Bryant (4-4 / 2-1) @ Robert Morris (3-4 / 1-1) Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013 at Noon Joe Walton Stadium (3,000) - Moon Township, Pa.
Radio: ESPN 970 AM (Chris Shovlin - play-by-play & Brian Cleary - color) Audio on the internet at: www.970espn.com / Live Video: ESPN3 (www.espn3.com) Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team returns home for its third Northeast Conference (NEC) contest this Saturday, Nov. 2, at Noon as the Colonials welcome first-place Bryant to Joe Walton Stadium for a game featured live on ESPN3. RMU opened road conference play last week and came away with a thrilling, come-from-behind, 17-13, win over defending conference champion Wagner. Quarterback Marcus Prather, who broke camp as the team’s third-string option, effectively led a two-minute drill, which was conducted entirely through the air, to score the winning touchdown before safety Eric Lowry intercepted a pass to end a last-gasp Seahawk attempt. The win helped keep Robert Morris within the thick of the NEC race. Bryant currently controls its own destiny in the conference and will claim the league’s automatic playoff berth if it wins out. Antwan Eddie is second in the nation at the FCS level in punt return average (19.3). RMU has three tilts remaining after the Bulldogs, each against league foes, and will head back east next Saturday, Nov. 9, as it travels to Central Connecticut State. Quick Stat of the Afternoon - Saturday’s contest is part of the conference’s broadcast package and will be featured live on ESPN3. That fact should bode well for the Colonials based on recent history. Robert Morris is 6-1 (.857) in its last seven games that have been broadcast by the NEC, including 4-0 (1.000) at home. The Colonials have averaged 27.14 points per game in these seven affairs, including 28.25 at home, while allowing just 15.86 points per game over this set of games, including conceding only 12.75 at home. Saturday’s game will mark the first time that Robert Morris has faced Bryant with the bright lights on the game. In fact, from the beginning of the 2007 season to the 2012 campaign, RMU was matched up against six different league opponents as part of the NEC’s TV package. Since the 2005 season, Robert Morris is 8-4 (.667) when featured on a NEC broadcast, including 5-2 (.714) at Joe Walton Stadium. Saturday's Opponent - Bryant has been a thorn in the Colonials’ side since the two schools started playing one another. RMU has met the Bulldogs in each of the past five seasons, including three times in Rhode Island, with Bryant claiming a victory on each occasion. In last year’s matchup, Robert Morris won the turnover battle and notched over 400 yards of total offense, but it was not enough as the Bulldogs prevailed in a back-and-forth affair, 38-35. RMU has had a lead in each of its past four games against Bryant. For more information on the all-time series against Bryant, including the last game recap, please see page four of today’s game notes. On This Date (Nov. 2) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris’ first-ever game on November 2 was certainly a tough loss for RMU after almost proving to be the greatest comeback in Colonial history. RMU fell behind Wagner, 28-0, and when the Seahawks scored a touchdown in the final minute of the first half to build a 35-7 lead, things did not look promising for the Colonials. However, Robert Morris would respond with 28 unanswered points to even the score, 35-35, in the middle of the fourth quarter. Ralph Clark (1994-97) ran for the first two of four straight touchdowns before Jake Newman (1994-97) hit Fred Parker (1996-98) with a 12-yard strike to pull RMU within a single possession. Archie Wannamaker (1996-98) would score the game’s final touchdown when he raced 61 yards to pull the visitors even. Robert Morris’ comeback dream came to a sudden end when Wagner hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired, ending a crazy game that saw each team commit four turnovers.
2013 Schedule Aug. 29 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 16 Nov. 23
@ #19 Eastern Kentucky L, 6-38 MORGAN STATE W, 31-14 DAYTON L, 14-21 @ VMI W, 37-31 (2 OT) @ Monmouth L, 9-35 DUQUESNE * # L, 20-21 @ Wagner * W, 17-13 BRYANT * Noon @ Central Conn. State * Noon SACRED HEART * ^ $ Noon @ Saint Francis * Noon
* NEC game; # Homecoming; ^ Hall of Fame Day; $ Senior Day
Colonials At A Glance Starters Returning / Lost .......................... 14 / 10 Offensive Starters Returning / Lost ............ 7 / 4 Defensive Starters Returning / Lost ............ 6 / 5 Specialist Starters Returning / Lost ............. 1 / 1 Letterwinners Returning / Lost .............. 34 / 21 Offensive Starters Returning / Lost ........... 7 / 4 LT - A.J. Dalton .................................. 6-4, 280, Sr. LG - Max Robertson ......................... 6-3, 305, So. C - Nick Faraci .................................... 6-2, 275, Jr. RG - Vince Mongelluzzo .................... 6-3, 265, Sr. HB - Evan Taylor .............................. 5-10, 180, Sr. FL - Duane Mitchell ............................ 6-1, 210, Jr. SE - Donte Jeter .................................. 6-1, 160, Sr. Defensive Starters Returning / Lost ........... 6 / 5 NG - Farren Mason ....................... 5-11, 285, R-Sr. OLB - Mark Centofanti ...................... 6-1, 240, Sr. ILB - Mike Cook .............................. 6-0, 235, R-Sr. CB - Antwan Eddie ............................ 5-10, 180, Jr. CB - Marcelis Branch ....................... 5-11, 180, So. SS - D.J. Myers ................................... 5-11, 185, Sr. Specialist Starters Returning / Lost ........... 1 / 1 P - Tony LaMancusa ......................... 5-10, 200, Jr. For the latest information on Robert Morris University football, including news, stats, records and videos, please visit:
www.rmucolonials.com