BULLDOGS HOST FIRST-PLACE #25 ROBERT MORRIS, LOOK FOR SIXTH HOME WIN

November 10, 2010

Game Notes / Radio / Webcast

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University football team enters Saturday's game 6-3 overall and 3-3 in Northeast Conference play following a 48-10 road win over Saint Francis (PA) last Saturday. The Bulldogs welcome 2010 NEC Champion #25 Robert Morris University (8-1, 7-0) to Bulldog Stadium, marking the sixth home game this season for the Black and Gold.

Saturday's matchup is just the third meeting all-time between Bryant and Robert Morris, with the Bulldogs holding a 2-0 series lead, having last defeated the Colonials, 20-13, in Moon Township, Pa. on September 26, 2009. Bryant took the first head-to-head tilt, 20-7, on October 18, 2008 in Bulldog Stadium.

The Bulldogs will be playing a nationally ranked opponent on the Division I (FCS) level for just the second time ever. Bryant fell to then #17 UMass, 42-7, on October 25, 2008 in Amherst, Mass. This contest will mark a first for Bulldog Stadium, as the Black and Gold will be hosting a top-25 opponent for the first time since transitioning to DI membership.

Bryant has started with a perfect 5-0 record at home this season for the first time in program history and will be seeking its seventh overall win of the season, a feat last accomplished in 2008.

The #25 Colonials are coming off a 42-24 decision over Central Connecticut last Saturday in Moon Township, Pa. With the win, Robert Morris clinched the first-ever NEC automatic qualifier for the NCAA playoffs as well as the regular season crown.  

Bryant head coach Marty Fine, now in his seventh season, enters Saturday's game with a 45-27 (.625

Robert Morris head coach Joe Walton is the only head coach in program history and is currently in his 17th season at the helm of the Colonials' program, compiling a record of 102-68-1. Under Walton's tutelage, the Colonials have claimed five Northeast Conference titles and a pair of mid-major national crowns in the program's first 16 years of existence. Robert Morris also is one of just two programs to claim a pair of victories in the ECAC Bowl, having won it in back-to-back seasons in 1996 and 1997.

Walton was twice named an All-American at the University of Pittsburgh at tight end and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round (21st overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft. He spent seven years in the NFL with both the Redskins (1957-60) and the New York Giants (1961-63), amassing 178 receptions for 2,628 yards and 28 touchdowns. Upon retiring in 1964, he spent four seasons as a scout with the Giants.

Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. and the Bulldogs can be heard on WOON 1240 AM with John McCarthy calling the play-by-play and Pete Royce providing in-game analysis. Fans can watch every minute on www.bryantbulldogs.tv, and links for audio, video and live stats can be found on the Bryant Athletics Website.