Albany (1-0 / 0-0 NEC) @ Robert Morris (0-1 / 0-0 NEC) Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012 at Noon Joe Walton Stadium (3,000) - Moon Township, Pa. Radio: WPIT-AM 730 (Chris Shovlin - play-by-play & Brian Cleary - color) Live Video/Audio on the internet at: www.rmucolonials.com
Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team begins its 2012 home slate this Saturday, Sept. 8, at Noon as the Colonials welcome Northeast Conference (NEC) foe Albany to Joe Walton Stadium. The Colonials are coming off a season-opening setback to defending NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national champion North Dakota State (9/1) that was played in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 18,769. Senior safety Cameron Chadwick posted a gamehigh 12 tackles to lead the Colonial defense one week ago. After opening with one of the toprated teams in the country, the road will not get much easier Saturday as RMU faces the defending NEC champion Great Danes. Robert Morris is 13-5 (.722) all-time in home openers, and it will play a defending NEC champion for the 16th time in school history Saturday. Once it opens league play, RMU will resume non-conference action next week with a trip to Dayton (9/15). After enjoying a bye week, the Colonials will return home to welcome Lafayette (9/29) in just the second home night game in program history as part of the University’s Homecoming festivities. Quick Stat of the Afternoon - Robert Morris is set to play in Joe Walton Stadium for the first time this season Saturday, and the Colonials enter the game with an all-time mark of 13-5 (.722) in home openers. Additionally, RMU’s home opener is also serving as its Northeast Conference opener in 2012. The Colonials are 2-0 (1.000) all-time when playing a league game as part of their home opener as they took down Central Connecticut State (42-17) in 1998 and knocked off Saint Francis (36-6) in 2003. Top performances by RMU in home openers: most points - 49 (vs. Butler - 9/17/05); fewest points allowed - 0 (vs. Butler - 9/14/96); most rushing yards - 282 (9/14/96 vs. Butler); most passing yards - 298 (9/10/94 vs. Monmouth); most total yards of offense - 466 (9/14/96 vs. Butler); fewest yards allowed - 113 (9/27/03 vs. Saint Francis) Saturday’s Opponent - Robert Morris and Albany will be meeting for the 14th time on the football field Saturday, with the Great Danes holding a slim 7-6 advantage. It will be the seventh meeting in Moon Township where the series is tied, 3-3. Albany walked away with a 28-17 victory Oct. 15, 2011 en route to the NEC conference title, but the Colonials were dominant in a 38-0 romp the last time these teams met at Joe Walton Stadium. The average margin of victory by the winning team has been 17.6 points. Albany and RMU have combined for 11 NEC championships; no two NEC schools have combined for more league titles. For more information on the all-time series against Albany, including the last game recap, please see page four of today’s game notes. On This Date (Sept. 8) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris won its only prior NEC game played on September 8 as Michael Walser's (2005-07) 36-yard field goal with 47 seconds left lifted the Colonials to an emotional 20-17 victory at Monmouth in 2007. The win came without head coach Joe Walton, who did not make the trip due to the death of his wife earlier in the week. It is the only game which Walton has missed during his 19 years at RMU. The Hawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead after 15 minutes, but RMU would respond. Erik Cwalinski (2005-08) hit Julian Ellison (2004-07) with a 43-yard pass to cut the lead in half, and the Colonials tied it when Jeff Link (2007-10) plunged into the end zone from three yards out in the third quarter. After the teams traded field goals, Walser booted through his second of the game in the final minute for the game-winning score. Robert Morris tied a school record for largest deficit overcome to win, charging back from 14 down at the end of the first quarter to claim the victory.
2012 Schedule Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17
@ #2 North Dakota State L, 0-52 ALBANY * Noon @ Dayton 1 p.m. LAFAYETTE # 6 p.m. @ Saint Francis * Noon @ Bryant * 1 p.m. CENTRAL CONN. STATE * ^ Noon @ Wagner * 1 p.m. DUQUESNE * 3:30 p.m. @ Sacred Heart * Noon MONMOUTH * $ Noon
* NEC game; # Homecoming; ^ Hall of Fame Day; $ Senior Day
Colonials At A Glance Starters Returning / Lost ............................ 17 / 7 Offensive Starters Returning / Lost ............ 7 / 4 Defensive Starters Returning / Lost ............ 8 / 3 Specialist Starters Returning / Lost ............ 2 / 0 Letterwinners Returning / Lost .............. 39 / 14 Offensive Starters Returning / Lost .......... 7 / 4 LT - A.J. Dalton .................................. 6-4, 300, Jr. LG - Vince Mongelluzzo .................. 6-3, 265, Jr. RT - Nate Hargraves ........................ 6-4, 275, Sr. QB - Jeff Sinclair ............................ 6-3, 210, Sr. FB - Nick Groat ............................ 5-11, 220, Sr. HB - Deontae Howard ...................... 5-8, 185, Jr. SE - Donte Jeter .............................. 6-1, 160, Jr. Defensive Starters Returning / Lost ........... 8 / 3 LE - Nolan Nearhoof ......................... 6-2, 250, Sr. NG - Farren Mason ....................... 5-11, 285, R-Sr. RE - Steve Mitchell ............................ 6-1, 265, Sr. OLB - Brad Banas ............................... 6-2, 235, Sr. ILB - Kyle Cooper ............................... 6-0, 230, Sr. OLB - Andrew Douglass .................... 6-1, 230, Sr. SS - D.J. Myers ............................... 5-11, 185, Jr. WS - Cameron Chadwick .................. 6-1, 205, Sr. Specialist Starters Returning / Lost ........... 2 / 0 PK - Greg Langer ............................ 5-7, 165, Sr. P - Tony LaMancusa ................... 5-10, 190, So.