Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team plays the second of back-to-back home games this Saturday, Nov. 15, at Noon as the Colonials host in-state foe Saint Francis at Joe Walton Stadium in a Northeast Conference (NEC) matchup. RMU played well defensively last week against Wagner but could not come away with a victory. With a catch on the first drive against the Seahawks, Duane Mitchell broke the RMU record for consecutive games with a catch as he now has a reception in each of the past 31 outings. He needs seven more catches to break his own single-season school record of 52 from 2013. Mitchell and Nick Faraci earned Capital One Academic All-District honors late last week for their combined academic and athletic exploits. Three Colonials—Drew Allen (cornerback), Anthony Lucian (left tackle) and Ryan Richards Jr. (safety)—made their first-career starts last week. As is the custom, Robert Morris will take a moment to honor each of its seniors, 13 total, in a brief ceremony prior to kickoff. The Colonials will finish the regular season next Saturday, Nov. 22, at local rival Duquesne on ESPN3.

Quick Stat of the Afternoon - True freshman linebacker Gerald Ferguson was selected as NEC Rookie of the Week this Monday after he was a main part of RMU's stout defensive effort against Wagner. He posted season highs in tackles (10) and tackles for loss (3.0) in what was just his second-career start. The most impressive stat of Ferguson's line might have been that on the 10 tackles he was a part of, Wagner netted just three combined yards, partially due to the fact that six of his stops were in the backfield or allowed no gain on the play. Ferguson became the third Colonial to claim this honor in 2014, marking the first time ever that at least three distinct Colonials have earned rookie weekly honors in a single season. Rameses Owens earned the award in September after a 199-yard rushing effort at North Dakota while Nic Lamica garnered the accolade in October after catching eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.

Saturday's Opponent - Saint Francis 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 Central Connecticut State and Wagner. All-time the Colonials are 15-4-1 (.775) against the Red Flash, their best winning percentage against an opponent they have faced at least five times. However, Saint Francis has won the two most recent meetings, both of which came on the road for RMU, including last year's season finale.

All-Time Series vs. Saint Francis
Robert Morris leads series, 15-4-1

10/29/94 - T, 14-14; Away
11/11/95 - W, 21-6; Home
11/9/96 - W, 16-15; Away
11/8/97 - W, 34-7; Home
11/7/98 - W, 35-3; Away
11/6/99 - W, 49-0; Home
9/30/00 - W, 63-0; Away
9/29/01 - W, 41-7; Home
11/16/02 - L, 7-14 (OT); Away
9/27/03 - W, 36-6; Home
10/2/04 - W, 28-10; Away
10/1/05 - L, 28-35; Home
9/30/06 - W, 45-13; Away
9/15/07 - W, 28-13; Home
11/15/08 - W, 35-20; Away
10/17/09 - W, 28-0; Home
10/2/10 - W, 35-14; Away
10/8/11 - W, 45-14; Home
10/6/12 - L, 3-10; Away
11/23/13 - L, 3-23; Away

@ Moon Township, Pa. - Robert Morris, 8-1
@ Loretto, Pa. - Robert Morris, 7-3-1

SFU Series Quick Outs - RMU has not hosted Saint Francis since 2011 as the last two seasons were the first time that one team hosted games in the series in back-to-back years. That 2011 game was the first-ever home night game for the Colonials … RMU has given up more than 20 points to Saint Francis only twice in the previous 20 meetings, with the second occurrence being last year (and the first in 2005) … RMU has twice played the Red Flash in its home finale (1995, 1997) … Neither team has played a turnover-free game against the other since 2001 when both teams did not turn the ball over … Only once in the past seven meetings has a team surpassed 400 total yards (RMU, 2011).

On This Date (Nov. 15) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris has played three times before on November 15 and has come away victorious twice. Somewhat surprisingly, only one of those games was a NEC contest, and all of them came on the road. RMU's most recent game on this date came in 2008 against the same squad the Colonials will meet Saturday. RMU trailed, 20-14, at the end of the third quarter but used a 21-point final frame to post a come-from-behind 35-20 victory. Five of the seven TD's were scored on plays of at least 20 yards, including one defensive score for each side. Jeff Link's (2007-10) rush helped put RMU up for good in the fourth while James Snider's (2007-09) 65-yard fumble recovery TD erased almost all doubt in the outcome. There were seven combined turnovers, and neither side topped 300 yards of offense on the rainy day. Erik Cwalinski (2005-08) threw three touchdown passes while Michael Landers (2007-10) notched seven stops, 2.0 TFL, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

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 - Duane Mitchell broke a school record, but the Colonials dropped a 20-0 decision to Wagner … The RMU defense yielded only 12 points and allowed just one scoring drive longer than 40 yards … Senior Jake Tkach tallied a game-high and career-high 13 tackles and tied his career high of three tackles for loss … Each team reached the red zone three times … Antwan Eddie contributed a 44-yard punt return, the ninth-longest in school history … Sophomore Jimmy Masson reset his career high in tackles with eight … True freshman Drew Allen notched six tackles and a pass breakup in his first-career start … Junior Anthony Lucian made his first-career start at left tackle.

D-Fence - Robert Morris put forth perhaps its best defensive effort of the season last week against Wagner as it yielded just 215 yards of offense and 95 passing yards. It marked the fewest yards RMU had conceded since early in the 2011 season, a span of 39 games, and the first time RMU held an opponent under the century mark in passing yards since September 2012. The Colonials also notched 10 tackles for loss on the day.

Block Party - Sophomore Max Onyenwe blocked an extra point try by Wagner last week, the third blocked kick by a Colonial this year. It's the first time since 2003 that Robert Morris has registered at least three blocked kicks in a season.

No Passing Zone - The Robert Morris defense has done well to keep opposing offenses from moving the ball through the air near the end zone. The Colonials have grabbed seven interceptions thus far this year within 20 yards of the end zone they were defending. Five different players have contributed to this mark while sophomore safety Andy Smigiera has three such grabs on the year.

Tough Sledding - With Robert Morris' recent trip to Bryant, the Colonials have now faced at least one nationally ranked opponent in each of the past five seasons. This streak is likely to continue next year as the Colonials have South Dakota State on their 2015 slate. Each of RMU's past five games against ranked foes has come on the road.

Making the Grade - Senior offensive lineman Nick Faraci and senior wide receiver Duane Mitchell were both named Capital One Academic All-District First Team last week. As a result of their first-team selections, both Colonials advanced to the Academic All-America ballot. This is second straight year that Faraci has earned this honor and the first such award for Mitchell as they continued the trend of academic successes in the football program. These two accolades gave the Colonial program at least one Academic All-District honoree in each of the past 12 seasons, a span in which Robert Morris has taken home 23 overall selections. To put that in perspective, no other NEC school has an active streak of football Academic All-District selections longer than three years. Faraci, a nursing major, has a sterling 3.92 GPA. He has started 31 consecutive games at center, the most consecutive starts by any active Colonial on offense or defense. Mitchell, a finance major, has a 3.42 GPA. He has 46 catches for 450 yards this year and became the first RMU wide receiver to ever claim this honor.