Wagner College Stadium (3,300) - Staten Island, N.Y.
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Robert Morris University football team heads east for its Northeast Conference (NEC) road opener this Saturday, Oct. 26, at Noon as the Colonials take on defending league champion and preseason favorite Wagner at Wagner College Stadium. RMU opened conference play last week and dropped a 21-20 decision to Duquesne at home. The Dukes led 21-7 in the early stages of the fourth quarter. The Colonials would rally with a pair of touchdowns but fell an extra point shy of equalizing the proceedings. Junior cornerback
Antwan Eddie returned against the Dukes after missing one game due to injury and now sits second in the nation at the FCS level with his 20.7 punt return average. Redshirt senior linebacker
Mike Cook paces the NEC and sits second nationally in tackles per game, averaging 12.0 stops per outing. Wagner will become the first opponent that Robert Morris has faced 20 times as the Colonials celebrate their 20th anniversary season in 2013. RMU has four tilts remaining after the Seahawks, each against league foes, and will return home next Saturday, Nov. 2, as it hosts Bryant on ESPN3.
Quick Stat of the Afternoon - Each of Robert Morris' six opponents thus far in the 2013 season have tried to convert at least one fourth-down attempt against the Colonials' defense, while Dayton tried twice. On every occasion but one, the RMU defense has stood tall, stopping the opponent short and forcing a turnover on downs. As a result, Robert Morris ranks third nationally in fourth-down defense, allowing just one conversion on seven attempts, as only Jackson State and Penn rank ahead of the Colonials. Three of the Colonials' stops came courtesy of a tackle for loss, two due to an incomplete pass and one on a tackle on a 1-yard rush on 4th-and-2.
A.J. Holderman has figured into three of the stops on fourth down. He contributed on a sack as well as another tackle and also registered a pass breakup. Robert Morris' single-season school record for opponent fourth-down conversion is 27%, which was established in the 2004 season.
Saturday's Opponent - Wagner is one of just three opponents Robert Morris faced in each of the first 19 years the Colonials fielded an intercollegiate program, joining fellow NEC foes Central Connecticut State and Saint Francis. All-time the Colonials are 12-7 (.632) against the Seahawks. The entirety of RMU's advantage in the all-time series is due to home games as the squads have split the 10 prior meetings on Staten Island. Wagner, which went on to win the NEC championship in 2012, won a 23-13 decision last year in New York.
All-Time Series vs. Wagner
Robert Morris leads, 12-7
10/15/94 -Â L, 21-38 Away
10/14/95 -Â W, 18-16 Home
11/2/96 -Â L, 35-38 Away
10/4/97 -Â W, 21-9 Home
10/3/98 -Â W, 42-17 Away
10/2/99 -Â W, 23-21 Home
10/28/00 -Â W, 38-31 (OT) Away
10/27/01 -Â W, 49-30 Home
10/12/02 -Â L, 0-29 Away
10/25/03 -Â W, 31-28 Home
10/23/04 -Â L, 17-20 Away
10/8/05 -Â W, 38-30 Home
10/7/06 -Â W, 14-10 Away
10/6/07 -Â L, 13-20 Home
10/25/08 -Â W, 35-3 Away
11/14/09 -Â W, 37-10 Home
9/25/10 -Â W, 30-9 Away
11/12/11 -Â L, 17-38 Home
10/27/12 -Â L, 13-23 Away
@ Moon Township, Pa. - Robert Morris, 7-2
@ Staten Island, N.Y. - Tied, 5-5
Wagner Quick Outs - This is the first time in the Robert Morris-Wagner series that either team has hosted back-to-back games … The team that has won the turnover battle has won each of the last five games in this series … Six of the first 11 meetings in series history were decided by three points or fewer (or in overtime) … However, none of the last five matchups have been decided by fewer than 10 points … Three of RMU's four longest interception returns in school history have come against Wagner … RMU's single-game team records for highest yards per carry (7.2) and most passing yards per attempt (13.8) came against Wagner in consecutive years--1997 and 1998.
