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2019 Schedule / Results Game Information Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM w/ Adam Gusky (pxp) & Brian Cleary (color) AUGUST Video: NECFrontRow.com • RMUColonials.com 29 @ Buffalo (ESPN3) L, 10-38 Twitter: @RMUFootball • Instagram: @RMU_Football Buffalo, N.Y. / UB Stadium SEPTEMBER Slant Routes 7 KENTUCKY STATE L, 7-13 • The Robert Morris University football team closes a two-game homestand Saturday Moon Township, Pa. / Joe Walton Stadium with a 3:00 p.m. kickoff against Dayton at Joe Walton Stadium. The game is part of 14 DAYTON (Homecoming) 3:00 p.m. the University’s Homecoming festivities. Moon Township, Pa. / Joe Walton Stadium • RMU opened its home schedule with a 13-7 loss to Kentucky State (9/7). The Colonials 21 @ VMI 1:30 p.m. slipped to 16-10 (.615) all-time in home openers, including a mark of 6-10 (.375) at Lexington, Va. / Alumni Memorial Field Joe Walton Stadium. 28 @ Youngstown State 6:00 p.m. • Senior running back Terence Stephens, Jr., finished with 69 yards rushing on 13 attempts Youngstown, Ohio / Stambaugh Stadium OCTOBER against the Thorobreds, an average of 5.3 yards per carry. He scored the lone touch- 12 @ Saint Francis * Noon down of the afternoon for Robert Morris with a two-yard run that gave the Colonials a Loretto, Pa. / DeGol Field 7-0 lead in the first quarter. He also caught one pass for nine yards. 19 @ Wagner * Noon • In his first home start under center, sophomore George Martin finished 7-for-16 passing Staten Island, N.Y. / Wagner College Stadium for 70 yards while also rushing three times for 31 yards. He connected with senior wide 26 BRYANT * (ESPN3) Noon receiver Deonte White twice for 24 yards as well as sophomore running back Alijah Moon Township, Pa. / Joe Walton Stadium Jackson twice for 21 yards. NOVEMBER • Sophomore defensive lineman Ezra Tupuola and freshman defensive back Jacob White 2 LONG ISLAND * Noon each finished with nine tackles for RMU against the Thorobreds to garner game-high Moon Township, Pa. / Joe Walton Stadium honors. Tupuola recorded four solo stops, while White finished with three. Tupuola leads 9 DUQUESNE * 1:00 p.m. RMU through two games with 15 tackles. Moon Township, Pa. / Joe Walton Stadium • Robert Morris opened its 26th season of NCAA Division I football and its 2019 cam- 16 @ Central Connecticut Noon paign with a 38-10 loss @ Buffalo (8/29). It marked the first time in program history New Britain, Conn. / Arute Field the Colonials took on an opponent from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). 23 SACRED HEART * Noon • In his first career start, redshirt sophomore quarterback George Martin completed seven Moon Township, Pa. / Joe Walton Stadium of his nine passing attempts for 92 yards. He completed three passes to senior wide # Homecoming; * NEC game receiver DeLano Madison for 60 yards, including a 34-yard strike. • Redshirt sophomore Alijah Jackson paced the RMU ground game against the Bulls with 2019 Coaching Staff 85 yards on 13 attempts, an average of 6.5 yards per carry. He provided a 28-yard HEAD COACH touchdown scamper in the first quarter that cut the deficit for Robert Morris to 14-7. Bernard Clark, Jr. (second season @ RMU; Miami ’89) • RMU is led by Bernard Clark, Jr., who is in his second season as head coach. He was ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH / OFFENSIVE LINE named the third head coach in program history at a press conference at Joe Walton Rod Holder (second season @ RMU; Miami ’90) Stadium Dec. 19, 2017. OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR • In his first season on the sidelines, Clark helped the Colonials more than double their of- Gave Luvara (second season @ RMU; IUP ’01) fensive output. Robert Morris averaged 24.6 points per game in 2018 after scoring at DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR a 10.2 points per game clip in 2017. Dave Plungas (second season @ RMU; Albany ’13) • Robert Morris was picked seventh in the 2019 Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, which was unveiled at the fifth annual NEC Social Media Day at MetLife Stadium RB: Nick Alaimalo (New Mexico Highlands ’09) in East Rutherford, N.J., July 24. Tabbed the preseason favorite was Duquesne, which WR: Greg Hardin (North Dakota ’14) earned seven first-place votes. Rounding out the top five is Sacred Heart, Central Con- TE/ST: Jacob Bronowski (New Mexico ’16) necticut, Wagner and Bryant. DL: John Faircloth (Mars Hill ’12) • Senior tight end Matthew Gonzalez earned a spot on the 2019 Preseason All-NEC Asst. LB/Recruiting: Delbert Tyler (Hampton ’14) Team. In 11 games last year, Gonzalez paced the RMU receiving corps with 40 recep- S: Bart Tanski (Bowling Green ’13) tions for 642 yards and 12 touchdowns. In addition to establishing a Robert Morris sin- CB: Glenn Davis (South Florida ’01) Asst. To The Head Coach: Brian Kos (Brockport ’17) gle-season record for touchdown catches, Gonzalez paced the NEC in the category and Data Analyst: Mason Werner (West Liberty ’14) ranked 10th in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). DQC: Donnie Militzer (Robert Morris ’04) • Among FCS tight ends, Gonzalez finished third in the country with an average of 16.1 OQC: Nick Militzer (Duquesne ’09) yards per catch. For his efforts, Gonzalez was named to the 2018 Associated Press FCS S&C: Rob Day (Lynchburg ’12) All-America Second Team. • Gonzalez is just the fourth student-athlete in program history to earn AP All-American accolades, joining inaugural running back Tim Hall (1995) and a pair from RMU’s 2010 team that was the first in NEC history to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs, offensive lineman Corey Konycki and tight end Shadrae King. Gonzalez owns career totals of 62 receptions for 910 yards and 13 touchdowns. Head Coach Bernard Clark, Jr. Second Season • Miami, 1989 • @80sCane57 A new era has begun for Robert Morris University football, and the latest chapter to be written will be authored by Bernard Clark, Jr., who is in his second season leading the Colonials. Clark, a native of Tampa, Fla., was named the third head coach in program history at a press conference at Joe Walton Stadium Dec. 19, 2017. “One of the things that is important about working with the young men at Robert Morris is helping them grow in more ways than just as football players,” Clark said. “We’re trying to build better men, better husbands, better fathers.” In his first season on the sidelines with the Colonials, Clark helped RMU takes its first steps in making a return to the top of the Northeast Conference. The offense averaged over two touchdowns more per contest in 2018, with tight end Matthew Gonzalez being one of the focal points of the attack. Gonzalez established an RMU single-season record for touchdown receptions in 2018 with 12, which paced the NEC in the category and also ranked 10th in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Gonzalez earned a spot on the 2018 Associated Press FCS All-America Second Team, becoming just the fourth student-athlete in program to garner the honor and the first since 2010. “The greatest information I’ve learned in leading up to being a head coach is stay the course,” Clark said. “Even if it’s not going your way, whatever you believe in, you make sure you stay the course. I believe in discipline and enthusiasm. I’m going to stay the course with that.” Clark in his first head coaching position after spending four years at the University of Albany, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). In 2014, Clark served as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach for the Great Danes before being promoted to associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2015. While at Albany, Clark’s defense ranked ninth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision The Clark, Jr. File (FCS) in 2017, holding opponents to an average of just 282.1 yards game. That number was bol- Birthdate: Jan. 12, 1967 stered by a run defense (107.0) that ranked 15th in the country and a pass defense (175.1) that Hometown: Tampa, Fla. ranked 20th. Age: 52 The Great Danes allowed an average of just 17.7 points per game in 2017, which ranked 17th Alma Mater / Year: Miami / 1989 in the NCAA FCS ranks. Led by Clark, the Albany defense finished in the top 20 in eight different Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration categories, while three players earned All-CAA for the defense. High School: A.P. Leto High School “We’re close friends, and we’ve been doing this together for a long time,” Albany head coach Greg Gattuso said. “He’s a talented coach and definitely ready to be a head coach. I’m excited COLLEGIATE COACHING EXPERIENCE: for him that he’s getting this opportunity. He’s going to do a great job at Robert Morris.” Robert Morris University; Moon Township, Pa. In 2016, Clark’s defense at Albany ranked first in the CAA with a +1.45 turnover margin and - Head Coach (2018- ) 32 forced fumbles, leading to a scoring defense of 18.8 points per game, which ranked second in University at Albany; Albany, N.Y. the league. Three Great Danes earned All-CAA honors on the defensive side of the ball, including - Associate Head Coach (2015-17) University at Albany; Albany, N.Y. Michael Nicastro, who garnered All-CAA First Team accolades after compiling 126 tackles and - Assistant Head Coach (2014) three fumble recoveries. Both of those individual totals ranked in the top four in the NCAA FCS. Hampton University; Hampton, Va. In his first season at Albany, Clark’s defense led the nation in turnover margin (+1.25) and fumble - Associate Head Coach / DC (2012-13) recoveries (20), while Nicastro earned All-CAA Third Team plaudits.