Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris University head football coach
Bernard Clark, Jr., was named a finalist Monday for one of the 2019 STATS FCS legacy awards, which honor the national players and coach of the year in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Clark is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, which is bestowed annually to the NCAA FCS Coach of the Year. A national panel of over 150 writers, broadcasters and other dignitaries will select the winner, which will be celebrated at the STATS FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the NCAA FCS national championship game.
Other honors to be awarded Jan. 10, 2020, including the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the NCAA FCS Offensive Player of the Year, the Buck Buchanan award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), the Jerry Rice Award (FCS Freshman of the Year) and the STATS FCS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In his second season leading the Colonials in 2019, Clark led RMU to an overall record of 7-5 (.583), including a mark of 6-1 (.857) in the Northeast Conference. It marked the first winning season for Robert Morris since 2010. Picked to finish seventh in the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll, RMU finished second, its highest standing since winning its sixth NEC championship in 2010.
RELATED: STATS Announces FCS Legacy Awards Finalists (11/25/19)
In 2019, RMU earned its first road win since 2015, snapping a 21-game losing streak away from home thanks to a
31-21 victory @ VMI (9/21). Three weeks later the Colonials snapped a 14-game losing streak in conference play with a
20-17 double overtime road win @ Saint Francis (10/12).
Defensively, Robert Morris was led by sophomore linebacker
Aniello Buzzacco and redshirt senior safety
Mason Gray. Buzzacco leads the NEC and ranks sixth in the NCAA FCS ranks with 131 tackles, establishing a new Robert Morris single-season record for stops. Gray ranks third in the NEC with an average of 8.2 stops per game and in a
41-21 victory over Duquesne (11/16) returned two interceptions for a touchdown.
On offense, running backs
Alijah Jackson (971) and
Terence Stephens, Jr., (508) combined for 1,479 yards rushing and nine touchdowns, while senior tight end
Matthew Gonzalez led the receiving corps with 34 catches for 563 yards and four touchdowns.
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