Saint Francis (0-1 / 0-0) @ #6 Robert Morris (1-1 / 1-0)
Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007 at 1:00 p.m.
Joe Walton Stadium Field (3,000) - Moon Township, Pa.
Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team returns home to Joe Walton Stadium Saturday to face its second straight Northeast Conference opponent, as the club will host in-state rival Saint Francis for a 1:00 p.m. game. The Colonials are coming off an emotional 20-17 victory @ defending league champion Monmouth (9/8) in their 2007 NEC lidlifter and will look to start 2-0 in league play for the second straight season and eighth time in 12 seasons since the NEC's inception in 1996. The victory over the Hawks bumped RMU up four spots to No. 6 in the latest FCS Mid-Major Poll according to The Sports Network. RMU returns to non-conference action next week, traveling to Morehead, Ky., for a 1:00 p.m. tilt against Pioneer Football League foe Morehead State at Jayne Field.
Quick Stat of the Afternoon - Robert Morris is off to a good start this season when reaching the red zone, as the club enters Saturday's tilt against Saint Francis a perfect 4-for-4 in red zone opportunities so far this year. Included in that are two touchdowns and two field goals for a total of 18 points. Dating back to last season, the Colonials have converted each of their last 12 opportunities in the red zone, scoring eight touchdowns and kicking four field goals over that span.
Saturday's Opponent - The Red Flash are one of just three opponents Robert Morris has faced in each of the first 13 years the Colonials have fielded an intercollegiate program, joining fellow NEC foes Central Connecticut State and Wagner. The Colonials own a 10-2-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 45-13 victory in last year's meeting at DeGol Field (9/30/06).
Saint Francis Series Quick Outs - Robert Morris has averaged 32.1 points per game against the Red Flash in the all-time series while allowing an average of just 10.0 points a contest ... In last year's meeting at DeGol Field (9/30/06) junior quarterback Erik Cwalinski completed 10 of his 16 passing attempts for 201 yards and three touchdowns as the Colonials rolled up 406 yards of total offense ... Linebacker Chad Wengert finished with nine tackles against the Red Flash last year and also returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown, helping him earn NEC Defensive Player of the Week (10/2/06) accolades ... In the only meeting between the two programs at Joe Walton Stadium thus far, Saint Francis garnered a 35-28 victory over RMU Oct. 1, 2005.
Head Coach Joe Walton (14th Season; Pittsburgh '57) - If there has been one constant associated with Robert Morris University football through the program's first 14 years, it has been Joe Walton. He was named head coach on July 27, 1993. He started the program from scratch, including everything from hiring assistant coaches to purchasing equipment to recruiting student-athletes. His fingerprints are all over the program, and to prove that, the University named its on-campus football stadium in his honor. Joe Walton Stadium hosted its first football game in 2005 to rousing success, as the Colonials defeated Butler, 49-13, on Sept. 17, 2005.
“I've said this many times before, and I mean it when I say that this situation is one of the best things that has happened to me in my life,” Walton said. “It happened at the right time. Before this position became available, I felt I was too young to quit coaching, but I wasn't anxious to get back into pro football. When this came along, it was the perfect fit. This situation was the perfect opportunity for me to continue to do what I like to do, and I've loved every minute of it.”
Under Walton's tutelage, the Colonials have claimed five Northeast Conference titles and a pair of mid-major national crowns in the program's first 13 years of existence. Robert Morris is one of just two programs to claim a pair of victories in the ECAC Bowl, having won it in back-to-back seasons in 1996 and 1997. The success has done nothing to dampen Walton's enthusiasm for coaching football at Robert Morris, and with him on the sideline RMU wins over 60 percent of the time.
Walton is RMU's only head coach ever, and he is 82-50-1 (all at Robert Morris) at the collegiate level (.620). Walton was the head coach of the New York Jets from 1983-89, when he went 53-57-1 (.482). Also included among Walton's 35 NFL seasons is two (1990-91) as offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A two-time All-America tight end at Pittsburgh, Walton played seven years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and New York Giants.
Monmouth Game Notes - The Hawks rolled up 133 yards of total offense in their first two drives of the game, both of which resulted in touchdowns, but mustered just 181 total yards in their final nine drives ... In contrast, RMU owned a total of -8 yards of total offense in its first two drives but posted 315 total yards the rest of the way ... RMU did force a fumble or post an interception against the Hawks and is the only NEC team without a takeaway so far this season ... Sophomore Raphael Johnson averaged 6.4 yards per rush against Monmouth, compiling 51 yards on just eight carries ... In the second half Robert Morris controlled time of possession, 18:19 to 11:41, including a 10:50 to 4:10 advantage in the third quarter to help to take a 17-14 lead.
