SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Coming off a big victory over Duquesne last weekend, the Bryant University football team faces another stiff test this weekend as it faces conference foe Robert Morris on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Joe Walton Stadium in a game that will be aired nationally on ESPN3.
GAME NOTES
LAST TIME OUT - Bryant 42, Duquesne 14
Bryant and Duquesne traded scores on their first possessions before the Black and Gold rattled off 35-straight points in the second half to earn a 42-14 victory on Parents and Family Weekend at Bulldog Stadium. Tyler McIntyre's (Chico, Calif.) six-yard TD reception put Bryant on the board but it was Sam Sammons's (Cypress, Texas) 29-yard fumble return for a score at the beginning of the third quarter that broke a 7-7 tie and gave the Bulldogs all the momentum. Chad Ward (Delray Beach, Fla.) (seven-yard TD reception), Jose Depadua (Hagerstown, Md.) (45-yard TD run), Ryan Black (Joppa, Md.) (three-yard TD run) and Jeremy Woodson (Houston, Texas) (46-yard INT return) followed with scores of their own to push Bryant's lead to 42-7. The Black and Gold forced four turnovers on the afternoon.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
Under their final year of legendary head coach Joe Walton, the Colonials have gone 3-4 on the year and 1-1 in league play. They were picked to finish fourth, just behind the Bulldogs, in the preseason coaches poll. RMU won the NEC regular-season title in 2010.
This season, Robert Morris has had an up-and-down year but is coming off a big 17-13 victory over Wagner last weekend. The Colonials rallied late in the fourth quarter and took the lead with just over a minute to play on a fourth-and-two conversion from the Seahawks 11. RMU also dropped a 21-20 decision to Duquesne two weeks ago, failing to convert on a PAT in the fourth quarter. Penn State transfer Paul Jones has thrown nine touchdowns but did not play last weekend. Duane Mitchell (35-509-3) and Donte Jeter (19-249-1) give the Colonials two top receivers.
Defensively, Mike Cook is second in the country with 82 tackles on the season. Kyle Cooper is second with 56 tackles, while A.J. Holderman leads the team with five sacks and nine tackles for a loss. RMU is allowing just 24.7 points per game and opponents are averaging 357.3 yards per game.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Bryant has dominated the all-time series since the first meeting in 2008, winning each of the first five games. The Bulldogs defeated RMU, 20-7, in their first meeting in 2008 and then picked up one of the biggest wins in Bryant's DI history, defeating then No. 25 Robert Morris, 27-21, at Bulldog Stadium. It was the first win, and only win-to-date, for the Black and Gold over a ranked opponent at the FCS level. A Jordan Harris (Lincoln University, Pa.) blocked punt set up a late fourth quarter score in 2011 and the Bulldogs and Colonials swapped the lead seven times last season.
HARRIS BECOMES NEC's ALL-TIME LEADING RECEIVER
It wasn't a question if senior wide receiver Jordan Harris would break the Northeast Conference record for receiving yards, but when. Last Saturday, his 24-yard reception on a third-and-13 pushed him past Saint Francis' Michael Caputo and into first place on the all-time receiving list. Harris finished the game with six catches for 91 yards and now has 3,494 career receiving yards.
