GAME ONE
ALDERSON BROADDUS
9.1.16 | 7:00 P.M.
MOON TOWNSHIP, PA | JOE WALTON STADIUM (3,000)
 
Capsule
The 23rd season of football gets started at Robert Morris University on Thursday, Sept. 1, as the Colonials host Alderson Broaddus in a 7:00 p.m. game at Joe Walton Stadium in Moon Township, Pa. This is the third time in the last four seasons - 2015 being the exception - that a Thursday has marked the beginning of football season. Selected to finish sixth in the 2016 NEC Football Preseason Poll, RMU is coming off a 4-7 season and a 2-4 league record.
 
vs. Alderson Broaddus
>This is the inaugural game between the Colonials and Battlers
>Alderson Broaddus is the sixth different Division II opponent that RMU will take on joining C.W. Post, Mercyhurst, Gannon, New Haven and Notre Dame (Ohio)
>RMU is 7-4 against DII programs
>RMU is 17-9 overall against non-Division I competition.
 
Season Openers
>Robert Morris is 9-13 all-time in season-opening contests
>RMU is 14-8 in home openers
>Those two particular superlatives have coincided on 10 occasions with the Colonials posting a mark of 5-5 in those situations
>A 27-13 victory against Morehead State in 2008 marks the last time that the blue and white opened the year in the win column.
 
About the Battlers
>The Battlers went 7-4 last season including 4-2 in road games
>Senior safety Michael James is a Football Gameplan Preseason All-American entering his final campaign with 205 tackles and 12 interceptions
>Alderson Broaddus is a private liberal arts university located in Philippi, W. Va., that was founded in 1871
>Known as the Battlers in reference to the 1861 Battle of Phillipi, A-B sponsors 22 sports, joining the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2014-15 after leaving the West Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Conference
 
Musket Shots
>Sixteen starters (7 O, 7 D, 2 S) and 35 letterwinners return from last season's 4-7 team
>RMU was picked sixth in the 2016 NEC Football Coaches Preseason Poll
>Sophomore WR Kyle Buss was a Preseason All-NEC First Team selection
>Seniors Marcelis Branch (DB) and Andy Smigiera (DB) were Preseason All-NEC picks on defense while sophomore Kyle Buss (WR) was the lone RMU player on the offensive Preseason All-NEC team
>Buss was a finalist for FCS Freshman of the Year and was the NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year
>The defense ranked in FCS top 25 in 3rd down defense, 4th down defense, passing yards allowed, passing efficiency defense, sacks, tackles for loss and total defense
>Six players who earned NEC weekly honors return this season
>Special teams accounted for three touchdowns in 2015 (kick return, punt return, blocked punt return)
>Head coach John Banaszak boasts a 43-26 carrer record in six seasons, 5-17 in two seasons at RMU
 
Weekly Winners
>The Colonials had eight different players earn NEC weekly awards last season, a school record for distinct players
>Six of those eight players return to the roster this season
>RMU had a player earn a special teams award in a league-record four straight weeks
>Mathew Barr won Rookie of the Week in two of the final three weeks of 2015
 
Comeback Kids
>The Colonials won three games last season that they trailed in the second half
>RMU trailed Notre Dame (Ohio), 24-21, and won 35-24
>Trailed Wagner, 6-3, and won 9-6
>Trailed East Tennessee State, 9-7, and won 21-9
>Colonials trailed Bryant, 7-0, in first quarter before winning, 21-20
 
NFL Experience for Miller
>Offensive coordinator Mike Miller has spent 12 seasons in the National Football League
>Most recently, he was the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 and 2012
>He spent six seasons with the Cardinals
>Miller was also an assistant with the Buffalo Bills (2004-05) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1999-2003)
>He has also spent time in the press box as a public relations assistant with the Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League
>During his tenure as receivers coach with Arizona, he mentored Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston
 
Academic Accolades
>Senior Andy Smigiera and 2016 graduate Nick Faraci were both named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academica All-District II honorees in 2015
>Faraci was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team
>It was the sixth time in the last six seasons a Colonial earned Academic All-America honors
 
Brother Act
>Tyler Lamica joins brother Nic Lamica on the RMU roster in 2016
>The elder Lamica, Nic, is a redshirt-junior who started seven games at tight end last season
>The younger Lamica, Tyler, is a freshman linebacker currently seated in the two deep at outside linebacker
>Nic was orginally a LB at RMU before moving to the other side of the ball
>They attended different high schools - Nic went to Forest Hills Central and Tyler went to Grand Rapids Christian
 
Not Halfway Home
>In 2015, the team trailing at the half posted an impressive 5-4 (.556) record
>In the first 21 seasons of RMU football, the team trailing at the half won only 13.5% of the time
 
Score 30 or More
>Since the inception of RMU football in 1994, RMU is 72-5 (.935) when scoring 30 or more points
>The Colonials are 29-0 when tallying 40 or more points
 
The Founding Father
>RMU had only one coach in its first 20 seasons of existence, Joe Walton
>Walton was a former NFL tight end and head coach (see sidebar, right)
>He was a four-time NEC Coach of the Year
>Under his guidance, RMU won two NCAA I-AA mid-major national titles
>Walton was inducted into the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013
 
DEFENSIVE NOTES
 
25-7
>The defense ranked in the FCS top 25 in seven different statistical categories - and the top 15 in five categories
  >7th - Sacks by (3.09/G)
  >11th - Third down conversion pct. (.309)
  >14th - Fourth down conversion pct. (.333)
  >14th - Pass yards allowed (172.0/G)
  >14th - Tackles for loss (7.7/G)
  >18th - Passing efficiency defense (108.13/G)
  >21st - Total defense (321.4/G)
>RMU has ranked in top 25 in total in defense if four of last seasons
>2015 tied the team record with 34 sacks
 
