Duquesne (4-3 / 1-1) @ Robert Morris (2-4 / 1-1) Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. 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: www.necfrontrow.com Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team returns to action after a bye this Saturday, Oct. 24, as it continues Northeast Conference play by facing local rival Duquesne at 6:00 p.m. at Joe Walton Stadium. RMU suffered its first league setback of the season last time out as it committed too many turnovers to keep up with Sacred Heart. Duquesne was also dealt its first conference loss in its last game as it fell to preseason favorite Bryant on the road one week ago. Robert Morris scored its third touchdown on special teams in 2015 last time out, breaking the single-season program record in that category. It has scored via a blocked punt, a punt return and a kickoff return. RMU has claimed a league-leading eight weekly awards thus far and has won at least one in every week in which it has competed. There are 27 Colonials on the roster that have a hometown within 50 miles of Pittsburgh in advance of this Steel City clash. RMU will hit the road next weekend for the first time in nearly a month as it continues league play with a Halloween date at Central Connecticut State that will air on ESPN3. Quick Stat of the Evening - Robert Morris is coming off of its lone bye of the 2015 season, and if history is any indication, this should bode well for the Colonials. RMU is 16-9-1 (.635) all-time when playing after an off week, including 16-8-1 (.660) in the regular season. Last season was the first since 2007 in which RMU had a bye but did not win at least once following an off week. The Colonials are 11-4 (.733) all-time when playing at home following a bye. Robert Morris is 2-1 (.667) all-time against Duquesne following a bye with all three of those contests occurring at home. The last time these teams meet in Moon the Dukes claimed a 21-20 victory after RMU had a bye. The Colonial victories in the series when coming off a bye came in 2010 and the first year the teams ever met, 1994. Robert Morris won those contests by scores of 34-11 and 28-6, respectively. Duquesne has never played RMU when the Dukes were coming off a bye. Saturday's Opponent - This will be the 17th overall meeting between Robert Morris and Duquesne and the 13th consecutive year that the schools have met. The Dukes have won backto-back games in the series to take the all-time lead, 9-7. Two of the past three games have come down to the final minutes with the Colonials claiming a come-from-behind win in 2012 and the Dukes eking out a one-point win in 2013. Three of the past four meetings in the series at Joe Walton Stadium have been one-possession contests. For more information on the all-time series against Duquesne, including the last game recap, please see page four of today’s game notes. On This Date (Oct. 24) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris has played only once previously on October 24, and it dropped a tough, one-point decision. Like this weekend, that game was also a home, league contest. It represented the Colonials’ lone NEC loss en route to a conference title in 1998. RMU scored in the game’s first minute, but Monmouth tallied three of the four remaining scores in the half to take a 20-13 lead into intermission. The Hawks tried to pull away by tacking on another touchdown midway through the third, but the Colonials rushed for two touchdowns to respond. However, RMU missed the extra point on the game’s final score and dropped a 27-26 affair. The game was quite even statistically with the Hawks holding a slim edge in total yards, 423-416. Monmouth did not commit a turnover, though, while the hosts coughed the ball up twice. Archie Wannamaker (1996-98) rushed for 107 yards and one touchdown on just 12 carries. John O’Connell (1995-98) led all players with 12 tackles.
2015 Schedule Sept. 5 Sept. 12 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 14 Nov. 21
DAYTON L, 24-27 @ #17 Youngstown St. L, 14-21 (OT) NOTRE DAME (Ohio) # W, 35-24 @ #6 South Dakota State L, 10-34 @ Wagner * W, 9-6 SACRED HEART * L, 13-26 DUQUESNE * 6 p.m. @ Central Conn. State * Noon EAST TENNESSEE STATE Noon @ Saint Francis * Noon BRYANT * $ Noon
* NEC game; # Homecoming; $ Senior Day
Colonials At A Glance Starters Returning / Lost ........................... 15 / 9 Offensive Starters Returning / Lost ........... 8 / 3 Defensive Starters Returning / Lost ........... 7 / 4 Specialist Starters Returning / Lost ........... 0 / 2 Letterwinners Returning / Lost ............. 38 / 16 Offensive Starters Returning / Lost ........... 8 / 3 LT - Blake Chambliss ................. (6-5, 300, R-So.) LG - Max Robertson ....................... (6-4, 325, Sr.) C - Nick Faraci ............................ (6-3, 290, R-Sr.) RG - Josh Thiel ............................. (6-3, 300, R-Jr.) QB - Derik Abbott .......................... (5-11, 195, Sr.) RB - Rameses Owens .................... (6-2, 230, So.) WR - Sean Gavin .......................... (6-0, 175, R-Jr.) WR - Nic Lamica ........................ (6-4, 220, R-So.) Defensive Starters Returning / Lost .......... 7 / 4 DE - Forrest Mason .................... (6-3, 280, R-Sr.) DE - Austin Trgovcich ................. (6-2, 260, R-Jr.) OLB - Jimmy Masson ...................... (6-0, 200, Jr.) ILB - Mike Stojkovic ................... (6-3, 240, R-Sr.) ILB - Jake Tkach .......................... (6-0, 235, R-Sr.) SS - Sam Woods .......................... (6-0, 190, R-So.) WS - Andy Smigiera ........................ (6-1, 205, Jr.) Specialist Starters Returning / Lost ........... 0 / 2 For the latest information on Robert Morris University football, including news, stats, records and videos, please visit:
www.rmucolonials.com