GAME 7
RMU (2-4) vs. Bryant (2-3)
Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 • 4:00 p.m.
Beirne Stadium (4,400) • Smithfield, R.I.
 
TV: ESPN+
Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) 
Twitter: @RMU_Football • Instagram: RMU_Football
 
No Huddle
 
- The RMU football team continues their conference slate as they finish their two-game road trip looking for their third victory of the season. The Colonials will head north and face off against Bryant, which is scheduled for a 4 p.m. kickoff.
 
- The Colonials are led by Bernard Clark, Jr., who is in his sixth season at the helm of the program. 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 15-37 (.283).
 
- Clark was inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame presented by AutoNation, joining Dewey Selmon (Oklahoma) and Grant Wistrom (Nebraska) as part of the Class of 2022. The trio were honored at the annual AvMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon presented by AutoNation Dec. 29, 2022, at Jungle Island and were recognized in an on-field ceremony at the 89th Capital One Orange Bowl Dec. 30, 2022, at Hard Rock Stadium.
 
- This past week the Colonials came up short in their conference opener against Gardner-Webb, 31-16. The Bulldogs scored 21 points in the first quarter, but RMU held Gardner-Webb to three points in the second half to make it a close finish.
 
- Quarterback Anthony Chiccitt was 26-for-43 passing for 179 yards with no touchdowns. This was the only game of the season where Chiccitt hasn't thrown a touchdown in five starts.
 
- Tight end Chaese Jackson led the Colonials receiving core as he had 10 catches for 58 yards with his longest reception being 14 yards. Jackson has climbed to second on the team in receptions, yards and tied for touchdown catches with wide receiver Noah Robinson.
 
- Defensively against Gardner-Webb, defensive end Garret Fairman had a 17-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown while also notching an interception to cap off a stellar day. Tizlam Muhammad had two tackles for loss including a forced fumble that led to the Fairman scoop and score. Safety Dee Pierce led the Colonials with eight tackles, seven solo.
 
- Prior to the Gardner-Webb contest, the Colonials had a tough day in their last non-conference matchup against Howard at Joe Walton Stadium (9/30). RMU posted their lowest score of the season and managed only three points in the second half. The Bison scored four straight touchdowns after the game was tied at seven midway through the second quarter.
 
- Quarterback Anthony Chiccitt went 25-for-39 passing with one touchdown pass. Chiccitt's longest pass was a 29-yarder caught by Chaese Jackson. Jackson was also the lone touchdown recipient as he scored on a 13-yard completion.

- A total of three Colonials were named to the 2023 Big South-OVC Association Watch List, which came as part of Big South-OVC Association Media Day in Nashville, Tenn., at the Sheraton Music City Hotel. Garnering the plaudits for RMU were senior linebackers Joe Casale and Jamar Shegog and fifth-year punter George Souders III. Casale was named to the 2022 All-Big South Second Team, while Shegog earned a spot on the 2021 All-Big South Second Team as well as the HERO Sports 2020-21 Freshman All-America Team.
 
- The Big South and Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) announced Feb. 20, 2022, the creation of an association of their football member institutions to begin with the 2023 NCAA Division I season and have an initial term of four years. The unique agreement combines the football membership of the two conferences to ensure NCAA championship access and stability. Selected as the 2023 preseason favorite for the inaugural Big South-OVC Association in a vote of league head coaches was Southeast Missouri State.
 
- RMU will return home next weekend against Tennessee Tech which is scheduled for 12:00 pm on ESPN+. The Colonials will have only one more road contest after Bryant this weekend, and will have three more games scheduled at Joe Walton Stadium.

BRYANT LINKS
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
                           
The All-Time Series (Bryant) – The Colonials and Bulldogs have 13 matchups in their history with Bryant leading the series 10-3. The last time the Colonials came out on top was in 2019 when RMU won 24-20 at Joe Walton Stadium. The Bulldogs won last year's matchup at RMU 35-6 as they didn't allow a Colonial touchdown until the fourth quarter. 
 
Colonial Conference Leaders – Quarterback Anthony Chiccitt and wide receiver continue to stay atop the Big South-OVC leader boards in their own respective categories. Chiccitt leads the conference in pass efficiency with a rate of 142.52 and second in the conference with 11 passing touchdowns. Additionally, Robinson is second in the conference in receptions and receiving yards per game. 

Did You Know? Defensive end Tizlam Muhammad leads the Big South-OVC with three forced fumbles in six games played.
 
Firecracker – To get ready for the 2023 season, redshirt senior linebacker Jamar Shegog entered the Brentwood Firecracker 5K in Pittsburgh, Pa., on the Fourth of July. Shegog navigated the 40th annual 3.1 mile jaunt in a time of 27:03 to finish in the top half of the 1,686 participants. Shegog has compiled career totals of 155 career tackles in 22 games in an RMU uniform, the most by a student-athlete that has spent his entire career with the Colonials. Included among his career numbers are 78 solo stops, two-and-a-half sacks and two forced fumbles.
 
The Third – Returning for the Colonials as the starting punter is grad student George Souders III, who has anchored the RMU special teams for years. Also serving as the holder for kicker Jayson Jenkins, Souders has amassed 8,112 career yards punting on 210 attempts, an average of 38.6 yards per punt. In RMU's last game @ Youngstown State (9/16), Souders punted six times for 252 yards (42.0 yards per punt) with a long of 51. He also pinned a pair inside the 20-yard line of the Penguins. Entering Saturday's game as part of Homecoming festivities, Souders ranks fourth in the RMU career record book for punting yards.
 
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 (minimum 350 rushes) entering the 2023 season, a span that hits 27 years this fall. Matt Cannon of Southern Utah sits second with an average of 7.25 yards per carry thanks to 5,489 yards on 757 attempts.

Follow The Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | RMU Athletics Gameday App

Tweet #BobbyMo