Robert Morris (0-0) @ No. 19 Eastern Kentucky (0-0)
Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013, at 7:00 p.m.
Roy Kidd Stadium (20,000) - Richmond, Ky.

Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team opens its 2013 campaign and 20th season of intercollegiate football Thursday, Aug. 29, as it travels to Eastern Kentucky University and Roy Kidd Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. The Colonels are one of the most storied programs at the NCAA FCS level as they have won two national titles, made 20 playoff appearances and enter the season ranked No. 19 in the preseason FCS Coaches' Poll. This contest will mark the final season opener for RMU head coach Joe Walton, who has announced his retirement effective at the end of the season. Walton is the only head coach in the history of the program. A total of six Colonials are expected to make their first start Thursday night, including Paul Jones earning the nod at quarterback after winning the job in training camp. RMU will be seeking its first win over a nationally ranked opponent since it topped No. 15 Liberty during the 2010 season. Once its season opener is in the past, Robert Morris will return home to host tilts in back-to-back weeks against Morgan State (Sept. 7) and Dayton (Sept. 14) at Joe Walton Stadium.

Quick Stat of the Evening - Robert Morris enters its 2013 season opener with an all-time record of 9-10 (.474) in season lidlifters, all of which have come in non-conference play. This game against the Colonels marks the second straight season in which RMU has opened its campaign on the road against a nationally ranked opponent as the Colonials opened at eventual national champion North Dakota State in 2012. Robert Morris has dropped each of its past four season openers, three of which have come on the road … Top performances by RMU in season openers: most points - 47 (9/4/04 vs. Buffalo State); fewest points allowed - 0 (9/7/96 @ Mercyhurst); most rushing yards - 215 (9/6/03 @ Buffalo State); most passing yards - 282 (9/6/03 @ Buffalo State); most total yards - 497 (9/6/03 @ Buffalo State); fewest yards allowed - 167 (9/4/04 vs. Buffalo State)

Thursday's Opponent - Thursday's game between Robert Morris and Eastern Kentucky marks the inaugural meeting between the two programs. Robert Morris owns a record of 19-11-1 (.629) when facing off with an opponent for the first time. The last time the Colonials had a matchup with a first-time opponent was Sept. 29, 2012 when RMU entertained Lafayette. The Leopards came in to the game receiving votes nationally, but Greg Langer (2009-12) booted through a 33-yard field goal with 19 seconds left to lift RMU to a 31-28 victory. In the only time RMU met a team ranked among the top 20 in its first-ever meeting, it defeated No. 15 Liberty, 30-23.

All-Time Series vs. Eastern Kentucky
Tied, 0-0

On This Date (Aug. 29) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris will be venturing into uncharted territory as it will be playing on August 29 for the first time in program history when it takes the field against No. 19 Eastern Kentucky. Not only is it the first game on August 29, but it is actually the first game ever in the month of August for the Colonials. RMU has previously played three times on the opening day of September but never earlier than that. Playing in August isn't the only new phenomenon associated with this year's season opener for RMU. The contest against the Colonels will mark the first time Robert Morris has ever competed on a Thursday. Of the prior 197 football games in RMU history, 196 were played on a Saturday and one was played on a Friday night. The only previous non-Saturday game for Robert Morris occurred October 6, 1995 – the second year of the program's existence. RMU nearly pulled off an improbable comeback that night as it scored 26 points in the final 16 minutes but fell to Gannon, 30-29.

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 109-86-1 (.559).

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 - Robert Morris fell just short of another late comeback, coming up 13 yards shy, as it fell to Monmouth, 26-21 … RMU posted an impressive 440 yards of total offense, its best mark since 2010 … Robert Morris gained more yards per play than its opponent for the fifth consecutive week … Duane Mitchell caught touchdown passes of 39 and 44 yards … Nolan Nearhoof tallied 2.5 sacks to close his career with 26.5 sacks, breaking the NEC career record … Quarterback Jeff Sinclair, now an assistant coach, threw for 268 yards and rushed for 54 more to tally a career-high 322 total yards of offense … D.J. Myers notched a game-high 11 tackles.

Thursday Night Lights - Robert Morris' opener at No. 19 Eastern Kentucky will kick off at 7:00 p.m. It marks the 10th time in the 20-year history of the program that the Colonials will play in a game with a kickoff after 5:00 p.m. RMU owns a record of 3-6 (.333) all-time in night games, with seven of the previous contests coming on the road. However, with two of RMU's prior night games having come in domed stadiums, the Colonials are actually 3-4 (.429) when playing under the night sky. The tilt against Eastern Kentucky will be the first of two night games for RMU in 2013 as it will also host Duquesne under the lights on Homecoming Oct. 19.

First Season, First Start - With four-year starter Jeff Sinclair (2009-12) having finished his career, the Colonials came into camp without a quarterback with any significant game experience. Paul Jones, a transfer from Penn State and a Pittsburgh-area product, would win the job with his performance in the preseason. In doing so, Jones is set to become just the second Colonial in program history to start a season opener at quarterback in his first season on the roster. Each of the eight most recent quarterbacks to start an opener for RMU had all been on the roster for at least one season prior to their start. Jake Newman (1994-97) is the only other QB to start an opener in his first year when he started the 1994 opener – the first year the program was in existence.

Seeing Red - The Robert Morris defense displayed a strong resolve late last season as it often refused to give ground once an opponent had reached the red zone. In RMU's last four games in 2012, its opponents made 15 trips inside the red zone. However, the Colonials only allowed five touchdowns in these trips, conceding six points just 33 percent of the time.

Convert and Continue - RMU converted two fourth-down attempts in their 2012 season finale against Monmouth, continuing an end-of-season trend for the Colonials. It marked the fifth consecutive game that RMU had converted at least one fourth down, the longest such stretch for the program since a nine-game streak across the 2003-04 seasons. In fact, in four of those five contests last year, the Colonials converted two fourth-down tries as RMU went 9-for-11 (.818) overall on fourth-down tries during the final quintet of games. It should be noted that the aforementioned nine-game stretch began in very similar fashion as RMU started that run by converting a fourth down in the final five games of the 2003 season.

Top 25 Foes - Eastern Kentucky checked in at No. 19 in the preseason FCS Coaches' Poll. After playing just one game against a nationally ranked team in its first 16 seasons of existence, this will be Robert Morris' fifth game against a nationally ranked squad since the beginning of the 2010 season. It also marks the second straight year that RMU has opened with a nationally ranked foe. After winning its first two games against Top 25 squads, RMU has dropped three straight and sits at 2-3 (.400) entering Thursday's game.