On This Date (Oct. 26) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris won its first-ever game on October 26, and its only prior conference contest on this date, during the 1996 season. The Colonials were coming off of a loss, as they are this week, but used a big victory over Monmouth to close with a 4-1 (.800) record in their final five games. Although the 43-6 final score indicated a blowout, the game was still in doubt entering the fourth quarter. RMU led 15-6 after three periods of play but used a 28-point barrage in the final stanza to break it open. Robert Morris had a strong, but balanced, rushing attack as it accrued 261 yards without having a single player rush for more than 85. That effort helped the Colonials outgain the Hawks by a wide, 424-193, margin. Jake Newman (1994-97) threw for three touchdowns to three different receivers. John O'Connell (1995-98) had a monster day defensively. He totaled nine tackles and three sacks in addition to forcing two fumbles and recovering the loose pigskin both times.
Head Coach Joe Walton (20th season; Pittsburgh '57) - At the forefront of the football renaissance at Robert Morris University throughout its 20-year history is Joe Walton, who has built the Colonials from a fledgling program into one of the top Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams in the region.
The one constant associated with the program, Walton was named the first head coach July 27, 1993. He started the program from scratch, completing everything from hiring assistant coaches to purchasing equipment to recruiting student-athletes for the team's inaugural season in 1994. He owns an overall record of 111-90-1 (.552).
Walton's fingerprints are all over the football program,and to prove that, RMU has played its home games since 2005 in a stadium that bears his name. During his tenure, Walton has led Robert Morris to the first Northeast Conference championship in 1996, guided RMU to a perfect 10-0 season in 2000 and in 2010 helped lead the Colonials to the NEC's inaugural bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs with their league-high sixth regular-season championship.
"It's hard to believe," Walton speaks on how fast time has elapsed. "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 ever happened to me in my life. 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 outright NEC regular-season titles three times (1997, 1999, 2000) while sharing three others (1996, 1998, 2010). Walton led Robert Morris to back-to-back ECAC Bowl victories in 1996 and 1997, and in 1999 and 2000 he guided RMU to a pair of NCAA I-AA mid-major national crowns according to Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette.
In 2010, Walton added to his legacy by engineering the Colonials on an eight-game winning streak for a share of the NEC regular-season title and the NEC's first bid in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. In the process he picked up his 100th career victory in the collegiate ranks.
Last Time Out - Junior Paul Jones pounded in a rushing touchdown with fewer than five minutes left to pull the Colonials within a point, but a very close extra point attempt went just wide … The Colonials held Duquesne to a mere 67 rushing yards and a season-low 269 yards of total offense … Senior linebacker Luke Mueller posted a season-high seven tackles, including a tackle for loss, while redshirt senior linebacker Kyle Cooper contributed six tackles and a sack … Junior wide receiver Duane Mitchell tied his career high with six receptions, a mark initially set earlier this season at VMI … Redshirt senior defensive lineman R.J. Cook set a new career high with five tackles.
Short Scores - The RMU defense had a relatively strong effort last weekend against Duquesne as it gave up just 17 points. The Colonials were even better at preventing long scoring drives as two of the three they allowed were a mere 10 yards while the other was 54. In fact, each of the past six scoring drives by opponents, dating to Oct. 5 at Monmouth, has been no longer than 55 yards.
No Holding Him Down - Defensive lineman A.J. Holderman continued to get into opponents' backfields last week against Duquesne as he had 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry that led directly to an interception. He ranks second in the NEC in sacks per game and fifth in tackles per loss per contest. Holderman, who also forced a fumble in his last road game, has at least a half-sack in every game thus far this season.
Against the Trend - Robert Morris tallied three rushing touchdowns in its narrow defeat to Duquesne last Saturday. The fact that the Colonials lost despite having three rushing scores was certainly notable as it was only the second time since 2001 that RMU found itself in that situation. Robert Morris had won seven straight games when running for three (or more) TD's with its last such loss coming over eight years ago. Paul Jones accounted for two of the three scores, the first rushing TD's of his career.
New Role - Junior Phil Peckich made his offensive collegiate debut last week against Duquesne. The local product and Pittsburgh transfer, who moved to running back during the last bye week, ran the ball eight times for 41 yards.
Moving On Up - Donte Jeter has moved his way up in the career receiving ranks at RMU in his senior season. He is tied for seventh in receptions (73) and is 10th in receiving yards (1,081). He needs nine catches to move into sixth and 38 yards to move into ninth in those respective categories.