Switching Gears - After opening the season as the backup at halfback, freshman Myles Russ stepped into the starting spot in RMU's 20-17 victory @ Monmouth (9/8), posting 86 yards rushing on 24 carries, an average of 3.6 yards per rush. The 24 rushing attempts for Russ marked the most by a Colonial since Oct. 8, 2005, when former halfback Devin Wilson (2002-05) compiled 31 carries (for 119 yards). Sophomore Raphael Johnson, who started the season opener, also fared well as the backup, finishing with 51 yards on eight carries, an average 6.4 yards a rush. Combined, Russ and Johnson finished with 137 yards on 32 attempts, an average of 4.3 yards a carry.
Snap the Streak - If freshman Myles Russ or sophomore Raphael Johnson can step up and provide a spark in the backfield in 2007, it should help compliment the RMU offense quite nicely. For the first time in school history last season, no Colonial running back was able to eclipse the 100-yard rushing plateau in a game. In fact, Robert Morris enters Saturday's tilt against Saint Francis without a 100-yard rusher in its last 14 games, the longest drought in school history. The last Colonial to eclipse the barrier was former halfback Devin Wilson (2002-05), who rushed for 137 yards on 20 carries @ Albany (11/5/05).
Break On Through - Junior kicker Michael Walser, who spent his first two seasons with the program as RMU's punter and kickoff specialist, converted the first two field goals of his career in a 20-17 victory @ Monmouth (9/8) in the club's 2007 Northeast Conference opener. Walser's 22-yard field goal in the third quarter gave RMU its first lead of the season, 17-14, and his 36-yarder with just 47 seconds to play lifted the Colonials to the victory. For those efforts he garnered NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors Sept. 10. It marks the first weekly honor of his career, and Walser becomes just the second Colonial in school history to earn special team player of the week honors from the league office since the award's inception in 2003. Former return specialist Tyjuan Massey (2002-05) earned the honor Oct. 6, 2003, after returning a kickoff return a school-record 94 yards for a touchdown.
The Breakup - Thanks to the loss of six players on defense from 2006 to 2007, Robert Morris looked to fill some holes in every area of the defense. Despite having an influx of young talent on the defensive side of the ball, the coaches pointed to speed being a strength for the unit this season. One area that speed has manifested itself has been on pass defense, as RMU has already posted 15 pass breakups over the first two games of the season. To put that number in perspective, Robert Morris had a total of 36 pass breakups for the entire 2006 campaign. Of those 15 defended passes, an amazing 10 have come from the Colonial front seven, including a pair each from seniors Chad Wengert and Kelvern Grant and junior Shannon Smoot.
Wait A Second - Even with a total of 10 of RMU's 15 pass breakups coming from the club's front seven so far this season, it doesn't mean the secondary hasn't done its job. The Colonials have yet to allow a passing touchdown this season, a stretch of eight quarters. It marks the longest stretch without a passing touchdown by a Robert Morris opponent since the 2000 campaign, when the program didn't allow a passing touchdown for 21 straight quarters. That total also stands as the school reord. Leading the secondary so far in 2007 has been senior safety Jonathan Robinson, who owns currently leads the club in tackles with 15 and also owns a pair of pass breakups. Meanwhile, senior safety James Kazil ranks third on the club in tackles with 11, while sophomore safety Nathan Argenta owns one of RMU's six sacks on the year.
Sack Attack - Speaking of the defense, Robert Morris established a new school record last season by finishing with 34 sacks on the year. The Colonials returned just 11 of the program's 34 sacks from a year ago, as leading the way was senior defensive lineman Kelvern Grant, who finished with four in 2006. Through the first two games of the 2007 campaign RMU has posted six sacks, including four in a 20-17 win @ Monmouth (9/8). Leading the charge has been sophomore defensive lineman Mark Szymanski, who recorded a pair against the Hawks and owns three on the year. That total ranks second in the Northeast Conference behind Albany's Mark Sheehan, who owns four. Grant is RMU's active leader in sacks with seven to his credit on his career, and based on the current numbers, Robert Morris is projected to finish the year with 30 sacks this season.
Comeback Kids -
For just the third time in school history Robert Morris came back from a 14-point deficit to garner victory when the Colonials finished off a 20-17 win @ Monmouth (9/8) thanks to junior Michael Walser's 36-yard field goal with 47 seconds to play. It marks the largest deficit overcome by an RMU club to claim victory. RMU also came back from a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter of a 37-27 victory @ Mercyhurst (11/12/94) in the program's inaugural season. In probably what is known as the greatest comeback in school history, the Colonials erased a fourth quarter lead by Wagner, 31-17, to garner a 38-31 overtime victory during RMU's undefeated 10-0 campaign in 2000. 