MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU football team (2-0, 1-0 NEC) hits the road Saturday afternoon, traveling to Akron, Ohio, to take on the Akron Zips (0-1, 0-0 MAC). Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at InfoCision Stadium.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Saturday marks the first meeting between RMU and Akron in program history. The Colonials are looking to earn their first victory over an FBS opponent.
SCOUTING AKRON
The Zips are coming off a 38-16 loss to Wake Forest last Thursday at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Akron finished the game with 305 yards of total offense and 21 first downs while possessing the football for 30:36. The Zips were effective on the ground, rushing for 149 yards on 36 attempts, an average of 4.1 yards per carry.
Through the air, Cibastion Broughton and Brayden Roggow combined to complete 28-of-33 passes without an interception for 156 yards. Broughton completed 21 passes for 111 yards, while Roggow was a perfect 7-for-7 for 45 yards and two touchdowns.
Marcel Williams paced the Zips' receiving corps with four catches for 38 yards, while Luke Sivon added five receptions for 30 yards.
Defensively, Donelius Johnson led Akron with 11 tackles, including nine assisted stops. Rodrick Hunter and Daunte Curtis each finished with five tackles, while the Zips recorded three tackles for loss.
In the MAC, Akron currently ranks seventh in the league in scoring offense, averaging 16.0 points per game, while its defense ranks eighth after allowing 38 points in the season opener.
RMU LATELY
RMU football opened its 2026 home schedule in impressive fashion Saturday night, defeating West Virginia State, 29-9, at Joe Walton Stadium. The Colonials improved to 2-0 on the season, marking the first time RMU has opened a campaign 2-0 since 2004.
RMU finished the night with 20 first downs and 427 total yards, compared to 17 first downs and 310 total yards for West Virginia State. The Colonials also held the Yellow Jackets to 10-of-33 passing and forced one interception.
Keino Fitzpatrick II led RMU on the ground with 76 yards on 12 carries, while quarterback Carson Haggard added 20 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Haggard posted a season-high 224 passing yards, completing 13-of-25 attempts for a 52 percent completion rate. He recorded three touchdown passes, including a 42-yard scoring strike, while also rushing for 20 yards and a touchdown on three attempts.
Sophomore Galen Combs led the Colonials' receiving corps with two catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Noah Schaerli added four receptions for 58 yards, while Carter recorded 52 receiving yards and a touchdown.
BOOMIN' BRYSON
Junior kicker Bryson Costa was named the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in the Colonials' 29-9 win over West Virginia State.
A native of Windber, Pennsylvania, Costa averaged 45.0 yards on five punts for 225 total yards. He recorded a career-long 58-yard punt, including one boot of 50-plus yards, while placing one punt inside the 20-yard line. His performance helped the Colonials consistently win the field-position battle as they improved to 2-0 on the season.
Costa currently leads the NEC with four punts of 50-plus yards and ranks second in the conference with a 45.9-yard average. His 58-yard punt against West Virginia State is also the third-longest in the NEC this season.
The last Colonial to earn NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors was Jayson Jenkins, who received the award in back-to-back weeks to open the 2025 season.
THE COMBS CONNECTION
Sophomore Galen Combs continues to make his presence known, recording two more touchdowns in the Colonials' 29-9 win over West Virginia State to bring his season total to five, tied for third nationally in the FCS.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Combs was named an NEC Prime Performer for the second consecutive week after recording two receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
Through two games, Combs leads the NEC in receiving yards (188), receiving touchdowns (four), long reception (64 yards) and receiving yards per game (94.0). He also ranks first in the league in scoring with five total touchdowns and 30 points, averaging 15.0 points per game.
AFCA COACHES POLL
Following a 2-0 start to the season, RMU football is receiving votes in the latest AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, earning 13 votes in the national rankings released Tuesday by the American Football Coaches Association.
RMU's 2-0 start marks the program's first since 2004 and has the Colonials gaining national recognition early in the 2026 campaign. RMU is among the teams receiving votes outside the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll Top 25.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The Colonials continue their non-conference slate next Saturday, traveling to Buffalo, New York, to take on the Buffalo Bulls at Broadview Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
HOW TO WATCH
Saturday's matchup will stream live on ESPN+.
LIVE STATS
Follow the action with live play-by-play and up-to-the-minute statistics through Sidearm Stats.
LISTEN LIVE ON THE RMU GAMEDAY APP
Listen to "The Voice of the Colonials," Chris Shovlin, live on the RMU Athletics Gameday App.
The RMU Athletics Gameday App is the one-stop destination for exclusive content, including live audio streaming, podcasts and fan guides. The app also features promotional offers for fans from various RMU Athletics sponsors.
Fans can download the RMU Athletics Gameday App by searching "RMU Colonials" in the App Store or Google Play.
