Football | 11/23/2015 8:32:00 PM
Moon Township, Pa. – True freshman quarterback
Mathew Barr and true freshman wide receiver
Warren Robinson of the
Robert Morris University football team were both honored with weekly awards by the Northeast Conference (NEC) as announced by the league Monday afternoon.
Barr was named Rookie of the Week while Robinson was selected as the league's Special Teams Player of the Week after the duo helped RMU to a win over preseason favorite Bryant in its season finale this past Saturday.
These two accolades pushed Robert Morris' NEC weekly honor total to a league-leading 12 on the year. This year's squad came up one weekly honor shy of tying the program record of 13 that was set in 1998.
Barr earns his second award in three weeks with this announcement while Robinson is also being honored for the second time this season as he previously took home the hardware Sept. 21.
Barr was nearly flawless in directing Robert Morris to an upset victory of the Bulldogs. The true freshman completed 13-of-16 passes on the afternoon without turning the ball over or getting sacked. His 81.2% completion mark tied the single-game school record, which has stood since 2000, and is the best such mark by a NEC athlete in over two years (min. 10 attempts). It was the second straight week he did not get sacked and the second time in three games that he was not picked off. Barr was perfect on leading RMU on an 88-yard tying scoring drive in the second quarter as he was 6-for-6 passing for 50 yards, while connecting with four different receivers. He also rushed for 18 yards on the sequence, including a 4-yard touchdown to cap the drive on third-and-goal. Later in the quarter, a 36-yard pass by Barr moved RMU from its own territory into the red zone, and the Colonials would pull ahead for good three plays later. Barr now owns two of the top four single-game completion percentages in program history as he completed 78% of his attempts in the Homecoming victory earlier this season.
Barr becomes the first Colonial to win multiple Rookie of the Week awards since 2012, when redshirt junior cornerback
Marcelis Branch achieved the feat, and the first to do so on offense since 2008.
Robinson played a large role in helping RMU take down preseason favorite Bryant. The true freshman contributed 67 punt return yards on the afternoon against a Bryant team that came into the day leading the nation in punt return defense. With the Colonials clinging to a 14-7 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Robinson brought a spark to the proceedings by weaving his way back and forth across the field for a 58-yard return. The return set up the Robert Morris offense at the Bryant 10-yard line, and the Colonials would score what proved to be the game-winning touchdown two plays later. The 58-yard return stands as the third-longest in RMU history, and the rookie now owns two of the top three such marks in Colonial annals. Earlier in the quarter, a Colonial who was trying to block unintentionally touched a Bryant punt, creating a fumble. Robinson not only alertly grabbed the free ball but still managed to return it nine yards. Robinson was a direct factor in having Bryant allow the most punt return yards to an opponent since its 2013 season opener. With Saturday's effort, the rookie broke the RMU single-season record for punt return average (18.2) and currently ranks second in all of FCS in that category. Robinson also added a season high four receptions, including two on RMU's opening scoring drive.
Robinson's award is the fifth of the special teams variety for RMU this season, which breaks the single-season school record in that category. It is the first time any league school won at least five special teams awards in a season since 2007.
This is the third time this season that more than one Colonial was honored in a weekly release.
Barr and Robinson are two of the eight distinct Colonials who have been recognized by the NEC this season, a new school record.
Barr is one of 24 distinct Colonials to be honored in the NEC's Rookie of the Week category. Those 24 honorees have combined for 42 overall selections.
Robinson is one of nine distinct Colonials to be honored in the NEC's special teams category. Those nine honorees have combined for 17 special teams awards.
