Joe Walton Stadium (3,000) - Moon Township, Pa.

Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team returns home for its non-conference finale this Saturday, Nov. 7, as it meets a first-time foe by hosting East Tennessee State at Noon at Joe Walton Stadium. RMU was deadlocked at the half last week at Central Connecticut State, but the Colonials ran out of steam and fell on the road. The Buccaneers are coming off a 42-9 victory over Warner a week ago. Robert Morris will be the second Northeast Conference school that East Tennessee State has faced this season as the Bucs hosted Saint Francis to begin October. Wide receiver Kyle Buss earned a weekly NEC honor this week, giving Robert Morris a league-leading nine weekly awards this season. Perhaps more impressively, Robert Morris has tied a school record, which had not been achieved since 1997, in having seven distinct student-athletes honored with weekly accolades in a year. Entering the final month of the season, the Colonials rank among the top 30 nationally in both rushing and passing defense. RMU will make the short jaunt east to play Saint Francis next Saturday in what will be the Colonials' road finale.

Quick Stat of the Afternoon - Redshirt freshman Kyle Buss earned weekly recognition from multiple sources this week. He was named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week and was also tabbed Honorable Mention National Freshman Player of the Week by STATS. Buss caught eight passes for 160 yards last Saturday at Central Connecticut. The 160 receiving yards represented a new RMU freshman record and ranks as the sixth-highest figure in single-game RMU history and the best such mark by a Colonial in over eight years. His 160 receiving yards are the highest single-game figure by a NEC non-senior this season and the most by any NEC rookie since at least 2007. With his performance Saturday, Buss tied the single-season freshman reception record at RMU, as he now has 34 grabs on the campaign. Buss currently ranks third among FCS freshmen in receiving yards (523) this season. The RMU rookie record for a season is 624.

Saturday's Opponent - Saturday's game between Robert Morris and East Tennessee State marks the inaugural meeting between the two programs. Robert Morris owns a record of 20-15-1 (.569) when facing off with an opponent for the first time. East Tennessee State is one of four new programs on RMU's schedule this year, the most new foes the Colonials have faced since their inaugural season. This is also the sixth consecutive season in which RMU has played at least one new opponent. Of RMU's previous 36 games against a first-time opponent, 17 have come at home. In those games, RMU is 13-4 (.765), and it has won three straight such outings.

All-Time Series vs. East Tennessee State
Series tied, 0-0

On This Date (Nov. 7) in Robert Morris Football History - Robert Morris has played on two prior occasions on this date, and it came away a winner both times. Unlike this week, both of those affairs were non-conference contests played on the road. The first time RMU competed on this date came in 1998 at Saint Francis. The Red Flash struck first with a field goal, but their advantage would be short-lived. Tim Levcik (1998-2001) threw one touchdown in the first and another in the second quarter to stake the guests to a 14-3 lead at the break. The rookie quarterback threw for three more scores in the second 30 minutes, finishing with a RMU rookie record five overall, to lead the Colonials to a comfortable 35-3 victory. Robert Morris dominated the contest, outgaining the Red Flash 414-185, as it also held a +2 margin in turnovers. Donald Dorsey (1998-99) ran for 100 yards on just 10 carries and also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass. John O'Connell (1995-98) posted two interceptions and a fumble recovery in his final NEC game.

Head Coach John Banaszak (second 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 and final as assistant head coach for Robert Morris. Among his numerous duties with the program before becoming head coach, 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 11 years and ranked among the top four nine times in the past 12 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 helped five distinct Colonials win an award at return specialist within the span of one 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 stayed step for step with Central Connecticut State during the first half, but the Blue Devils pulled away late to post a 34-0 victory … After shutting out first-place Central Connecticut in the first half, the RMU defense did yield three scores in the second half, but only one of the scoring drives was longer than 40 yards … It was the fifth time in eight games this season that the Colonials have shut out an opponent for an entire half … Sophomore cornerback Drew Allen and redshirt junior cornerback Marcelis Branch each notched nine tackles … Junior Zach Cooper contributed six tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, while making his first career start.

The Right Gear - Safety Andy Smigiera has demonstrated an ability to knock down the football this year, be it on special teams or defense. The junior ranks second in the league, and among the top 25 in the FCS, in passes defended (1.25 per game). He has notched a pass breakup or an interception in seven of eight games this season. Additionally, he has blocked two kicks while notching 41 total tackles on the year.

Don't Be Offensive - Through eight games, Robert Morris has scored five non-offensive touchdowns. It has scored twice via an interception and also from a kick return, a punt return and a blocked punt. The school record for non-offensive TD in a season is six. Interestingly, all five of its unique touchdowns this season have come in home games.

No Typical November - When Robert Morris takes the field Saturday, fans will be witnessing a relatively rare sight as the Colonials will play a regular-season, non-conference game in November for just the 11th time in program history. Four of the 10 prior occasions came before RMU joined a conference in football. It will be the first such contest for the Colonials since 2003 and the first such tilt at home since 1998. RMU is 6-4 (.600) in November non-conference games in the regular season.

Knock It Down - Through the first eight games of the 2015 season, the RMU defense has tallied 36 pass breakups, notching at least four in seven games. That puts the Colonials on pace to break the single-season school record of 49 pass breakups. 11 different Colonials have contributed to this mark with junior Andy Smigiera and sophomore Drew Allen leading the way with eight.

For Starters - When Robert Morris took the field in its 2014 season finale at Duquesne, it sported its 11th distinct offensive starting lineup in the 11th and final game. RMU had sported different lineups on offense in 21 consecutive games before it had a repeat in its starters last week. 23 distinct Colonials started on offense in the 2014 season. Through eight games in 2015, 19 Colonials have started on offense.

Tweet #ColonialPride