Albany thoughts

First off, you can find my game preview online this week. Go to NewBritainHerald.com and it's in the sports section. Hope you'll check it out.

No changes to the depth chart this week, so I've been told.
All week Central has been trying to downplay the significance of this one. Coach Jeff McInerney tried to insist that he was treating this one like every other game, and I think he has attempted to do so in practice. But the kids understand the significance of this game.

It's not even so much the NEC implications as it is the rivalry. The two football games that stand out to me the most over the years I've been covering this team are the loss at Albany a couple of years ago when a rushed Hunter Wanket didn't see the open man in the end zone on the two-point conversion try in the final minute that would have tied the game and the shellacking Central took a year earlier at home with the NEC crown on the line.

My point is this: If I remember those games well, so do the older players on this team. Certainly at least the 24-22 game. They also have confidence from beating Albany last year, ironically on a missed UA 2-point try in the final minute. The Blue Devils know the history of this sereis and want badly to add another positive chapter to it.
Throw in the NEC implications, and I believe there's zero chance Central lays an egg. I can't guarantee you the Devils will win, but there's no chance they come out "flat" as they say. Now that doesn't mean they'll play well right away. Too often people think a slow start means a team is "flat," when it's often just either poor execution or the other team outplaying it. Energy doesn't equal success.

So what will equal success tonight? The fact that Albany isn't as good as it's been in recent years. They don't move the ball well at all. They do stop teams fairly well, so I don't expect Central to romp. But I think the Devils eventually will wear the Danes down and score enough to put it away.

The big key will be, can they avoid a letdown NEXT week?

As always, questions or comments, shoot them to me at mstraubblog@hotmail.com. And let me know what you think of the chat idea from the last post!