Box Score

Moon Township, Pa. – Junior wide receiver Duane Mitchell (Monroe Falls, Ohio / Stow) caught three touchdowns and the Colonial defense yielded just three points as the Robert Morris University football team cruised to a 24-3 victory over Bryant in a Northeast Conference (NEC) matchup Saturday afternoon at an overcast Joe Walton Stadium.
 
Bryant entered the game in first place in the league after notching a 42-14 victory over Duquesne just a week ago. However, the RMU defense stood its ground by forcing four turnovers and conceding only 226 yards of total offense.
 
Robert Morris held Bryant to the lowest point total in its Division I history after the Bulldogs entered the game averaging over 28 points per outing in their last seven affairs. In holding an opponent to three points or fewer for the first time in its last 34 games, RMU racked up 13 tackles for loss, the fourth-highest amount in single-game school history.
 
Junior cornerback Antwan Eddie (Homestead, Fla. / South Dade) was a key cog for the RMU defense as he notched two interceptions, becoming the 16th distinct Colonial to achieve that feat. Eddie also helped contain Bryant's star wideout Jordan Harris. Harris is the NEC's all-time leader in receiving yards and has the second most among all active players at the FCS level. However, Eddie and company helped limit Harris to two catches for 22 yards, the receiver's second-lowest yardage total in his last 27 games.
 
Redshirt senior linebacker Kyle Cooper (Hurricane, W.Va. / Hurricane) added an interception and his first-ever forced fumble, which RMU recovered, to aid the defensive effort.
 
After posting three interceptions in last week's win at Wagner, Robert Morris now has tallied at least three interceptions in back-to-back games for the first time since 1999.
 
Mitchell had 92 receiving yards and hauled in three scores for RMU. In doing so, he becomes only the sixth Colonial ever to catch three touchdowns in a game and the first to score three of any type in one game for RMU since Myles Russ did it in 2010. Mitchell became the seventh Colonial to surpass 600 receiving yards in a season Saturday and also moved into a tie for 10th in career catches (65) at RMU.
 
Robert Morris received the opening kickoff and took just three plays to take the lead as junior Paul Jones (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Sto-Rox (Penn State)) hit Mitchell for a 67-yard strike as the receiver broke one tackle and then raced down the right sideline untouched for the score. It was the longest pass of Jones' career and the longest reception of Mitchell's career.
 
After each team punted once, Eddie notched his first interception as he made a jumping grab on a Bulldog fourth-down attempt in RMU territory.
 
Robert Morris drove the ball 34 yards but was then forced to punt. Bryant then moved the ball into RMU territory on their next drive and was once again stopped on fourth down as RMU stopped a play from the Wildcat formation.
 
The Bulldogs would force a punt and then drive inside the RMU 10-yard line. Senior defensive lineman Chris Thompkins (Webster, N.Y. / Webster) registered a big sack to help force a field goal attempt, which was converted from 38 yards.
 
Robert Morris rushed for 46 on its next drive to move into the red zone, and true freshman Connor Shennan (Plymouth, Mich. / Canton) would hit a 35-yard field goal to make the lead 10-3, a score which would stand until halftime.
 
On the first play from scrimmage of the second half, Eddie came up with his second pick and returned it 24 yards into Bryant territory. Five plays later, Jones would hit Mitchell for a 12-yard pass to increase the Colonial lead.
 
After the Colonial defense held Bryant to a three-and-out, Eddie returned a punt 14 yards to give the offense excellent field position. Robert Morris soon took advantage as Jones would find Mitchell one more time, this time from 13 yards out, on the eighth play of the drive.
 
After a pair of punts, Bryant drove well into RMU territory, but Cooper forced a fumble on a run play, and sophomore defensive back Marcelis Branch (Homestead, Fla. / Miami Southridge) jumped on the loose pigskin for his second recovery of the season.
 
Cooper forced a turnover on Bryant's next drive as well by intercepting the Bulldogs and returning it 32 yards. RMU was then able to run over four minutes off the clock to essentially ice the victory.
 
Senior safety D.J. Myers (Aliquippa, Pa. / Pittsburgh Central Catholic) posted 10 tackles along with a pass breakup while redshirt senior linebacker Mike Cook (Victoria, Minn. / Eden Prairie (Winona State)) tallied nine stops, including a tackle for loss. Both Cook and Myers surpassed 200 career tackles Saturday, becoming the 19th and 20th Colonials to achieve that feat.
 
Jones rushed 12 times for 86 yards, setting a new season high, while throwing for at least three scores for the second time this season.
 
Redshirt senior safety Eric Lowry (Johnstown, Pa. / Bishop McCort) contributed a game-high and career-high 11 tackles, including a pass breakup on a ball thrown deep downfield. Senior defensive lineman A.J. Holderman (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) tied his career high of seven tackles, which he set just last week, while making three tackles for loss, which also ties his career high.
 
Junior defensive lineman Forrest Mason (Union Bridge, Md. / Frederick (Hargrave Military Academy)) added six tackles and two sacks while redshirt senior defensive lineman R.J. Cook (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver) made his first-career sack Saturday.
 
Thompkins moved into eighth in career sacks at RMU with his effort Saturday.
 
RMU improved to 7-1 in its last eight games that have been part of the NEC's broadcast package. With their win Saturday, the Colonials have now defeated every team that they have played more than twice in program history.
 
Senior Deontae Howard (Clairton, Pa. / Clairton) moved into ninth place in career rushing yardage (889) at RMU against the Bulldogs.
 
Robert Morris will look to keep its momentum going when it returns to action next Saturday, Nov. 9, on the road against Central Connecticut State, a squad that controls its own destiny in the NEC title race.