RMU Colonials Vs. YSU Penguins GameDay Preview
By Larry Snyder
The Robert Morris University Colonials (0-1), under the direction of second-year head coach John Banaszak, head to Ohio Saturday night to take on the Penguins of Youngstown State University (0-1). The contest kicks off at 7 p.m.
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The 2015 season marks the sixth straight campaign in which the Colonials has played at least one new competitor. Of RMU’s previous 33 match-ups involving a first-time opponent, 17 have been on the road. In those games, Robert Morris is 7-9-1. The Blue and White has a 19-13-1 record overall when facing a team for the first time, and are looking to bounce back from last week’s season-opening loss to the University of Dayton.
Holding the Dayton Flyers to a close score of 27-24, the Colonials defense contained UD running back Connor Kascor. They held him to 2.2 yards per carry on 33 rushing attempts. The redshirt senior averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 2014.
Redshirt senior inside linebacker Mike Stojkovic collected his first forced fumble in a Robert Morris uniform. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Zack Zamiska and redshirt freshman defensive back Marquis Robinson both recovered fumbles over the afternoon.
Sophomore running back Cole Blake returned a blocked punt 26 yards for a score in the season opener against Dayton. It was the first time the Colonials scored a special teams touchdown since Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013 against Virginia Military Institute (VMI).
When: Saturday, Sept 12
Kick Off: 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Stambaugh Stadium in Youngstown, OH
Playing Surface: Shaw Sportexe PowerBlade HP+ Synthetic Turf
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Radio And Streaming Audio: ESPN 970 AM – WBGG
Announcers: Chris Shovlin and Brian Cleary
Live Video Stream: ESPN3
YSU Live Stats: YSU Sports
RMU Social Media – Twitter/Facebook: @RMUAthletics / Robert Morris University Athletics
Stambaugh Stadium Ticket Information: YSU Ticket Office
Weather Channel Online Forecast: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low near 50. Chance of rain is 40 percent. Winds out of the north – northwest at 10 to 15 mph.
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With the First Pick
Youngstown State, under first-year head coach Bo Pelini, is coming off of a 45-37 loss last Saturday in its season opener against the Pitt Panthers at Heinz Field. The high-scoring match-up had six touchdown plays of more than 41 yards. In fact, five scores were at least 55 yards.
One of the Penguins to be on the look out for is wide receiver Andre Stubbs. The 5-foot-7, 160-pound senior claimed the first 100-yard receiving game of his career. The Maple Heights, Ohio native had six catches for 147 yards, and put up 158 all-purpose yards against the Panthers.
Junior strong safety LeRoy Alexander intercepted a pair of passes in his YSU debut. The best of his two picks was a 41-yard return for a touchdown with just 48 seconds left in the first half. He concluded the contest with six solo tackles and assisted on three more for a total of nine stops.
My Prediction: The Colonials defense comes through for the second week in a row, and RMU pulls off a 20-16 upset against the YSU Penguins.
Up Next: Coming up on Saturday, Sept. 19th, the Colonials are back in Moon Township for their next match-up. RMU faces the Falcons of Notre Dame College (Ohio) at Joe Walton Stadium. It is part of the University’s Homecoming festivities and starts at 3 p.m.
Next: RMU: Richards Jr. Named NEC Def. Player of the Wk