Capsule
The Robert Morris University football team begins a two-game homestand Saturday, Oct. 20, when they host Central State (3-4, 1-3 SIAC) at Joe Walton Stadium for a Noon kickoff. RMU has won four consecutive and five of its last six non-conference home games.
 
All-Time vs. Central State
> This is the inaugural meeting between the Colonials and the Marauders
> RMU has three first time opponents on its slate in 2018
> The Colonials have never played Virginia State, James Madison or Central State
> Robert Morris defeated Virginia State, 22-19, and lost to JMU, 73-7
 
Musket Shots
> Terence Stephens Jr. had 112 yards rushing and 110 yards receiving at Duquesne
> He's the first 100-100 player at RMU since '94
> There have been only two such games in FCS this season (Kyran Jackson, Sam Houston St.)
> Senior LB Adam Wollet was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy which is awarded to the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation
> Stephens Jr. and Matthew Gonzalez each had 100 yards receiving, the first time since 2001
> RMU had 400 yards of offense in back-to-back games for the first time since 2012
> Gonzalez is 3rd among FCS tight ends averaging 16.8 yards per reception
> Gonzalez leads FCS tight ends with 7 receiving TDs and is tied for 7th overall
> Jimmy Walker is second all-time at RMU averaging 191.5 yards passing for his career
> Tim Vecchio is 7th at RMU with 85 career receptions
> RMU is 18th in the nation in red zone offense, converting at .917 (22-24, 20 TDs, 2 FG)
> The Colonials current average of 374.7 yards per game is the team's best since 2001 and is the 4th best offense in team history
> The team's 26 first downs vs. Dayton were their most since 10/22/11 (27; Bryant)
> Bernard Clark Jr. makes his head coaching debut in 2018
> DL Amir Fenwick and LB Adam Wollet were named to the Preseason All-NEC Team
> Fenwick was the Colonials only All-NEC First Team pick last season
> Wollet was named to the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America team
> Sophomore C Eric McAllister was a Hero Sports Freshmen All-America pick in 2017
> 2018 marks the 25th season of football at Robert Morris
> RMU has won six NEC Championships — 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 & 2010
 
About the Marauders
> Central State is 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
> CSU averages 19.0 points on 303.0 yards of offense, 124.4 rushing and 178.6 passing
> They allow 24.1 points on 313.9 yards, 122.9 on the ground and 191 in the air
> Trent Mays has taken every snap at QB, going 86-160-10 INT for 1,250 yards and 8 TDs
> RB Terraris Saffold leads the team in rushing and receiving
> He averages 65.4 yards per game rushing, 3.8 per carry with 5 touchdowns
> Saffold also has 21 receptions to top the team
> Kevin Greenhow has four TD receptions, averaging 23.5 yards per catch
> LB Kailen Abrams leads the team with 81 tackles and 7.5 sacks
> He ranks 7th in Division II averaging 11.6 tackles per game
> DB Devon Cunningham has intercepted two passes
 
{ TEAM NOTES }
 
25th Season of RMU Football
> 2018 marks the 25th season of football at Robert Morris
> The program debuted in 1994, going 7-1-1
> RMU has won six NEC Championships — 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 & 2010
 
Clark Makes Coaching Debut
> Bernard Clark Jr. makes his head coaching debut in 2018
> He served as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at UAlbany for four years
> Won two national championships with Miami, including the 1988 Orange Bowl MVP
> Made 10 previous coaching stops before arriving in Moon Township
 
Dr. Howard In College Football
> RMU President Dr. Chris Howard is serving a three-year term on the College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee
> He is also on the planning committee to commemorate the 150th birthday of college football
> Howard was a running back at Air Force
> He won the NFF Campbell Trophy, the highest academic award for a football player
 
RMU Football Leadership Committee
> Coach Clark has named a six-player leadership committee in 2018
> Offensive Leadership Committe Members:
   > Junior WR DeLano Madison
   > R-Sophomore OL Eric McAllister
   > Senior QB Jimmy Walker
> Defensive Leadership Committe Members:
   > R-Junior DB Tevaul Brown
   > Senior DL Amir Fenwick
   > Senior LB Adam Wollet
 
Delray Beach Connection
> A pair of Colonials hail from the Florida town of Delray Beach on the Atlantic Coast
> Warren Robinson and Thomas Neal list Delray Beach as their hometown
> They all attended different high schools
> Dylan Young lists Coral Springs as his hometown, just a short drive from Delray Beach
 
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
Gridiron Graduates
> RMU has four players players currently taking graduate level classes
> DE Cameron Darley and QB Caleb Lewis are graduate transfers
> QB Jimmy Walker finished his undergraduate work last year and is in grad school now
> LB Adam Wollet is in the integrated five-year finance and data analytics program at RMU
 
WPIAL Representation
> The 2018 roster features 30 former WPIAL players
> They represent 23 different schools
> Gateway, Montour, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Thomas Jefferson, Woodland Hills and West Allegheny each have two alums on the RMU roster
 
