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Eastern Kentucky (0-0) @ Robert Morris (0-0)
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.
Joe Walton Stadium (3,000) - Moon Township, Pa.

Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team opens its 2014 slate and 21st season of intercollegiate football Thursday, Aug. 28, as it hosts Eastern Kentucky at 7:00 p.m. at Joe Walton Stadium. John Banaszak is set to make his Division I head coaching debut as he will become only the second man ever to lead the Colonials in program history after the retirement of Joe Walton after two decades. This is Banaszak's 12th season overall on the staff at Robert Morris. Meanwhile, Eastern Kentucky is one of the more storied programs at the NCAA FCS level as it has won two national titles and made 20 playoff appearances, the second-highest amount in history. RMU's returnees are headlined by preseason All-American Antwan Eddie, a starting cornerback who earned the accolade for his performance as a punt returner. On the flip side, a total of 12 Colonials, including quarterback Luke Brumbaugh, are expected to make the first start Thursday. After opening at home, Robert Morris will hit the road for three consecutive weeks, beginning with a trip to North Dakota next Saturday, Sept. 6.

Quick Stat of the Evening - Robert Morris enters its 2014 season opener with an all-time record of 9-11 (.450) in season lidlifters, all of which have come in non-conference play. After opening the season on the road against nationally ranked opponents each of the past two years, including kicking off 2012 with eventual national champion North Dakota State, RMU will begin a season at home for the ninth time in program history in 2014. Robert Morris has dropped each of its past five season openers, four 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 - Robert Morris and Eastern Kentucky will meet for just the second time on the football field Thursday, with the Colonels having claimed a 38-6 victory over the Colonials in the inaugural meeting between the two programs almost exactly one year ago at a muggy Roy Kidd Stadium (8/29). EKU scored on its first two possessions and never looked back in the win. Jared McClain completed 16-of-21 passes while running for and throwing for two touchdowns each.

All-Time Series vs. Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky leads series, 1-0

8/29/13 - L, 6-38; Away

@ Moon Township, Pa. - N/A
@ Richmond, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky, 1-0

EKU Series Quick Outs - Robert Morris fell to 19-12-1 (.609) when facing an opponent for the first time after its first contest against Eastern Kentucky, a mark that remains current … Last year's contest marked the second straight season that the Colonials opened on the road against a nationally ranked opponent as RMU visited defending national champion North Dakota State to open the 2012 campaign … Jones became the first Colonial quarterback to start a season opener in his first season on the roster since the program's inaugural season … Robert Morris went 2-for-2 on fourth down in last year's meeting, including converting a fourth-and-seven … Senior Matthew Fox tallied his first-ever forced fumble with a hit on kickoff coverage against the Colonels … Forrest Mason and Connor Shennan were two of the five Colonials to earn their first-career start against Eastern Kentucky … The contest marked the first game that RMU ever played on a Thursday.

On This Date (Aug. 28) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris will be navigating into uncharted waters as it will be playing on August 28 for the first time in program history when it takes field against Eastern Kentucky. Not only is it the first game on August 28, but it is actually the second game ever in the month of August for RMU, with the first being their opener with the Colonels last year. Playing in August isn't the only unusual phenomenon associated with this year's season opener for RMU. The contest against Eastern Kentucky will mark the second time Robert Morris has competed on a Thursday and only the third time the Colonials have not played on a Saturday. RMU's prior game on a Thursday was also last year against EKU, but before that, one has to go back to 1995 when the Colonials played on a Friday night. On October 6 of that year, RMU nearly pulled off an improbable comeback as it scored 26 points in the final 16 minutes but fell to Gannon, 30-29. Both previous non-Saturday games in RMU history came on the road.

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 - A pair of Colonials topped notable single-season school records, but Robert Morris was unable to find enough of an offensive punch and fell at Saint Francis, 23-3, to close each team's season at a below-freezing DeGol Field … The contest was head coach Joe Walton's final game on the sidelines as he previously announced his retirement … Redshirt senior Mike Cook tallied six stops to eclipse the single-season tackles record at RMU as he finished the year with 117, topping the prior mark that was held by current assistant coach Alex DiMichele … The Colonial defense grabbed two interceptions after Saint Francis entered the game having thrown five all year.

Catch Me If You Can - Antwan Eddie will have a challenge in duplicating his 2013 season as he became the first Colonial to be named an All-American for a performance on special teams. He returned punts for the first time in his career in 2013 and tallied a single-season school record 405 yards on 27 returns. He ranked third in the FCS, averaging 15 yards per return, and broke a school record with an 88-yard return for a TD at VMI. Eddie was honored three times in the league's weekly special teams category and registered a return of 10+ yards in eight of the nine games in which he attempted a return.

First Impressions - While quarterback Luke Brumbaugh will be making his collegiate debut as a starter to open 2014, he is far from alone as he is part of a large group of Colonials who will be seeing their first significant collegiate action. There are 12 Colonials slated to make their first-career start Thursday, six on offense and six on defense. Eight of those 12 have never competed in a collegiate game before, a group that includes five redshirt freshmen, two true freshmen and one redshirt sophomore.

D-Fense - Robert Morris finished the 2013 campaign yielding 337.2 yards per game, a mark that ranked 20th nationally at the FCS level. It marked the third time in the past five years that the Colonials were among the top 25 in total defense. RMU also ranked among the top 25 last year in third-down defense, passing defense, red zone defense, passing efficiency defense and turnovers gained.

Home Sweet Home - Robert Morris is set to open its season at home for the first time since 2011. The Colonials are 14-6 (.700) all-time in home openers and 6-2 (.750) in games where their home opener is also their season opener. RMU has played 12 different programs in its home opener entering 2014, and it has defeated 10 of these foes at least once in a home opener. RMU won its home opener last year, 31-14.

Finish Strong, Start Fast? - One Colonial who will be hoping to carry over momentum from the 2013 season finale is wide receiver Sean Gavin. Gavin caught a career-high six passes for 72 yards to close 2013 as he began to settle into a starting role that was prompted by a mid-season injury. Four of Gavin's six catches in the finale against the Red Flash gave the Colonials a first down.