MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU football team (1-0, 1-0 NEC) will host its home opener Saturday when it welcomes Division II opponent West Virginia State (1-0) to Joe Walton Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 p.m. in Moon Township.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Saturday marks the first meeting between RMU and West Virginia State in program history. Against current Mountain East Conference (MEC) opponents, the Colonials are 1-0, earning a 28-14 victory over West Liberty on Sept. 13, 2025, in Moon Township.
SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA STATE
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a dominant 56-24 victory over Chowan last weekend, racking up 485 yards of total offense. West Virginia State outscored Chowan, 49-10, in the second and third quarters to secure its largest home nonconference victory since 2008.
Quarterbacks Bryan Johnson and Joe Dailey led the way offensively for the Yellow Jackets. Dailey finished 7-of-10 passing for 109 yards while adding 148 all-purpose yards and accounting for five total touchdowns, including three passing scores and two rushing touchdowns. His performance earned him Mountain East Conference Football Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Johnson also turned in an impressive performance, completing 13-of-18 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns.
Through one week of the season, West Virginia State leads the MEC in several offensive categories, including touchdowns (8), points (56), passing yards (309) and total offense (485).
RMU LATELY
The Colonials are coming off their first season-opening road victory since 2003, defeating NEC opponent Wagner, 28-7, at Hameline Field at Wagner College Stadium on Staten Island, N.Y.
Galen Combs provided a major offensive spark for the Colonials, recording a career-high and league-leading three touchdowns to go along with 104 receiving yards. Combs set the tone early, recovering a blocked punt for his first touchdown of the afternoon.
In the second half, Combs added two more touchdowns, including a 64-yard touchdown reception that extended the Colonials' advantage to 21-7. He capped his three-touchdown performance in the fourth quarter, hauling in a 15-yard touchdown with 5:35 remaining to give RMU a 28-7 lead.
For his efforts against Wagner, Combs was named NEC Offensive Player of the Week and a Prime Performer. He became the first Colonial to earn NEC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Opening Weekend since two-time All-NEC First Team running back Sam Dorsett in 2003.
Also earning NEC honors this week was linebacker Khalil Hunter, who anchored an impressive RMU defensive performance that held the Seahawks to just 97 total yards, six first downs and a 1-of-16 mark on third-down conversions.
Hunter recorded a career-high eight tackles, including three solo stops and five assisted tackles. He also added 1.5 sacks for six yards and 2.5 tackles for loss totaling eight yards. His 1.5 sacks are tied for the NEC lead, highlighting a dominant performance in RMU's season-opening victory.
Hunter is the first Colonial to earn NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors since Jamar Shegog on Oct. 28, 2024.
HOW TO WATCH
Saturday's matchup is slated to stream on ESPN+, NEC Front Row, and Sportsnet Pittsburgh+
LIVE STATS
Follow the play-by-play and up-to-the-minute stats with Sidearm Stats.
LISTEN LIVE ON THE RMU GAMEDAY APP
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