State of the Colonials
> Thirteen states and two countries are represented on the RMU roster
> Three dozen (36) players from the Keystone State, Pennsylvania, lead the list
> Ohio (11) and Florida (10) also have double-digit representatives
> Two players came to RMU from Ontario
 
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)
> 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 }
 
National Rankings - Team
> RMU ranks in the top-30 in these categories:
   > Red Zone Defense (26th, .750)
   > Fewest Penalties/Game (15th, 5.0)
   > Fewest Penalties (21st, 30)
   > Fewest Penalty Yards/Game (21st, 43.67)
   > Fewest Penalty Yards (24th, 262)
 
National Rankings - Individual
> RMU ranks in the top-50 in these categories:
   > Forced Fumbles (Darrell Mason, 18th, 0.33)
 
Red Zone Resistance
> RMU is 26th in nation in red zone defense
> Opponents are converting on just 75.0 percent of their red zone chances (27-of-36)
> Virginia State was just 2-of-6
 
Triple-Double
> 3 Colonials - Jon Muehlbauer, Adam Wollet and Amir Fenwick - had 10+ tackles against VSU
> Muehlbauer and Fenwick had career highs with 12 and 10 tackles, respectively
> Wollet made 11 stops
> Joe Uhatafe (14), Adam Wollet (12) and Ryan Lewis (11) were the last trio to record 10-plus tackles (at Sacred Heart; 10/22/16)
 
Preseason All-NEC Picks
> DL Amir Fenwick and LB Adam Wollet were named to the Preseason All-NEC Team
> Fenwick was an All-NEC selection following the 2017 season
> Wollet also garnered all-league plaudits as a junior as well
 
Brains and Braun
> ILB Adam Wollet was named a semifinalist for the NFF Campbell Trophy
> Is fourth in the NEC and leads RMU with 7.8 tackles per game
> Has 10+ tackles in 10 of last 17 games
> Last season, led the league and finished 18th in nation averaging 9.8 tackles per game
> Was named to the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America team
> Was the NEC Fall Scholar-Athlete for football
> Had 16 tackles, a career-best, against Sacred Heart (10/21/17)
> He led RMU with 89 tackles in 2016
> Is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District II Team selection (2016, 2017)
 
Amir, Amir on the Line
> Senior DL Amir Fenwick was the Colonials only All-NEC First Team pick last season
> Garnered Preseason All-NEC plaudits
> Is fourth on the team with 28 stops
> Recorded a career-high 10 tackles against Virginia State (9/8)
> Finished 2017 with 35 tackles, 23 in NEC games
> Had 4.5 TFL in NEC games, six overall
> Totalled 14 tackles in the final three games of 2017
 
Muehlbauer Emerges
> Sophomore S Jon Muehlbauer is third on the team with 35 tackles
> Has recorded 10+ tackles in two games
> Had a career-high 12 tackles against Virginia State (9/8)
 
Neal Now Tackling Thomas
> Thomas Neal, who used to go by TJ Neal, is now at linebacker
> The OLB is second on RMU with 35 stops
> Tied for the team lead with 26 solo tackles
> The athletic Neal started his career at RMU as a defensive back
> He was moved to running back late in his freshman campaign due to injuries
 
Matching With Wanat
> Junior LB Jonathan Wanat donated bone marrow to a anonymous recipient last spring
> Wanat was put on the donor list through The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation
> In two seasons working the Andy Talley Foundation, RMU has added 260 donor names to the list
> Moved from FB to LB following Bryant game
 
{ OFFENSIVE NOTES }
 
National Rankings - Team
> RMU ranks in the top-30 in these categories:
   > 4th Down Conversion Pct. (8th, .750)
   > Red Zone Offense (18th, .917)
   > 3rd Down Conversion Pct. (24th, .434))
   > Tackles for Loss Allowed (25th, 5.17)
   > Sacks Allowed (29th, 1.33)
   > Fewest Penalties/Game (15th, 5.0)
   > Fewest Penalties (21st, 30)
   > Fewest Penalty Yards/Game (21st, 43.67)
   > Fewest Penalty Yards (24th, 262)
 
National Rankings - Individual
> RMU ranks in the top-50 in these categories:
   > Receiving TDs (Matthew Gonzalez, 7th, 7)
   > All Purpose Yds. (Terence Stephens Jr., 8th, 158.17)
   > Passing Yards/Comp. (Walker, 30th, 13.38)
   > Total Touchdowns (Gonzalez, 31st, 7)
   > Points Responsible/Gm. (Walker, 32nd, 13.7)
   > Rush Yards/Carry (Stephens Jr., 32nd, 5.73)
   > Yards/Pass Attempt (Walker, 34th, 7.77)
   > Points Responsible For (Walker, 37th, 82)
   > Passing TDs (Walker, 40th, 10)
   > Passing Efficiency (Jimmy Walker, 44th, 153.6)
   > Passing Yards (Walker, 46th, 1,204)
   > Passing Yards/Game (Walker, 50th, 200.7)
 
