UAlbany football preparing for home playoff game with Richmond Saturday

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- It's playoff week for the University at Albany football team. After earning a first round bye in the FCS Championship tournament, the fifth-seeded Great Danes are preparing for a...somewhat familiar foe.

They'll take on fellow Coastal Athletic Association co-champion Richmond Saturday. However, it's been four years since these two sides last squared off, and UAlbany has never beaten the Spiders (0-7).

Richmond took care of North Carolina Central 49-27 last weekend. Danes head coach Greg Gattuso said at Tuesday's practice the team was hoping to face Richmond, mainly because they felt the Spiders were the better team.

Regardless of who they drew, the mentality going into this matchup was going to remain the same as it has all season.

"Middle of last year we decided we were gonna worry about us, and no one else. And that's…kinda been how we've been doin' it all year," said Gattuso. "I can't even bring the other team up to them now. If I try to talk about someone…Richmond…you're (the media) the only ones I talk to about Richmond, because they stop me. Obviously we're studying film and preparing for the game. But at the end of the day, if we play our game, we think we're gonna win."

Danes' junior cornerback Aamir Hall, a CAA first-team defense selection this season, played for the Spiders last year before transferring to UAlbany. But this is just another game, another opponent for him.

"Every week is gonna be personal for me. I just go in with a…mindset (of a) nameless, faceless opponent," said Hall. "I'm just ready to compete every week. We still haven't played our best football yet, so, we're just trying to continue to stack days, and build on that. But we're getting really close, and I'm excited for what we have for the future."

Kickoff from Tom & Mary Casey Stadium Saturday is set for noon.