GAME 2
Saint Francis (0-1) vs. RMU (0-1)
Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 • 6:00 p.m.
Joe Walton Stadium (3,000) • Moon Township, Pa.
 
TV: ESPN+
Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Dr. Ray "Smoke" Thomas (color)
Twitter: @RMU_Football • Instagram: RMU_Football
 
Slant Routes
 
- The RMU football team christens the home portion of its 2023 slate Saturday by welcoming in-state rival Saint Francis to Joe Walton Stadium for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff. It marks the first night game at RMU since 2017.
 
- 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 13-35 (.271).
 
- 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.
 
- RMU returns 16 starters and 38 letterwinners from 2022. Included among the group of returning starters are four on the offensive line. Juniors Luke Beltavski (center) and Dante Thompson (left guard) will get the nod Saturday against the Red Flash, as will seniors Hayden Baron (right guard) and Diego Turcios (right tackle).
 
- The Colonials opened their 2023 campaign with a 42-7 loss to Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo., at Falcon Stadium. RMU scored in the fourth quarter when quarterback Anthony Chiccitt connected with tight end Chaese Jackson for a one-yard touchdown pass with 10:35 to play. Chiccitt came on in relief of starter Tyler Szalkowski and finished 14-for-18 passing for 99 yards and a score.
 
- Linebacker Jamar Shegog paced the RMU defense against the Falcons in the 2023 season opener with 12 tackles, including five solo takedowns. Defensive back Dee Pierce added nine stops, including four of the solo variety.
 
- 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 takes to the road after hosting the Frankies, traveling to Youngstown, Ohio, Saturday, Sept. 16, for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff against Youngstown State at Stambaugh Stadium.
 
SAINT FRANCIS LINKS
- RMU Two-Deep
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App

The All-Time Series (Saint Francis) – One of the longest running rivalries in program history, the Colonials and Red Flash haven't met since 2019. In that contest kicker Nick Bisceglia nailed a 38-yard field goal in overtime to help lift the Colonials to a 20-17 victory in Loretto, Pa., at DeGol Field. In the all-time series, RMU owns a 16-9-1 (.635) record against Saint Francis, including an 8-4 (.667) mark at home. The Colonials are in search of their first win over SFU at the Joe since 2011. Former quarterback Jeff Sinclair threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more in a 45-14 victory in a game that, ironically, featured a 7:00 p.m. kickoff.
 
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 144 career tackles in 20 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 72 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 7,714 career yards punting on 200 attempts, an average of 38.6 yards per punt. In the season opener @ Air Force (9/2), Souders punted six times for 266 yards (44.3 yards per punt) with a long of 51. He also pinned three inside the 20-yard line of the Falcons. Entering Saturday's game against Saint Francis, 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.

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