Moon Township, Pa. – RMU joined the Big South as an associate member in football and will play a spring conference schedule in 2021. As the Colonials get set to compete in a new league, RMUColonials.com breaks down what to expect. Next week, RMUColonials.com wraps up the series by taking a closer look at women's lacrosse joining the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
THE BACKDROP
RMU announced at a press conference June 15, 2020, that it joined the Big South Conference as an associate member in football. The Colonials officially joined the Horizon League July 1, 2020, in 10 of its varsity sports. Sports that will compete in the Horizon League for the Colonials include men's and women's soccer, volleyball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field, men's and women's basketball, golf and softball. Men's Hockey competes in Atlantic Hockey, women's hockey in College Hockey America (CHA) and rowing in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
FIRST AND GOAL
Beginning in 2021, the Big South will have five core members with football, including Campbell, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Hampton and North Carolina A&T. In addition, the Big South will feature four associate football-only members, including Monmouth, Kennesaw State, North Alabama and Robert Morris.
RECENT CHAMPIONS
Monmouth posted an overall record of 11-3 (.786) in 2019, including a perfect 6-0 mark in the Big South, to claim the conference championship and earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs. Kennesaw State won the Big South title in both 2017 and 2018, while Charleston Southern claimed the crown in 2016.
THE NCAA FCS PLAYOFFS
Monmouth and Kennesaw State each played in the 2019 NCAA FCS Playoffs, with both advancing to the second round. Monmouth defeated Holy Cross, 44-27, before falling to 2019 runner-up James Madison, while Kennesaw State posted a 28-21 win over Wofford before losing to Weber State. Among the nation's premier FCS conferences, the Big South has advanced in the NCAA FCS Playoffs eight times in the last nine years, including three consecutive quarterfinal appearances from 2013-15, and has recorded multiple postseason bids five times since the league first received an automatic bid in 2010.
A FAMILIAR FOE
The only program in the Big South that RMU has faced off with in its 26-year history is Monmouth. The Colonials and Hawks are 10-10 (.500) in an all-time series that began in 1994 but hasn't been played since 2014. Robert Morris is 5-4 (.556) all-time against Monmouth in West Long Branch, N.J., at Kessler Stadium. A total of 11 of the 20 contests between RMU and Monmouth have been decided by 10 points or less, including seven by five points or less. The Colonials are 4-3 (.571) all-time against the Hawks in games decided by five points or less.
A RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE
Monmouth has won three consecutive games over RMU in the all-time series, with the Colonials last knocking off the Hawks, 23-20, at Kessler Stadium in 2011. In that contest, quarterback Jeff Sinclair (2009-12) hit tight end Shadrae King (2008-11) with a 21-yard touchdown pass with 5:15 to play for the game-winning score. King finished with nine catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the triumph and in the process broke a pair of records. King pushed his career total for receptions to 115, breaking the mark of 112 established by wide receiver Tyjuan Massey (2002-05). It also marked the 23rd consecutive game King caught at least one pass, breaking the old mark of 22 straight games. King concluded his career as RMU's all-time leader for receptions (145), touchdown catches (21) and consecutive games with at least one reception (30).
A SPECIAL WIN
Joe Walton served as RMU's first head coach from the inception of the program in 1993 until retiring in 2013 and finished with an overall record of 114-92-1 (.553) in 20 seasons. In 2007, Michael Walser (2005-07) booted a 36-yard field goal with 47 seconds remaining to lift the Colonials to an emotional 20-17 win @ Monmouth (9/8/07). The Colonials were down, 14-0, early in the contest but rallied to win under assistant head coach Dan Radakovich. Radakovich served as head coach of the game for RMU in replace of Walton, who was absent due to the passing of his wife, Ginger.
FORWARD PROGRESS
The Colonials are led by
Bernard Clark, Jr., who is the third head coach in program history. He guided the Colonials to an overall record of 7-5 (.583) in 2019, including a mark of 6-1 (.857) in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The Colonials finished second in the league standings, and Clark was tabbed the 2019 NEC Co-Coach of the Year while being named a finalist for the 2019 Eddie Robinson Award. RMU also won the 2019 NEC Sportsmanship Award, designed to acknowledge the team in each conference sport that, in the opinion of its peers, closely demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct.
DEFENSIVELY SPEAKING
RMU welcomes back six starters on defense in 2020-21, including linebacker
Aniello Buzzacco, who had a breakout campaign in 2019. Buzzacco, who was named to the 2019 All-NEC Second Team, finished with 131 tackles last season, establishing a new RMU single-season record in the category. He ranked sixth in the NCAA FCS in both total tackles and tackles per game (10.6) and has compiled 144 career tackles entering his third season with the Colonials.
DID YOU KNOW?
RMU running back Tim Hall (1994-95) finished with 2,908 yards rushing in two seasons with the Colonials, accomplishing the feat in 393 carries, an average of 7.40 yards per attempt. That yards per rush remains No. 1 in the NCAA FCS record book, a span of 24 years. Hall was drafted in the sixth round (183rd pick) of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
THE LATEST IN THE BACKFIELD
Alijah Jackson returns for the Colonials in 2020-21 at running back after being named to the 2019 All-NEC First Team at the position. In 11 games last season, Jackson rushed for 971 yards and four touchdowns on 185 carries, an average of 5.2 yards per rush. Jackson finished second in the NEC average yards rushing per game (88.3) and in 18 career games has rushed for 1,539 yards and five touchdowns. He enters his third season with the Colonials ranked seventh all-time at RMU for career rushing yards.
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