football team returns home after a bye week for its fourth Northeast Conference (NEC) contest this Saturday, Nov. 8, at Noon as the Colonials welcome Wagner to Joe Walton Stadium for a game featured live on ESPN3. RMU dropped a decision to first place and nationally ranked Bryant two weeks ago. That contest made 2014 the fifth consecutive season in which Robert Morris has faced a nationally ranked team, and each of the last five such games for RMU have come on the road. With a catch this week, senior
would break the Robert Morris record for consecutive games with a reception as he enters the weekend having caught a pass in each of the past 30 games RMU has played. Mitchell is also nine catches shy of tying his own single-season school record for receptions.
earned his first-career start last time out at outside linebacker, becoming the 23rd Colonial to tally his first start in 2014, a number slated to increase this weekend. Robert Morris will remain home next weekend as it hosts in-state rival Saint Francis in its home finale.
- Saturday's contest is part of the conference's broadcast package and will be featured live on ESPN3. That fact should bode well for the Colonials based on recent history. Robert Morris is 7-1 (.875) in its last eight games that have been broadcast by the NEC, including 5-0 at home in this span. The Colonials have averaged 26.75 points per game in these eight affairs while allowing just 14.25 points per game over this set of games, including yielding only 10.80 at home. Saturday's game will mark the second time that Robert Morris has faced Wagner with the bright lights on as the 2010 game between the squads was broadcast by the league. RMU trailed 9-0 at the half in that contest but scored 30 points in the game's final 21 minutes to come away with a win on Staten Island. Since the 2005 season, Robert Morris is 9-4 (.692) when featured on a NEC broadcast, including 6-2 (.750) at Joe Walton Stadium.
- Wagner 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 Saint Francis. All-time the Colonials are 13-7 (.650) against the Seahawks. RMU owns nearly its entire advantage due to its play in home games. Robert Morris claimed an exciting 17-13 win last year in New York, the fourth straight year that the Colonials scored multiple touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Wagner.
10/26/13 - W, 17-13; Away
@ Moon Township, Pa. - Robert Morris, 7-2
@ Staten Island, N.Y. - Robert Morris, 6-5Wagner Series Quick Outs - RMU has not hosted Wagner since 2011 as the last two seasons were the first time that one team hosted games in the series in back-to-back years … The team that has won the turnover battle has won each of the last six games in this series … Six of the first 11 meetings in series history were decided by three points or fewer (or in overtime). The teams have not played such a game in their past nine meetings …
Duane Mitchell caught eight passes for a career-high 141 yards in last year's meeting with Wagner … Three of RMU's four longest INT returns in school history have come against the Seahawks.
On This Date (Nov. 8) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris has played three times before on November 8 and has produced one victory. All three contests were league affairs, and two of the three came against Albany. RMU's first game on this date came in 1997 and was a win over Saint Francis that clinched the outright NEC championship for the Colonials. RMU didn't waste time getting out to a fast start in the key contest as Jake Newman (1994-97) tossed two scoring strikes in the first quarter to stake RMU to a two-possession lead. A third Newman touchdown pass near the end of the half put the Colonials up 21-7 at the break. Robert Morris scored early in the second half, allowing it to go into cruise control. The defense pitched a shutout in the final 30 minutes, and RMU won 34-7. RMU racked up 220 rushing yards while holding the Red Flash to a mere 28. Fred Parker (1996-98) caught two scores while Brian Dunn (1994-97) grabbed two interceptions, sparking a three-game winning streak to close the season.
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 carry over sufficient momentum from last week's thrilling victory as nationally ranked Bryant claimed a 42-9 home win … RMU held Bryant under a 50% completion percentage and grabbed two interceptions after the Bulldogs entered the game having thrown only two all year … True freshman
Ryan Richards Jr. notched a season-best seven stops and added his first-career interception … The Bulldogs only had one scoring drive longer than 55 yards …
Corey Garry rumbled 30 yards, a career-long rush, to convert a fake punt …
Tony LaMancusa tied his career-long punt with a 63-yard boot … RMU held Bryant to a 1-for-6 mark on fourth down.
Â
Seeing Red - Robert Morris is second in the NEC in red zone offense, and one reason why is that the Colonials have done well to hold on to the ball in that area as RMU has yet to commit a turnover in the red zone. This 2014 team is seeking to become just the second at RMU since the turn of the century to go an entire year without a red zone turnover.
Double-Take - After starting the first four games of the season at linebacker,
Nic Lamica's move to wide receiver is going well as evidenced by his recent NEC Rookie of the Week award. He caught eight passes in the last home game, tying a RMU freshman record, and has twice topped 90 receiving yards. Lamica is among a rare group to have tallied both an offensive touchdown and an interception during the 2014 season.
Any Given Saturday - Before becoming a record-breaking receiver for RMU,
Duane Mitchell began his career as a running back in his rookie season. Since moving to receiver, Mitchell has played in 30 games, and he has caught at least one pass in each of those outings. He has also caught multiple passes in 20 of the team's past 21 games. In doing so, he has tied the RMU record for consecutive games with a reception, which was held by tight end Shadrae King (2008-11), who caught a pass in each of the final 30 games he played.
Coming of Age - Sophomore
Andy Smigiera has provided a lift to RMU in recent games as he has both tackled opponents and forced turnovers. He grabbed the first three interceptions of his career in the month of October, including one in each of the past two games. Smigiera, who also recovered a fumble in the season opener, posted a career-high 10 tackles last time out at nationally ranked Bryant and is tied for the team lead with 57 stops.
Hurry Up – One of
Darrin Hicks' goals as offensive coordinator is to run plays at a high rate. RMU has run at least 80 plays 12 times in program history with four of those occurrences coming in the first eight games of this year. That figure has tied the 2004 RMU team for the most 80+ play games in a season.
Â
