Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University football team improved to 2-0 in the Northeast Conference for the first time since 2011 by concluding a four-game road trip with a 21-13 victory over Wagner on Staten Island, N.Y., at Hameline Field. The Colonials, who posted a 3-1 record during their four-game swing, improved to 3-4 overall in 2019.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Trailing, 10-7, at halftime, RMU took the lead for good in the third quarter courtesy of its special teams. Freshman
Tiheem Crocker came up with arguably the play of the game, blocking a punt from Wagner's Eric Silvester.
DeJuan Dandridge pounced on the loose ball at the Seahawk 25-yard line and raced into the end zone to give Robert Morris a 14-10 advantage.
COMEBACK KIDS
For the second consecutive game RMU faced a deficit at halftime, only to erase it and pick up the win. The defense played a huge role, holding Wagner (1-6 / 1-1 NEC) to 271 yards of total offense on the afternoon. Linebackers
Thomas Neal (8),
Aniello Buzzacco (8),
Garret Fairman (7) and
Brady Ours (7) combined for 30 tackles in the victory, including 12 solo takedowns. Fairman notched his second sack of the 2019 campaign against the Seahawks.
A KEY SACK
Defensive lineman
Jared Harris helped set up the Robert Morris special teams with his team-high third sack of the 2019 campaign on Wagner's first possession after the break. The Seahawks were faced with 3rd-and-7 at their own 49-yard line, but Harris broke through and sacked Christian Alexander-Stevens for a five-yard loss. On the next play, Crocker blocked a punt and the Colonials never trailed again.
ANSWERING
Wagner grabbed an early 7-0 lead, but RMU answered with a 10-play, 67-yard drive to tie it. Quarterback
Caleb Lewis and wide receiver
Tim Vecchio hooked up for the second consecutive week to put points on the board, with Vecchio hauling in a 23-yard touchdown pass with 1:41 left in the first quarter. The Seahawks got a 22-yard field goal from Silvester with 4:33 to go in the second quarter to grab a 10-7 advantage they'd take into halftime.
STATE FARM
The longest scoring drive of the contest by either team resulted in Robert Morris taking a 21-10 lead with 14:07 to play. Running back
Terence Stephens, Jr., punched it in from a yard out to cap a drive that lasted 12 plays and covered 72 yards while eating up 5:33 of the clock. Stephens finished with 33 yards rushing on eight carries, while
Alijah Jackson rushed 16 times for a game-high 87 yards on the ground. Jackson also hauled in a pair of passes for 20 yards.
HOLDING STEADY
Wagner closed its deficit to 21-13 with a 22-yard field goal from Silvester with 7:11 to go and had two opportunities to try and score in the final 5:36 of action. The Seahawks recovered a fumble by Stephens and set up their offense at the RMU 31-yard line. Wagner had 1st-and-10 at the Robert Morris 12-yard line but was unable to cash in, as on 4th-and-4 Alexander-Steve's pass to Adam Giordano was incomplete. Wagner also got the ball back with 39 seconds to play, but Alexander-Steve couldn't connect with Nolan Quinlan on the final play of the game.
UP NEXT
The Colonials will play four of their final five games of the 2019 season at Joe Walton Stadium, beginning with a Noon kickoff Saturday, Oct. 26, against Bryant in a game that can be seen live on ESPN3.
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