Football | 10/16/2014 12:27:00 PM

Central Connecticut State (2-4 / 0-1) @ Robert Morris (0-6 / 0-1)
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014 at Noon
Joe Walton Stadium (3,000) - Moon Township, Pa.

Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team returns home from a trip to Connecticut this Saturday, Oct. 18, as it continues Northeast Conference play by facing Central Connecticut State at Joe Walton Stadium at Noon. The Colonials fell behind early against defending NEC champion and preseason favorite Sacred Heart last week and were never able to get back into the game. The Blue Devils dropped a one-possession game in their NEC opener a week ago and own a win over Towson, a squad that reached the NCAA championship game in 2013. The Blue Devils, like the Colonials, are under the guidance of a first-year head coach as Pete Rossomando took over the reins this past January. Senior Duane Mitchell needs one catch to move into a tie for second place on the RMU all-time receptions list. Rameses Owens ranks second nationally in rushing yardage per game among all true freshmen at the FCS level (83.5). Luke Centofanti is set to become the seventh distinct RMU wide receiver to earn a start in 2014. Robert Morris will turn right around and hit the road next weekend as it travels to Bryant Saturday, Oct. 25.

Quick Stat of the Afternoon - While Robert Morris has not performed to its optimal level thus far in 2014, the Colonials have previously demonstrated that all is not lost in this position. This is the five-year anniversary of a 2009 season that saw Robert Morris start 0-6. However, those Colonials finished with a 180 degree turnaround as they won the final five games of their season, which proved to be a springboard to a championship run in 2010. After having a negative turnover differential in the opening six games of 2009, the Colonials posted a +9 differential in their five game winning streak. The RMU defense tallied a significant improvement as it yielded 19 points per game fewer in the closing five games of 2009 compared to the opening six. RMU's first win in 2009 was the third-career start under center for Jeff Sinclair (2009-12). Quarterback Derik Abbott will be making his third collegiate start this Saturday for the Colonials.

Saturday's Opponent - Central Connecticut State is one of just three opponents Robert Morris faced in each of the first 20 years the Colonials fielded an intercollegiate program, joining fellow NEC foes Saint Francis and Wagner. All-time the Colonials are 15-5 (.750) against the Blue Devils. The home team had won eight straight games in the series until RMU won in Connecticut in 2013. In that game, RMU used a program-record 40 points in the first half to cruise to a 54-21 victory.

All-Time Series vs. Central Connecticut State
Robert Morris leads series, 15-5

9/17/94 - W, 24-17; Away
9/30/95 - W, 45-3; Home
9/28/96 - W, 35-13; Away
9/27/97 - W, 44-21; Away
9/26/98 - W, 42-17; Home
9/25/99 - W, 27-24; Away
10/21/00 - W, 41-3; Home
10/20/01 - W, 38-18; Away
9/21/02 - W, 14-0; Home
10/11/03 - W, 27-17; Away
10/9/04 - L, 21-34; Home
10/15/05 - L, 14-21; Away
10/14/06 - W, 23-17 (OT); Home
10/13/07 - L, 10-16; Away
11/1/08 - W, 27-14; Home
10/10/09 - L, 20-34; Away
11/6/10 - W, 42-24; Home
11/5/11 - L, 24-31; Away
10/20/12 - W, 37-31; Home
11/9/13- W, 54-21; Away

@ Moon Township, Pa. - Robert Morris, 8-1
@ New Britain, Conn. - Robert Morris, 7-4

CCSU Series Quick Outs - Robert Morris and CCSU own 10 NEC titles between the two programs, with the Colonials having produced six and the Blue Devils four … RMU won its first 10 games over CCSU, its longest winning streak against one opponent in school history … 13 of the prior 20 meetings have been decided by at least 10 points … The winning score has been at least 31 each of the past five years after averaging under 22 points the four seasons prior to that … RMU's victory over the Blue Devils in 2006 doubled as the program's first-ever game against a nationally ranked opponent … RMU has scored 40+ points on six occasions against CCSU, its highest such figure against any opponent.

On This Date (Oct. 18) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris has played three previous times on October 18 and has yet to come away with a victory. Two of the three times the Colonials played on this date in mid-October, they were meeting non-conference foes on the road. The first game that the Colonials ever played on this date came in 1997 against the program that was last year's national runner-up. Robert Morris struck first with a touchdown pass, but Towson came roaring back with three touchdowns in under 13 minutes. After the last of those scores, though, Antoine Lee (1997-99) returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. Each team scored once more before the half, giving the Tigers a 27-19 edge at the break. RMU pulled ahead early in the fourth on a Nate List (1994-97) pick-six but was unable to hold on as Towson scored the game's final touchdown. The game featured nine combined turnovers and was the first contest in RMU history to feature more than one non-offensive Colonial touchdown.

