The Black and Gold defeat RMU on Homecoming

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University football team defeated Robert Morris at home 43-26 during homecoming in the conference opener.

The Defense forced four turnovers, and Zevi Eckhaus threw for 283 yards (22-36) and three TDs, while running for 86 yards and a rushing TD.

Simi Bakare ran for two TDs, while Jalen Powell, Javin Dames, and Gary Cooper all caught TDs.

Ben Silver had two sacks and a forced fumble on the defensive side. Kenny Dyson Jr. and Michael Otty had a sack, while Lake Ellis recorded an interception. 

Game Information
 Bryant 43, Robert Morris 22
Records: Bryant (3-3) (1-0), Robert Morris (2-5) (0-2)
Location: Beirne Stadium (Smithfield, R.I.)

Key Moment

• With four minutes remaining in the game, the Bulldogs recovered a fumble leading to a TD, breaking the game open.

How it Happened

• The Bulldogs began the drive from their own 35; Eckhaus ran up the middle for 26 yards on a designed run to get the drive moving. He then hit Marc Taglieri Jr. on a 29-yard pass, placing the Black and Gold in the red zone. Eckhaus then threw a pass to the corner of the end zone, which connected with Jalen Powell for the score (7-0).
• The defense then got on the board, converting a safety capitalized by Maximus Villar.
• After the safety punt and 25-yard return from Frederick, the drive began on the RMU side of the field. Bakare then hauled in a pass in the flat and stormed down the field for a 30-yard gain through the air. Eckhaus then scored a rushing TD from 11 yards out to give the Bulldogs a 16-0 lead.
• To begin the second quarter, Eckhaus found Matthew Prochaska for a 21-yard gain, followed by a 28-yard reception from Frederick. Then, the drive was capped off by a contested TD catch from Gary Cooper, propelling the Black and Gold to a 22-0 lead.
• RMU responded with their first scoring drive, closed out by a 15-yard TD reception (22-7).
• The Bulldogs went three and out, which led to a 92-yard scoring drive from the Colonials, making it a one-score game (22-14).
• RMU began the second half with the ball but was halted by a strip sack from Ben Silver, which Michael Otty recovered.
• The turnover led to a short field, which the Bulldogs took advantage of and added seven more to the board on a six-yard TD pass to Javin Dames (29-14).
• During the ensuing drive, RMU drove down the field until they were halted by the Black and Gold defense, forcing an FG (29-17).
• A Colonials targeting penalty at mid-field put Bryant on the RMU side of the 50. This led to a 44-yard TD drive created by a 25-yard Eckhaus rush, a first down catch for Frederick, and a one-yard Bakare rushing TD (36-17).
• On the next Colonials drive, Lake Ellis jumped on the ball and returned his interception to the RMU 21-yard line. 
• The Bulldogs were stopped inside the five, leading to a TD scoring drive for RMU (36-24).
• With four minutes remaining in the game, RMU fumbled, which was recovered by Christopher Eaton Jr., leading to an eight-yard rushing TD for Bakare (43-24).

 Stats

• The Bulldogs outgained the Colonials 399-313.
• Eckhaus threw for 283 yards (22-36) and three TDs.
• Eckhaus also led the team in rushing with 86 yards and a TD.
• Bakare tallied two TDs on the ground.
• Jalen Powell, Dames, and Cooper all hauled in a TD reception.
• Frederick registered 134 return yards.
• Silver posted two sacks and a forced fumble.
• Kenny Dyson Jr and Otty had a sack.
• Austin Edmonds, Eaton Jr, and Otty recorded a fumble recovery.
• Ellis hauled in an interception.
• Donate Lunan and Edmonds led the game with eight tackles.
• The Bulldog defense forced four turnovers.

Game Notes

• The Bulldogs improve to 7-0 at Beirne Stadium against Robert Morris and 11-3 all-time.
• Eckhaus now has 6,915 career yards through the air; this is the 16th time he has thrown multiple TDs.
• Dyson now has 22.5 sacks in his career.
• Bakare scored his first TDs as a member of the Black and Gold and the first multi-TD game of his career.
• Lake Ellis had his first INT of the season and fourth in his career.
• Silver had the first multi-sack game of his career.
• Otty now has four sacks on the season.
• Dames and Cooper caught their first TD passes of the year.
• Powell now has two TDs this season.
• Frederick is now seventh all-time in all-purpose yards with 3,133.
• This is the first time the Bulldogs have forced four TOs since their last game against RMU in 2022.

 Up Next

The Bulldogs will head on the road and face Eastern Illinois on Oct. 21.