Week 10 Preview vs Michigan

JUN 10, 2026 · Alex Pause

AF1 Week 10: Michigan Arsenal at Albany Firebirds

Friday June 12th- Kickoff 7:00pm

The Albany Firebirds (8-0) will take on the Michigan Arsenal (2-5) in a rematch from week 6 here in week 10. This Friday, the Firebirds will be hosting Firebirds Tackle Cancer night. We are honoring those who have battled cancer this week and everybody that we may fight for.

Anticipated Rematch

This game is a rematch from week 6 when the Firebirds were able to escape Michigan with a 60-57 win. It was a shootout in that game where quarterback Sam Castronova had nine passing touchdowns and 316 passing yards. The quarterback of the Arsenal, Malik Henry responded with seven touchdowns with 210 yards to go with an interception. This will be a must watch rematch as the game in week 6 went down to the final play where Marcus Smith was able to pick off Henry to seal the game. This week 10 matchup will be a must watch game.

Defense on a Roll

The Albany defense has been on a roll the past two home games where they allowed 33 and 12 points in the 2 weeks. Over the last six quarters, the Firebirds have done a stellar job only allowing Oceanside and Beaumont to score 23 points. They will look to keep up the momentum this week against Michigan.

U p front, Qaadir Shephard has been causing some chaos as he is the team leader in sacks with seven after adding another one in week 9. Albany was also glad to welcome back linebacker Chizi Umunakwe, who made an instant impact in his first game back with a sack. Morris Joseph Jr has also been a problem for opposing offenses with six sacks across four games. Drew Singleton has been on fire recently with another interception this week and has a major lead in tackles in the AF1 with 63 on the year.

Offensive Fireworks

Darrien Townsend in week 9 took over sole possession of the league lead in receiving touchdowns. He leads a strong group of receivers that includes Duane Brown, Isaiah Scott, and Agiye Hall. They will all look to continue their momentum into this matchup after all had at least four receptions and 50 yards in week 9.

Sam Castronova will also look to add onto his 24 passing touchdowns that he’s recorded in the four weeks since his return to the team. This matchup will offer him a good opportunity to increase his total after his stellar performance against Michigan last time out.

Out for Revenge

Michigan fell just short last time against Albany with a few attempts late in the game to be able to take the lead. Malik Henry is second in the league in passing yards with 1747 and is first in passing touchdowns with 37. Receiver Daniel Williams III has been his favorite target with 494 to go with 15 touchdowns. Michael White and Isaiah McFarland are the players to look out for on defense where White leads the team with six sacks and McFarland has 3 interceptions.

Fan Experience and Game Night

Albany will host another Friday game this week, this being the second of two for the season. The atmosphere will be top notch with this matchup, as the Firebirds will look to improve to 9-0.

For the latest news, schedules, and ticket information, visit FirebirdsAF1.com . Fans can also tune in to the Firebirds Coach's Show every Wednesday across the team's social media platforms, where Head Coach Damon Ware recaps the previous game and previews the next opponent.

FirebirdsAF1.com