GAME 8
RMU (0-7) @ Appalachian State (4-3)
Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022 • 3:30 p.m.
Kidd Brewer Stadium (40,168) • Boone, N.C.
 
TV: ESPN+
Talent: David Jackson (pxp) & Avery Hall (color)
Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp)
Twitter: @RMU_Football • Instagram: RMU_Football
 
Slant Routes
 
- The RMU football team opens a three-game road trip Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff against Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Two of the three games for the Colonials during their road swing are non-conference tilts.
 
 - The Colonials are led by Bernard Clark, Jr., who is in his fifth season leading the Colonials. In his first head coach position, Clark was named the 2019 Northeast Conference (NEC) Co-Coach of the Year and owns an overall record of 13-30 (.302).
 
- RMU is coming off a 38-14 setback to North Carolina A&T (10/22) at Joe Walton Stadium. The Colonials put together scoring drives 95 and 40 yards in the second half, with junior quarterback Anthony Chiccitt throwing for one score and running for another.
 
- Chiccitt finished 8-for-18 passing for 70 yards in his first start since the second game of the season @ Miami (Ohio) (9/10), hitting tight end Jake Kupchella with a 15-yard touchdown pass while rushing four times for 16 yards, including a three-yard score on a bootleg.
 
- Fifth-year running back Alijah Jackson had his most consistent game of the 2022 season against the Aggies, rushing 23 times for 111 yards. His 52-yard dash during the first drive of the second half helped set up RMU's first touchdown of the game.
 
- Linebacker Joe Casale paced the RMU defense against North Carolina A&T with nine tackles, incluing three of a loss. Fellow linebacker Jamar Shegog added eight stops.
 
- In its last road contest, RMU dropped a 41-10 decision @ Campbell (10/15).  The Camels seized control with 27 points in the second quarter, including three touchdowns and a pair of field goals.
 
- The Colonials grabbed the early lead @ Campbell (10/15), 7-0, as wide receiver Jamal Hill took a pass in the flat from quarterback Zach Tanner at the 27-yard line of the Colonials and immediately unleashed a dart that hit wide receiver Parker Fetterman in stride. Fetterman caught the ball at the 30-yard line of the Camels and sprinted to the end zone for a 64-yard touchdown reception. Fetterman finished the afternoon with a pair of catches for 68 yards and a score.
 
- A trio of RMU student-athletes registered double digits in tackles @ Campbell (10/15), with linebacker Joe Casale recording a game-high 12 stops. Linebacker Donovan Parham added a career-high 11 tackles, while defensive back William Barber also contributed 11 takedowns.
 
- A total of five Colonials were named to the 2022 Big South Preseason All-Conference Team, which came as part of Big South Media Day presented by Buy1.com, held at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark Hotel. Named to the 2022 Preseason All-Big South First Team was defensive back Sydney Audiger, offensive lineman Hayden Baron, running back Alijah Jackson and defensive lineman Rico Watson. In addition, linebacker Jamar Shegog was tabbed 2022 Preseason All-Big South Honorable Mention.
 
- As part of Big South Media Day presented by Buy1.com, RMU was picked to finish sixth in the league in 2022. The Colonials posted an overall record of 4-6 (.400) in 2022, including a 4-1 (.800) mark at Joe Walton Stadium, and tied for third in the league standings. North Carolina A&T was selected as the 2022 preseason favorite in the Big South.
 
- RMU returns to Big South action after taking on the Mountaineers Saturday, traveling to Charleston Southern (11/5) Saturday, Nov. 5, for a Noon kickoff, before concluding its road trip Saturday, Nov. 12, at Murray State.

APPALACHIAN STATE LINKS
- RMU Two Deep
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (Appalachian State) – The Colonials and Mountaineers meet for the first time Saturday. Appalachian State is one of four programs RMU is facing for the first time in 2022, joining Miami (Ohio), Delaware State and Murray State.
 
Defensively Speaking – RMU posted its finest defensive performance in the Bernard Clark, Jr., era @ Delaware State (10/2), holding the Hornets to just 115 yards of total offense. It's the lowest amount by an opponent since the Colonials held Albany to just 91 yards Nov. 4, 2006, at Joe Walton Stadium. The school record for fewest total yards allowed also came during the 2006 campaign, when RMU held Rowan to -19 yards of total offense in a 21-0 victory Sept. 23, 2006, which also came at the Joe. In that contest the Profs managed just 25 yards through the air and -44 yards rushing as the Colonials racked up eight sacks on the afternoon.
 
Racking 'Em Up – Sophomore Donovan Parham put forth the best effort of his young career @ Campbell (10/15), establishing a career high with 11 tackles, including a 13-yard sack. Also setting a new personal best for tackles against the Camels was defensive back William Barber, who also notched 11 takedowns. So far during the 2022 campaign, seven different Colonials have posted a double-digit effort for tackles. Linebacker Joe Casale owns a team-high four after his career-high 13 stops @ Campbell and leads RMU in tackles with 67, an average of 9.6 per contest that ranks second in the Big South, trailing only Joe Andreessen (10.9 tackles per contest) of Bryant. Joining Barber, Casale and Parham with double-digit tackles in a game this season for RMU are linebackers Tony Brown and Amauri Floyd and defensive backs Sydney Audiger and Dakari Cabell.
 
Action – Fifth-year running back Alijah Jackson posted the best game of his final season in an RMU uniform last week against the Aggies, posting his first 100-yard rushing effort of the 2022 campaign. Jackson finished with 111 yards on 23 carries, an average of 4.8 yards per rush. Jackson enters Saturday's game @ Appalachian State having accumulated 2,704 career rushing yards, which ranks fourth in program history. His performance against North Carolina A&T also marked his 12th career game eclipsing the 100-yard rushing plateau, which is tied with Archie Wannamaker (1996-98) for fourth in the RMU career record book.
 
Othello – The latest member of the Colonials to step up defensively for RMU was safety Shakespeare Louis. Last week against North Carolina A&T (10/22) at Joe Walton Stadium, each of the seven tackles that Louis finished with were of the solo variety, and he also picked up a pass breakup as well as a quarterback hurry. Graduating from being an ace on special teams, Louis has seen significant time in the secondary this season and in five games owns 16 tackles, including 12 solo stops.
 
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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