Two for 100-100
> RB Terence Stephens Jr. is one of just two players to rush and receive for 100 yards in a game this season
> He had 112 rushing yards and 110 receiving yards against Duquesne (10/13)
> Former Oakland Raider Tim Hall is the only other RMU player to accomplish the feat in 1994
> Sam Houston State's Kyran Jackson (152 rush, 116 rec., vs. Northwestern St.) is the only other player this season with a 100-100 game
 
Offensive Juggernaut
> RMU has record over 400 yards of offense in consecutive games for the first time since 2012
> The Colonials current average of 374.7 yards per game is the fourth best in team history
> The team's 221.3 passing yards per game rank third in team annals
> Their 27.0 scoring average is their best since 2010
 
Keeping The QB Clean
> The Colonials offensive line has allowed just eight sacks this season
> They rank 29th in FCS in sacks allowed (1.33)
> RMU allowed 41 sacks in 2017
 
Walker On Air
> QB Jimmy Walker is 90-of-155 for 1,204 yards and 10 touchdowns
> He ranks in the top-50 nationally in six different stat categories
> His 191.5 yards passing per game rank second all-time at RMU
> Threw 272 times in 2017, tied for third most in team history
> His 225 career completions are sixth all-time at RMU

Going, Going Gonzo
> Junior TE Matthew Gonzalez has two 100-yard receiving games this season
> He leads the team with 25 receptions for 420 yards and 7 receiving touchdowns
> His 81-yard touchdown reception is tied for fifth-longest passing score in team history
> Is third among nation's TE averaging 16.8 yards per reception
> Gonzalez leads FCS tight ends with 7 receiving TDs and is tied for 7th overall
 
Alijah's Arrival
> Freshman RB Alijah Jackson had back-to-back 100 yard rushing games
> He had 109 yards at Bryant and 124 against Central Connecticut
> Jackson is a two-time NEC Rookie of the Week
> Leads RMU with 70.7 yards per game and 424 yards
 
Valuable Vecchio
> Junior WR Tim Vecchio has been the team's offensive MVP each of the last two seasons
> He has 85 career receptions for 821 yards
> Ranks 7th all-time at RMU in receptions
> Another 30 catch season will put him into the RMU career top-five for receptions
> In 2017, he led the team with 32 catches, 321 receiving yards and two receiving TDs
 
Transfer-vania
> An entourage of transfers will likely spend plenty of time toting the pigskin on offense
> QB Jimmy Walker is a transfer from San Diego State
> RB Terence Stephens Jr. previously played at Bowling Green
> TE Steve Petrick was at Temple University
> QB Caleb Lewis comes to RMU from LSU
> WR Tavin Allison spent one season at Eastern Michigan
 
Mentioning McAllister
> Sophomore C Eric McAllister was a Hero Sports Freshmen All-America pick in 2017
> Named to the RMU Football Leadership Committee
> Preseason All-NEC Pick according to Phil Steele
 
Returning Experience
> RMU returns nine starters on offense in 2018
> The only voids left from 2017 were at running back and tight end
> Those spots will be filled by transfers and upperclassmen:
   > RB - Terence Stephens Jr.
   > TE - Steve Petrick and Matthew Gonzalez
> Nine different offensive linemen return with at least one start to their credit
 
{ SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES }
 
National Rankings - Team
> RMU ranks in the top-30 in these categories:
   > Blocked Kicks Allowed (T1st, 0)
   > Blocked Punts Allowed (T1st, 0)
 
National Rankings - Individual
> RMU ranks in the top-50 in these categories:
   > Combined Kick Returns (Terence Stephens, Jr., 20th, 395)
   > Kickoff Returns (Stephens, Jr., 27th, 24.7)
 
Check Marks
> Sr. P Adam Check in RMU career records:
   > Punts (2nd, 237)
   > Yards (3rd, 8,770)
   > Punt Average (5th, 37.00)
> Check in the RMU single season records
   > Punts (1st, 85, 2016; 3rd, 67, 2017)
   > Punt Yards (1st, 3,150, 2016; 5th, 2,489, 2017)
> Check in the RMU game records:
   > Punts - 12 vs. Youngstown State
   > Punt Yards - 455 vs. Youngstown State
 
Block Party
> Frank Antuono blocked a last second FG try against Virginia State making this the seventh consecutive season RMU has at least one blocked kick
> The Colonials have 14 blocked kicks in the last four seasons
> RMU has blocked 17 kicks since 2012
 
Robinson Returns
> Senior WR Warren Robinson is the only player in team history with two punt return TDs
> Has 645 career punt return yards, 2nd at RMU (699, Brian Dunn '94-'97)
> In 2015, Warren Robinson set the single-season school record for punt return average (18.2 yds.)
> He has three of the four longest punt returns in team history - 81(T), 66(T) and 58
 
Diablo
> Sophomore K Nick Bisceglia is 9-of-21 for his career on field goals
> Is 31-of-32 on point-after attempts
> Has made 28 conescutive extra point trys