Seasoned Secondary
>The entire starting second from 2015 returns intact in 2016
>Redshirt senior Marcelis Branch, a two-time All-NEC player, was named to the preseason all-conference team
>Senior Nic Lamica was also named to the Preseason All-NEC squad
>Junior Drew Allen started every game at corner back as a sophomore
>Ryan Richards, Jr., played all 11 games at strong safety
 
Sensational Secondary
>Colonials led the NEC in fewest yards allowed per attempt at 5.8
>RMU had fewest passing yards allowed in league games last season (138.5)
>RMU had the second most pass break-ups in team history last season with 46
 
Branching Out
>Marcelis Branch is the team's leading returning tackler with 63
>He had 35 solo and 28 assisted stops
>A Preseason All-NEC pick, he had one interception, three PBU's and four passes defensed last season
 
Safety Smigiera
>Andy Smigiera is also a Preseason All-NEC selection
>Smigiera had a total of 19 pass defensed last season (8 PBU)
>He tied with Ryan Richards, Jr., for the team lead with three interceptions
>He finished with 62 tackles, 30 solo
 
Fourth Done
>RMU has stopped the opponent of six of the last seven fourth down attempts dating back to last season's Sacred Heart game (10.10.15)
>Only Bryant has had a fourth down conversion in that time moving the sticks on a 4th and 1
>RMU stuffed five straight attempts during that time frame
>Team's converted at just 33% (5-15) against RMU last season
>That rate ranked 14th in FCS last season
 
Boom Sack-a-Lacka
>RMU tied the team record with 34 sacks last season (34, 2006)
>Eleven different players tallied sacks
>Players who contributed for 24.5 of those sacks return to the roster this season
>Senior LB Jimmy Mason and redshirt-senior DL Austin Trgovcich had five each last season
>Senior DE Ryan Lewis added 4.5 sacks
 
OFFENSIVE NOTES
 
Barr Set
>Sophomore QB Mathew Barr earned two of the last three NEC Rookie of the Week accolades in 2015
>He went 20-31 for 225 yards and two scores in week nine against East Tennessee State
>In season finale vs. Bryant, Barr completed 13 of 16 for 122 yards
>Barr started nine games last season, going 90-188 for 989 yards
 
Red Shirt Protection
>The offensive line did not allow a sack in the final two games of 2015
>RMU has not allowed a sack in the last 124 offensive snaps
>The last time RMU went consecutive games without allowing a sack was 2010
 
Ramblin' Rameses
>Junior RB Rameses Owens tallied 456 yards and 4 TDs on 123 carries in 2015
>He is 10th at RMU in career yards (1,018) and attempts (253)
>Had 152 yards rushing and two TDs against #17 Youngstown State
>His 199 yards vs. N. Dakota State (9.6.14) are an RMU freshman record
 
Cole Shortage
>The team's top returning rusher, junior Cole Blake, will miss all of the 2016 season due to injury
>Blake rushed for 722 yards on 170 carries last season
>He averaged 4.2 yards per carry and had 2 TDs
 
Other Side of the Woods
>Redshirt-Junior Sam Woods has moved to running back after spending two seasons as a defensive back
>Woods had 35 career tackles, 34 of which came in his redshirt freshman campaign of 2014
 
Get on the Buss
>Redshirt sophomore WR Kyle Buss was the NEC Offensive Rookie of the Week last season
>He was also a finalist for STATS National Freshman Player of the Year
>He is the fifth RMU player to earn the NEC accolade, the most of any league school
>Among FCS rookies, he was second in receiving yards (742) and third in receptions per game (4.5)
>Buss set six RMU freshman records:
   >Season receptions (50)
   >Season receiving yards (742)
   >Season receptions per game (4.5)
   >Game receptions (9, twice UND, ETSU)
   >Game receiving yards (160, CCSU)
   >Longest reception (84, ETSU)
 
Freshmen Front Five
>Four of the five starting offensive linemen on the two-deep are true freshmen
>Redshirt junior LG Blake Chambliss is the lone upperclasssman on the two-deep
>Of the 10 offensive linemen listed, seven are freshmen or redshirt freshmen
 
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
 
Specialty Scoring
>The RMU special teams accounted for three touchdowns in 2015
>A blocked punt return, punt return and kickoff return accounted for the three specials teams scores
>Three players accounted for returns - Cole Blake (blocked punt), Warren Robinson (punt) and Dante Satcher (kickoff)
 
Kick Return Commendations
>Warren Robinson set the single-season school record for punt return average (18.2 yds.)
>Robinson ranked second nationally in punt returns average
>He had two of the three longest punt returns in team history - 66 yards vs. Notre Dame and 58 yards vs. Bryant.
>Danne Satcher had longest kick return in team history, going 96 yards against Sacred Heart
>The kick coverage unti was second nationally in kickoff return defense - 14.2 yards
>RMU led the NEC in touchback percentage - 47.2% of Colonials kickoffs
>No other NEC team was above 30%
 
Shennan-igans
>Kicker Connor Shennan went 5-9 on FGs last season, connecting from 30, 46, 30, 36 and 19 yds.
>His 13 career FGs are fifth in RMU history
>17 of his 36 kickoffs resuted in touchbacks
>He also punted 28 times with 40.7 average
>Six of 28 punts pinned opponents inside the 20
 
Check Marks
>Adam Check had 55 punts in 2015 averaging 36.7 yards
>He planted 13 inside the 20
>Seven resulted in fair catches
>His career avg. of 36.69 is fifth at RMU
 
Tweet #ColonialPride