UAlbany football's Undercuffler 2nd in Rice Award voting

PHOTOGRAPHER: File Photo

Jeff Undercuffler is shown during a game earlier this season.

ALBANY — Redshirt freshman quarterback Jeff Undercuffler finished as the runner-up for this year’s STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award, which goes to the top freshman player at the FCS level.

Voting results for the award were released Wednesday. Undercuffler, who set multiple UAlbany program records this season, finished behind North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance in the voting.

During a 9-5 season in which UAlbany won its first-ever FCS postseason game, Undercuffler finished his season as the FCS leader in touchdown passes at 41, a mark which set a single-season program record. Undercuffler also set a program record for passing yards with 3,543 and set a single-game program-best mark for touchdown passes with six against Central Connecticut in the Great Danes’ postseason victory.

For the season, Undercuffler completed 56.5% of his passes and threw 10 interceptions. He also rushed for a touchdown.

Lance received 116 of 156 possible first-place votes in the Rice Award voting, while Undercuffler received 14 first-place votes. In all, Undercuffler was included on 115 of 156 ballots.