Smithfield, R.I. – The Robert Morris University football team was unable to carry over sufficient momentum from last week's thrilling victory as nationally ranked Bryant claimed a 42-9 home victory on a warm Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.
 
RMU held Bryant to under a 50% completion percentage on the afternoon and grabbed two interceptions after the Bulldogs entered the game having thrown only two all season, but it was not enough to come home with a win.
 
Senior Duane Mitchell caught eight passes on the day and moved into second at RMU in all-time receiving yards with 1,699. His first catch of the day also marked the 30th consecutive game in which he has caught a pass, tying the RMU school record that Shadrae King initially set.
 
Sophomore Andy Smigiera led the Colonials with a career-high 10 tackles and tallied an interception, his third in the month of October.
 
True freshman Ryan Richards Jr. notched a season-best seven stops and added his first-career interception.
 
Bryant took advantage of a short field on several occasions as the Bulldogs only had one scoring drive longer than 55 yards in the contest.
 
After RMU was stopped short on fourth down on the game's first possession, the hosts used the resulting momentum to drive for an opening touchdown.
 
Despite picking up first downs on each of its next three drives, Robert Morris was forced to punt on its remaining drives of the first half. Bryant would find the end zone on two more drives in the opening half after the second one was extended with a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty. Smigiera intercepted Bryant on its final drive of the half.
 
RMU stopped Bryant on downs near midfield to open the third quarter but would then commit its first turnover of the day, setting up a Bulldog scoring drive.
 
Both teams lined up in punt formation on their next drive—while RMU booted the ball away, Bryant had issues with the snap and was forced into giving up a safety.
 
RMU used a great play on special teams to extend its next drive as junior Corey Garry took a direct snap in punt formation and rumbled 30 yards, a career-long rush, to convert on fourth down. Later in the drive, junior Derik Abbott hit Mitchell with a 14-yard touchdown as the senior made a nice juke move to evade a defender after the catch.
 
The Colonials continued to gain momentum on the next drive as Richards Jr. picked off a pass with Bryant in the red zone. RMU then drove to midfield before a turnover halted the visitors' rally attempt.
 
The Colonials then forced a turnover on downs after Bryant had reached the red zone, but RMU was unable to muster enough offense to get back into the game.
 
Mitchell moved into a tie for fourth in single-season catches Saturday and is on pace to break his own school record in that department from last year.
 
Senior Tony LaMancusa tied his career-long punt with a 63-yard boot in the third quarter. His punts also twice forced Bryant to start drives inside its own 10-yard line, including one that went out of bounds less than a yard from the goal line.
 
RMU held Bryant to a 1-for-6 mark on fourth down on the day. Saturday marked the first time in four tries that the Colonials lost on October 25.
 
Robert Morris will have a bye next weekend before commencing a two-game homestand Saturday, Nov. 8, against Wagner in a game that will air on ESPN3.