GAME 7
Hampton (3-4 / 1-2 Big South) vs. RMU (2-4 / 1-3 Big South)
Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 • Noon
Joe Walton Stadium (3,000) • Moon Township, Pa.
 
TV: ESPN3
Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Adam Gusky (pxp) & Ray "Smoke" Thomas (color)
Twitter: @RMU_Football • Instagram: RMU_Football
 
Slant Routes
 
- The RMU football team returns home to Joe Walton Stadium to continue Big South play Saturday by hosting Hampton for a Noon kickoff.
 
- The Colonials return to the Joe having dropped consecutive road games and are coming off a 28-17 setback @ Gardner-Webb. The Bulldogs grabbed a 21-0 lead 28 seconds into the second quarter, taking advantage of a pair of RMU turnovers to take control.
 
- Quarterback George Martin completed 25 of his 45 passing attempts @ Gardner-Webb for 202 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted three times while being sacked six times. His touchdown pass came with 4:12 remaining, as Martin hooked up with wide receiver James Westry for a 34-yard score.
 
- Westry finished with six catches for 73 yards and enters Saturday's game against the Pirates having caught a receiving touchdown in three consecutive games. Wide receiver D'Andre Hicks led the RMU receiving corps @ Gardner-Webb with seven catches, accumulating 31 yards.
 
- Linebacker Tyren Cloyd and defensive back Sydney Audiger tied for team-high honors in tackles against the Bulldogs, with each recording eight stops. Audiger finished with five solo takedowns and also forced a fumble.
 
- RMU is led by fourth-year head coach Bernard Clark, Jr., who is in his first head coaching position. He was named the 2019 Northeast Conference (NEC) Co-Coach of the Year and owns an overall record of 11-21 (.344).
 
- According to a poll of Big South head coaches and a media panel, the Colonials were picked to finish eighth in the league for the 2021 fall season. Senior linebacker Aniello Buzzacco was named to the 2021 Big South Football Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
- RMU concludes the 2021 season with three of its final four games at the Joe. The Colonials welcome Kennesaw State Saturday, Nov. 6, for a Noon kickoff after hosting Hampton Saturday.

HAMPTON LINKS
- Two-Deep
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- Weekly Availability (Hampton Preview)
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (Hampton) – Saturday's tilt between the Colonials and Pirates is the first between the two programs in the all-time series, as Hampton is one of seven programs RMU is facing for the first time this fall. The Colonials will also be squaring off with Campbell (11/20) for the first time in 2021.
 
Home Style – The Colonials have won six consecutive home games dating back to the 2019 season entering Saturday's game against Hampton, and during that stretch quarterback George Martin has engineered four game-winning drives in the fourth quarter, including each of RMU's two home games this season. At home, Martin has completed 62.9 percent (39-for-62) of his passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns, connecting with 10 different receivers. His favorite target has been wide receiver D'Andre Hicks, who owns 13 catches or 147 yards and three scores.
 
The West Wing – Wide receiver James Westry has developed into a top target for the Colonials in 2021, as the redshirt freshman leads RMU in receiving yards (297) while ranking second in receptions (22) and touchdown catches (3). Over the last three games, Westry has compiled 19 catches for 274 yards and three touchdowns, including his first 100-yard receiving effort @ North Alabama (10/16).
 
The Sackmaster – Splash plays are what defensive lineman Ricardo Watson seems to be all about. As RMU wrapped up a two-game road swing last week @ Gardner-Webb, Watson set a career high with seven tackles, including four solo stops. Among his takedowns were a pair of sacks, while Watson also forced a fumble. During the 2021 season, Watson leads the Colonials with four sacks, which is tied for fifth in the Big South with Jermaine McDaniel of North Carolina A&T and Wallace Collins of North Alabama. Watson has also registered 20 tackles on the year and also owns an interception.
 
Capitalizing – Kicker Nick Bisceglia enters Saturday's game against Hampton leading the Colonials in scoring with 27 points. In a 31-24 victory over Charleston Southern (10/9) at Joe Walton Stadium, Bisceglia connected on field goals of 25, 39 and 42 yards, matching a career high for trifectas that he originally established in a 16-14 win over Sacred Heart (11/23/19) at Joe Walton Stadium, when he hit for 28, 21 and 35 yards. The 42-yard field goal in the victory over Charleston Southern also marked the longest of his career, eclipsing a 40-yard field goal that he hit @ Eastern Kentucky (11/10/18). During his career, Bisceglia has compiled 179 career points, which ranks fifth all-time at RMU, including third among kickers. Former kicker Jeff Carlo (1998-2001) owns the RMU career mark for points with 250, while Nathan DiLorenzo scored 180 points on 96 point after attempts and 28 field goals from 2003 to 2006.
 
Did You Know? Kicker Nick Bisceglia has converted 51 consecutive point after attempts dating back to the 2018 season. He converted each of his final three opportunities of 2018, finished 33-for-33 in 2019 and was 3-for-3 in the abbreviated 2021 spring season. So far during the 2021 fall campaign, Bisceglia is 12-for-12 in point after attempts.
 
Joining The Club – Senior Aniello Buzzacco finished with seven tackles in RMU's Big South opener @ North Carolina A&T (10/2), helping him become the 23rd student-athlete in program history to eclipse 200 career stops. Buzzacco owns 212 career takedowns and is the 14th linebacker to wear an RMU uniform to compile at least 200 career tackles since the program began in 1994. He'll look to climb the chart for career tackles, as just three more tackles and Buzzacco will rank 15th on the all-time list. To crack the top 10 in school history, Buzzacco needs 44 takedowns.
 
Swarm & Smash – The RMU defense recorded six sacks in a 22-16 triumph over Howard (9/25), the most sacks in a game in the Bernard Clark, Jr., era. In addition, the six sacks are the most for the Colonials since recording seven @ Albany (11/3/07). Leading the way for RMU in the department was redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Ricardo Watson, who posted a pair of sacks. Redshirt senior defensive end Matthew Holmes, meanwhile, notched a sack and two quarterback hurries in the win while also blocking an extra point attempt by Howard in the third quarter that kept the Colonials on top, 14-13. As a team in 2021 the Colonials own 16 sacks, with 11 different student-athletes registering at least half a sack. RMU ranks third in the Big South in sacks, trailing Monmouth (21) and Campbell (19).
 
Student-Athlete – Not only is the credentials for Aniello Buzzacco impressive on the field, he's no slouch off of it, either. Buzzacco was named to the 2020-21 Academic All-District 2 Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and was also one of 54 student-athletes named to the 23rd Annual Academic All-Star Team by the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA). A finance major, Buzzacco has compiled a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.46.
 
A Memorial – The RMU Department of Athletics was saddened to learn of the passing of the program's first coach, Joe Walton, who died Sunday, August 15, 2021, at the age of 85. Walton spent 20 years as head coach of the Colonials, claiming six Northeast Conference (NEC) titles during his tenure and helping RMU earn the first automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs from the NEC in 2010. RMU hosted a memorial service for Walton after its 22-16 win over Howard (9/25) against Howard in the stadium named in his honor. The event took place on the field, featured a number of guest speakers and can be viewed in its entirety by using the following link.
 
Still On Top – The program's first running back, Tim Hall (1994-95), spent two seasons with the Colonials and during his career rushed for 2,908 yards. He accomplished the feat on 393 carries, an average of 7.40 yards per attempt. That total remains No. 1 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) record book entering the 2021 season, a span that hits 26 years this fall.

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