Box Score

Staten Island, N.Y. – The Robert Morris University football team staged a late rally, scoring 14 points in the final half of the fourth quarter, to take down defending Northeast Conference (NEC) champion Wagner, 17-13, on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Wagner College Stadium.
 
RMU trailed for more than 22 combined minutes of the second half, but its offense came through when it mattered most before the defense engineered one final stop.
 
Sophomore Marcus Prather (Steubenville, Ohio / Steubenville (Akron)) threw his first two career touchdown passes in the final eight minutes of the game, helping bring a positive ending to his first collegiate start. The winning score come on fourth down, with RMU going for the lead instead of a tie, as Prather found redshirt senior tight end Tyler Digby (New Westminster, British Columbia / New Westminster) in the middle of the end zone. Redshirt senior safety Eric Lowry (Johnstown, Pa. / Bishop McCort) sealed the victory when he made a jumping interception, his first of 2013, to thwart the Seahawks' final drive of the game.
 
The Robert Morris defense had another strong performance, holding an opposing offense to 17 points or fewer for the second straight week.
 
RMU held the Seahawks to just 13 completions on 35 attempts and 121 total passing yards. In addition to Lowry's pick, both redshirt senior linebacker Mike Cook (Victoria, Minn. / Eden Prairie (Winona State)) and senior linebacker Luke Mueller (Cranberry Township, Pa. / Seneca Valley (Thiel)) secured interceptions, the second and first of their careers, respectively. It marked the first time in RMU's last 33 games that it notched a trio of interceptions.
 
Cook, who entered the game second nationally in tackles per game, notched a game-high 10 stops along with a tackle for loss and a pass breakup to post his ninth double-digit tackle effort in his last 16 games. Lowry tied a career high with seven tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, while Mueller added five tackles and a sack.
 
Junior wide receiver Duane Mitchell (Monroe Falls, Ohio / Stow) had his best statistical day as a Colonial as he caught a career-high eight passes for a career-best 141 yards, including hauling in RMU's first score of the fourth quarter. The eight receptions moved him into the top 10 in single-season catches at RMU.
 
Junior cornerback Antwan Eddie (Homestead, Fla. / South Dade) tallied six punt returns for 99 yards, the third-most in RMU single game history. In doing so, Eddie broke Robert Morris' single-season school record for total punt return yardage (347). Eddie now has three of the top four single-game marks in punt return yardage at RMU in his last five games played.
 
After each team punted on its opening possession, Wagner moved the ball inside the Colonial 40-yard line. However, the RMU defense then stiffened up and forced a turnover on downs as sophomore Kimani Smith (Erie, Pa. / Erie Cathedral Prep) made a tackle a few yards shy of the sticks.
 
Two more punts would follow before RMU elected to go for it on fourth down in Wagner territory, but the Colonials were denied, resulting in the second turnover on downs of the first quarter.
 
Robert Morris then forced Wagner into a three-and-out, but a missed exchange on a handoff by RMU would result in the game's first turnover.
 
With Wagner taking over on the RMU 27-yard line, the Colonial defense did about as good as could be expected. They held the Seahawks to one combined yard on the ensuing three plays, forcing a field goal attempt, which Wagner converted.
 
Prather hit Mitchell for 50 yards and then 28 yards on RMU's ensuing drive, moving the ball near the goal line. However, an untimely interception would keep the Seahawks in front.
 
Each of the game's next five drives resulted in punts. On the final one of those punts, Eddie cut back and forth for a 33-yard return, which set up the RMU offense for its first score of the day.
 
Prather hit Mitchell for 12 yards on the first play of the drive, and two plays later, rushed for 18 yards himself to move the ball into the red zone. True freshman Connor Shennan (Plymouth, Mich. / Canton) would hit a 28-yard field goal to tie the game late in the first half.
 
Mueller intercepted Wagner on its next drive, but RMU could not turn it into any points. The Seahawks then drove into Colonial territory on their next possession and were close to field goal range before Cook stepped in front of a pass and brought it back 43 yards.
 
After one offensive play, Robert Morris was forced to try a field goal with the clock ticking down and missed the attempt, leaving the game deadlocked at halftime.
 
RMU punted to open the second half, and then Dominique Williams broke free on the left side for a 73-yard touchdown run to put the hosts back on top.
 
Robert Morris responded with a 16-play, 73-yard drive, threatening to tie the game. The biggest play was a 30-yard pass from Prather to Digby that moved the ball into the red zone. However, Wagner's defense grew stronger with its back against the wall, and RMU came away with no points after a missed field goal.
 
Each of the game's next seven drives resulted in a punt. On the final one of those punts, Eddie returned the boot 25 yards into Seahawk territory, setting up the Colonials with excellent field position. RMU would even the game when Prather hit Mitchell in the front left corner of the end zone from 10 yards out.
 
Wagner would drive 55 yards on its ensuing drive, moving into the red zone. On third down, a Mueller sack forced a field goal attempt, which was converted to give the Seahawks a 13-10 lead with 3:01 left to play.
 
Prather then used two passes to Mitchell and one to senior tight end Andrew Smith (Cranberry Township, Pa. / Seneca Valley) to move the ball into the red zone.
 
Facing 4th-and-2 from the Wagner 11-yard line with under 90 seconds to go, head coach Joe Walton elected to go for the conversion. Prather faked a handoff and hit Digby as he broke away from the Wagner defense for a scoring strike.
 
Wagner was not quite finished yet, though, as the Seahawks drove the ball across midfield and into RMU territory. On a third-down play, Lowry's interception secured the win for the visitors.
 
Digby tied his career high with four receptions and finished with a career-best 48 yards receiving.
 
Junior Tony LaMancusa (Webster, N.Y. / Webster) tied a single-game RMU record by having four punts downed inside the Wagner 20-yard line. He became just the second Colonial ever to achieve that feat and the first in over 10 years. He also tied his career high with a 53-yard punt in the first quarter.
 
Senior defensive lineman A.J. Holderman (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) tallied a career high seven tackles, including a half-tackle for loss. Redshirt senior defensive lineman R.J. Cook (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver) reset his career high with six tackles just one week after posting a previous career best. Senior defensive lineman Chris Thompkins (Webster, N.Y. / Webster) registered his second forced fumble of the season and also moved into 10th place in career sacks at RMU (12.5).
 
With Eddie's help, Robert Morris also broke its single-season team record for punt return yardage (426) against the Seahawks.
 
Senior Deontae Howard (Clairton, Pa. / Clairton) moved into 10th place in career rushing yardage (856) at RMU against the Seahawks.
 
Robert Morris will look to carry over its momentum when it takes the field at home next Saturday, Nov. 2, against first-place Bryant.