Head Coach John Banaszak (first season; Eastern Michigan '75) - John Banaszak became the second head football coach in Robert Morris University history in December 2013. He served as an assistant coach and assistant head coach for the Colonials for 11 consecutive years prior to taking over the top spot. Banaszak was selected as Coach-In-Waiting in January 2012, allowing for a simple transition following the 2013 campaign.

At the end of the 2013 season, he was named as the Assistant Coach of the Year at the FCS level as selected by the American Football Coaches Association. He was one of five coaches selected for dedication to their teams and communities. He was the first RMU coach, as well as the first from the NEC, to claim this honor.

The 2013 season was Banaszak's sixth as assistant head coach for Robert Morris. Among his numerous duties with the program, he was responsible for tutoring the defensive line and the special teams unit.

Under Banaszak's guidance in 2013, Robert Morris led the NEC in net punting, punt return defense and punt return average. Banaszak was also a key component in instructing a RMU defense that finished second in the NEC in total defense within league play in 2013. Robert Morris finished its regular season ranked among the top 25 nationally in at least seven defensive categories including total defense.

With Banaszak's assistance, RMU has led the NEC in total defense four times in the past 10 years and ranked among the top four nine times in the past 11 seasons.

Banaszak was a key component to a 2010 defense that led the NEC in total defense as the Colonials claimed the NEC's inaugural berth in the FCS Playoffs. In 2006, he helped tutor an RMU defense that led I-AA in total defense, allowing an average of just 228.36 yards per game.

10 of the 13 players in school history to earn All-NEC recognition on the defensive line have come under the tutelage of Banaszak, including Nolan Nearhoof (2009-12), who was named the 2012 NEC Defensive Player of the Year after breaking both the school and league records for career sacks. Nearhoof would go on to earn All-America honors, becoming the third Colonial defensive lineman to claim an All-America nod under Banaszak in a seven-year span.

As much as Banaszak's presence has been felt on the defensive side of the ball, the same can be said on special teams. He has helped five distinct Colonials win an award at return specialist within the past decade.

A graduate of Eastern Michigan, Banaszak signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to the 1975 season and was one of only three rookies to make the defending Super Bowl champion team out of training camp.

Primarily a special teams player on Pittsburgh's Super Bowl X championship team, Banaszak started five games the following season and then started at both right end and inside tackle in 1977 before suffering a knee injury that forced him to the injured reserve list.

Between 1978 and 1980, Banaszak started 45 regular-season games at defensive end as the Steelers won back-to-back Super Bowls. In Super Bowl XIII, Banaszak recorded six tackles, including a pair of sacks, and a fumble recovery in a 35-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys, which garnered him Defensive Player of the Game honors. The following year, Banaszak helped the Steelers to a 31-19 victory over the Rams.

Last Time Out - Robert Morris was unable to overcome a poor first quarter and dropped its Northeast Conference opener to Sacred Heart on an overcast and wet afternoon … Junior Derik Abbott completed 14-of-24 passes for a career-high 230 yards … Junior Luke Centofanti contributed a career-high 53 receiving yards … Sophomore Andy Smigiera topped the RMU defense with a career-high tying nine tackles … Senior defensive back Antwan Eddie moved into RMU's career top 10 in passes defended against the Pioneers … Each team registered a blocked punt with redshirt senior linebacker Luke Mueller tallying one for RMU, the first blocked kick of his career.

Tough Sledding - Robert Morris has faced a string of quality opponents in its opening half dozen games. The combined record of these foes is 26-10 (.722). One is undefeated and nationally ranked, another has one loss and is the first team outside the rankings and two others have just one loss apiece. Each of these opponents has at least three wins, and five of the six are ranked among the top 25 nationally in rushing defense.

Double-Take - After starting the first four games of the season at linebacker, Nic Lamica moved to wide receiver. Lamica has caught seven passes in his first two starts on offense and posted 93 receiving yards and first-career touchdown reception in last week's game. He had tallied 30 tackles and an interception in four games on defense.

Double the Fun - Junior Derik Abbott tossed a pair of touchdown passes last week at Sacred Heart and has now thrown for two TD's in each of his first two starts. In doing so, he became only the second Colonial, and the first since the program's inaugural season, to throw multiple touchdown passes in each of his first two collegiate starts. Three of Abbott's four passing touchdowns have been at least 19 yards in length.

It's Not on Us - First-year head coach John Banaszak, who previously served in the Marines, has his team playing a very disciplined brand of football. Robert Morris is seventh nationally in fewest penalty yards per game among FCS programs, averaging 36.8 per outing. The Colonials have accumulated fewer penalty yards than their opponent in eight consecutive games, the longest such stretch in program history.

Go the Distance - In his first-career start (10/4), junior quarterback Derik Abbott displayed a penchant for orchestrating long scoring drives. Under his command, Robert Morris tallied a nine-play, 85-yard drive and a 15-play, 86-yard drive, both of which culminated in the end zone. It marked the first time in nearly six years that the Colonials produced two scoring drives longer than 80 yards within the same game as the last occurrence was Nov. 1, 2008.