Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University football team dropped its fourth straight game to open the 2009 season Saturday afternoon with a 20-13 loss to Bryant at Joe Walton Stadium in the Northeast Conference opener for both programs.
The Colonials fall to 0-4 overall for the first time in school history with the defeat, including 0-1 in NEC play, while the Bulldogs improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in NEC action.
For the second straight week RMU was able to strike first thanks to a takeaway from the defensive unit. On Bryant's third offensive play of the afternoon, quarterback Michael Croce dropped back and was sacked by senior linebacker Robert Williams (Randallstown, Md. / Baltimore Polytechnic). Croce fumbled on the play, with junior linebacker Elias Navarro (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / South Plantation) coming up with the loose ball.
The Colonials were able to score off the turnover, as senior quarterback Camdin Crouse (Snow Shoe, Pa. / Bald Eagle) punched it in from a yard out to give RMU a 7-0 lead. The big play came when Crouse completed a 30-yard pass to senior wide receiver Sherrod Evers (Philadelphia, Pa. / Mastbaum Area) down to the Bryant two-yard line.
RMU stretched its lead to 10-0 thanks to a 37-yard field goal from junior Garrett Clawson (Duncansville, Pa. / Hollidaysburg) with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter, but Bryant trimmed its deficit to 10-7 with a 10-play, 88-yard drive that was capped by a nine-yard touchdown pass from Croce to Khalel Pritchard at the 6:43 mark of the second quarter.
Robert Morris held the lead coming out of halftime, but the Bulldogs knotted the game, 10-10, by taking the kickoff in the second half and marching 69 yards on 12 plays before Chris Bird connected for a 28-yard field goal.
Bird gave Bryant a 13-10 lead with a 21-yard field goal with 14:51 remaining in the contest, and less than three minutes later the Bulldogs stretched their advantage to 20-10 when Croce connected with Mike Canfora for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 12:04 to play. Anthony Castelli came up with the big defensive play to set up the final touchdown of the game, intercepting Crouse at the RMU 34-yard line and returning it 18 yards to the RMU 16-yard line.
Sophomore return specialist Anthony Coleman (Washington, D.C. / St. John's High School) gave the Colonials a spark on special teams late in the contest to help RMU put its final points on the board, returning one punt 26 yards and another 37 yards down to the Bulldog 22-yard line with 5:57 to play. However, the Colonials couldn't move the ball, as junior quarterback Aaron Smetanka (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Catholic), in relief of the injured Crouse, threw three straight incompletions before Clawson hit his second field goal of the contest, this time from 39 yards out.
Bryant looked as if it was going to put the game away on its next possession, driving to the RMU 12-yard line, but on 4th-and-inches Croce was stuffed by senior defensive lineman Gavin Marshall (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Bishop Ford Central Catholic) and sophomore linebacker Jon Krepps (Belle Vernon, Pa. / Belle Vernon) to force the turnover on downs.
Robert Morris had one last chance, getting the ball back with 1:24 remaining, but after senior quarterback Desmond Brentley (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Perry) moved the Colonial offense to the Bryant 42-yard line, Addison Lynch helped put the game away by intercepting Brentley at the Bulldog 39-yard line.
A total of four Colonials finished in double-digit tackles against Bryant, as junior linebacker Alex DiMichele (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Sto-Rox) and senior safety Michael Landers (Springdale, Pa. / Springdale) each finished with 15 tackles. DiMichele recorded two tackles for losses that totaled 10 yards, including his team-high third sack of the year, while also recording a fumble recovery, pass breakup and quarterback hurry. For Landers, his 15 takedowns established a new career high.
Navarro contributed a career-high 13 tackles and a fumble recovery for Robert Morris, while senior linebacker Ian Milanak (North Apollo, Pa. / Apollo Ridge) recorded 11 tackles, including two for losses that totaled 13 yards.
Offensively, RMU's trio of quarterbacks combined to complete just eight of their 32 passing attempts for 88 yards while being sacked three times and throwing three interceptions. Junior halfback Myles Russ (Boca Raton, Fla. / West Boca) rushed for 80 yards on 20 carries, while Evers finished with two catches for 44 yards.
Robert Morris opens a two-game road swing Saturday, Oct. 3, when it visits crosstown rival Duquesne for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at Rooney Field.
