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ALBANY -- A school-record crowd showed up on Saturday afternoon to watch the University at Albany play the latest home opener in Division I college football this year.
The Great Danes rewarded their fans for their patience with a dominating all-around performance in a 48-0 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) before 6,624 fans at University Field on homecoming day.
It was UAlbany's largest home turnout since the program upgraded to the Division I Football Championship Subdivision in 1999, and the third-biggest in program history.
"It was awesome," junior quarterback Dan Di Lella said. "It was great to see a lot of people there, a lot of purple and yellow. It's exactly what you want, especially when you're on the road for four weeks in a row. It's great to come home and feel that."
UAlbany (3-2 overall, 1-1 Northeast Conference) was the final team in Division I to make its home debut this season.
Di Lella completed 16 of 20 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns in his best performance since replacing the graduated Vinny Esposito as the starting quarterback this year.
Meanwhile, the Great Danes defense held Saint Francis to 81 total yards and allowed the Red Flash to run two plays in UAlbany territory the entire game.
Saint Francis had only 40 offensive plays, exactly half as many as UAlbany.
Senior outside linebacker Chris Blais, a La Salle Institute graduate, joked that the defense will probably get out of meetings earlier than usual on Sunday.
"Just gang-tackling was the biggest thing, and getting pressure on the quarterback," said Blais, who had five tackles and a pass breakup.
Saint Francis was without sophomore halfback Kyle Harbridge, third in the FCS in all-purpose yards per game, sidelined by groin and hamstring injuries.
Despite insisting beforehand that this Saint Francis team (1-4, 1-2) was better than its predecessors, UAlbany continued its mastery of the Red Flash.
The Great Danes have won all 12 meetings by a combined score of 495-126.
UAlbany has been smart enough to make Saint Francis the homecoming opponent in the Red Flash's last four trips to Albany, a sure way to send the fans home happy.
UAlbany head coach Bob Ford couldn't find anything to criticize after this effort.
"We won the battle of both trenches," Ford said. "Our offensive line dominated their defensive line, allowing us to run the ball pretty well. Our defensive line took the run game away and forced them to become a one-dimensional football team."
On the other hand, UAlbany had great balance with the three-pronged rushing attack of sophomore Drew Smith of Guilderland High, freshman Ben Miseikis of Amsterdam and freshman Dillon Romain, who combined for 206 yards and three touchdowns.
"We have an old (offensive) line, so it's not hard to run behind those guys," said Romain, who had 58 yards and two touchdowns. "They open up big holes."
It was over by halftime as UAlbany took a 24-0 lead.
The scoring opened with Di Lella hitting John Lullen for a 15-yard score with 10:33 left in the first quarter.
Then Romain ran 2 yards for a touchdown, Herb Glass kicked a 45-yard field goal and Smith rushed 17 yards for a touchdown for all the scoring UAlbany needed.
Mark Singelais can be reached at 454-5509 or by e-mail at msingelais@timesunion.com
PULLOUT:
UAlbany 48
Saint Francis 0
