Poly 52, ALBANY 50, Samford 41, South Dakota State 36, Tennessee State 29, Richmond 24, Alabama State 23, Eastern Illinois 21, Penn 17, Southern Utah 16, South Carolina State 15, Western Illinois 11, Lafayette 9, Coastal Carolina 9, William & Mary 7, Southeast Missouri State 7, Georgetown 6, Liberty 6, Villanova 4, Alcorn State 3, Alabama A&M 2, Murray State 1, Monmouth 1, Drake 1, Cornell 1, Chattanooga 1

UAlbany sophomore quarterback Will Fiacchi talks about his team's upcoming game against Robert Morris, which kicks off the Northeast Conference season for the defending league champs.

Here is my first (well, second, including preseason) Football Championship Subdivision ballot.

The University at Albany is inching closer to be included in my rankings, following a 40-23 victory over Colgate on Saturday.

The Great Danes are receiving votes - 38 to be exact. 

For those of you new to the blog, the teams listed below is how I filled out my ballot, while the numbers in (xx) are where the team actually is located on the FCS poll.

1. North Dakota State (2)
2. Sam Houston State (1)
3. Georgia Southern
4. Youngstown State (6)
5. Montana State (4)
6. James Madison (5)
7. Northern Iowa (8)
8. Old Dominion (7)
9. Appalachian State (11)
10. Towson (13)
11. Delaware (15)
12. New Hampshire (14)
13. Stephen F. Austin (19)
14. Montana (12)
15. Lehigh (16)
16. Stony Brook (17)
17. Illinois State (18)
18. Wofford (10)
19, Eastern Kentucky (21)
20. Jacksonville State (24)
21. Harvard (NR)
22. Maine (20)
23. Indiana State
24. William & Mary (NR)
25. Eastern Washington (9)

Teams in poll, not on my ballot
22. McNeese State
25. Central Arkansas  

Others receiving votes: Harvard 327, Liberty 213, UT Martin 173, South Carolina State 169, William & Mary 168, Norfolk State 146, Bethune-Cookman 134, Cal Poly 84, Chattanooga 76, Tennessee Tech 52, Eatern Illinois 48, Northern Arizona 43, North Dakota 43, Murray State 40, ALBANY 38, Portland State 34, South Dakota State 34, Penn 17, Samford 17, Alabama State 16, Tennessee State 16, Dayton 12, Morgan State 9, SE Missouri State 8, Idaho State 7, Southern Utah 7, Duquesne 7, Richmond 5, Georgetown 4, Furman 4, Alabama A&M 3, Alcorn State 3, Jackson State 3, Villanova 2, The Citadel 2, Cornell 2, San Diego 2, Western Illinois 1, Drake 1, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1, UC Davis 1.

The University at Albany football team kicked off the 2012 season on the right note, on Saturday, knocking off Colgate, 40-23.

Ocieka Bakou and Drew Smith were big reasons for the season-opening victory.

Bakou blocked two kicks and Smith ran for a career-high 174 yards.

On Monday, Smith was named Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Week, while Bakou picked up special teams player of the week honors.

Here is a link to the conference's release.

Here is a link to the game story, from the 40-23 victory on opening night. The crowd was one of the biggest in school history, with an announced 6,194 at the game.