Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University football team fell behind early and could never fully recover despite its fourth quarter comeback attempt as it fell to Sacred Heart, 42-25, in a Northeast Conference (NEC) affair on a mild Saturday afternoon at Joe Walton Stadium.
Despite the setback, RMU will still claim a share of its seventh NEC title if it can win its season finale next weekend.
Robert Morris had a sizeable lead in time of possession and also held advantages in first downs and third down conversion percentage, but that was not enough for the Colonials to claim a victory.
Junior wide receiver Duane Mitchell (Monroe Falls, Ohio / Stow) caught a game-high four passes for 67 yards on the day. In doing so, he moved into second in single season receiving yards at RMU (768) and slid into third in single-season catches (46). Mitchell, who also provided a career-long 22-yard rush Saturday, also edged into seventh in career receiving yards at Robert Morris (1,205).
Redshirt senior linebacker Mike Cook (Victoria, Minn. / Eden Prairie (Winona State)) provided a game-high 14 tackles for Robert Morris. Cook, who posted his 10th double-figure tackle effort in the last 19 games, moved into fourth in single-season total tackles and will need six to break the school record next week.
Each of the game’s first six drives resulted in punts and netted a mere 28 yards combined.
Sacred Heart broke into the scoring column first as a Pioneer broke free on a screen pass and took it the distance to the end zone.
After two more punts by both sides, the Pioneers recovered a fumble and then returned it into the red zone. The Sacred Heart offense took advantage on the very next play by passing for a touchdown to double its lead.
Robert Morris drove to the Sacred Heart 11-yard line on its next possession but would come away without a score.
After RMU forced a punt, the Colonials drove to the Pioneer 25-yard line before the drive stalled. True freshman Connor Shennan (Plymouth, Mich. / Canton) would convert a 41-yard field, resetting his career long in the process, to put RMU on the board.
Sacred Heart would run out the clock on its next possession to end the half.
A trio of punts opened the second half before the Pioneers used a short field to their advantage as they scored on a quarterback keeper to increase their edge.
Robert Morris drove 49 yards on its next possession before Shennan knocked through his second field goal of the day.
Sacred Heart would drive 62 yards on the first possession of the fourth quarter and used a long pass to add to their cushion.
RMU refused to give in, though, as it soon mounted a rally. The Colonials used a 10-play, 65-yard drive to find the end zone as junior fullback Ryan Thermil (Fort Washington, Md. / St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes) pounded it across the goal line to finish it off. It was the second straight week that Thermil produced a rushing touchdown.
After neither team scored on its next possession, RMU’s defense would give it a lift.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman A.J. Holderman (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) read a screen pass perfectly and dropped back into coverage. Holderman then was able to get a hand on the pass attempt before completely corralling it for his first-ever interception. The veteran then took off the other way and found the end zone to bring the Colonials within 10 points.
Robert Morris appeared to covert on its two-point attempt but eventually was unable to do so after a holding penalty was called on the initial try.
Each team would find the end zone on a rush on its next drive, keeping the lead at 10 points. With the clock ticking down, Robert Morris attempted an onside kick.
The kick popped up into the air nicely, but a Pioneer sprinted under it, caught it and kept on running by the oncoming coverage unit to score a unconventional touchdown, a score which all but sealed RMU’s fate.
Holderman’s first-career touchdown marked RMU’s third interception returned for a touchdown this season. This marks only the third season ever that Robert Morris has returned at least three interceptions for touchdowns with the most recent such occurrence coming in 1998.
Junior punter Tony LaMancusa (Webster, N.Y. / Webster) had two punts longer than 60 yards, including a career-long one for 63, and also tallied three punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
Senior Deontae Howard (Clairton, Pa. / Clairton) surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards on the day, thanks in part to a career-long 33-yard rush, and also added a rushing TD.
Mitchell would need six receptions and 132 receiving yards to break the single-season school records in those respective categories next weekend.
Robert Morris will head to the road next Saturday, Nov. 23, as it travels to Saint Francis in search of its first league championship since 2010. The game will also be head coach Joe Walton’s final contest on the sidelines as he is set to retire following the season.
