Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU football team opened Big South play Saturday, dropping a 41-14 decision to North Carolina A&T at Truist Stadium in Greensboro, N.C. The Colonials slip to 1-2 (.333) overall during the 2021 season.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Trailing, 13-0, in the second quarter, RMU engineered its longest drive of the young 2021 campaign, marching 96 yards on 14 plays and capping it when quarterback
George Martin hit wide receiver
D'Andre Hicks for an eight-yard touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining before halftime to close the deficit for the Colonials to 13-7. The Aggies responded, setting up shop at the RMU 45-yard line after a 35-yard return on the kickoff from Taymon Cooke with 14 ticks left on the clock. Two plays later, Jalen Fowler hit Zach Leslie for a 22-yard touchdown to give North Carolina A&T (2-2 / 1-0 Big South) a 20-7 advantage at the break.
ANSWERING
RMU got the ball to start the second half, and after running back
Alijah Jackson was dropped for a five-yard loss on the first offensive snap, Martin went to work, completing three consecutive passes to move the ball into North Carolina A&T territory. His first completion of the drive was a 28-yard strike to wide receiver
Jack Oedekoven, while he also found wide receiver
James Westry for eight yards. Faced with a 2nd-and-13 at the 40-yard line of the Aggies, running back
Jonathan Wynn provided the speed, racing 40 yards to the end zone for a score to pull the Colonials to within 20-14. Wynn finished the afternoon with 132 all-purpose yards, rushing for 44 on just three carries while compiling 88 yards in kickoff returns.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
North Carolina A&T began driving after the Colonials cut their deficit to one score, moving deep into RMU territory before the defense came up with a big takeaway. Defensive lineman
Ricardo Watson provided a spark for the second consecutive week, intercepting Fowler at the RMU 29-yard line to snuff out the drive. The Colonials couldn't capitalize, however, going three-and-out on the ensuing possession. The Aggies atoned for the turnover, marching 51 yards on just four plays, with Jah-Maine Martin scoring from 13 yards out with 3:19 left in the third quarter to give North Carolina A&T a 27-14 advantage. It marked the first of three consecutive scoring drives for the Aggies en route to the victory.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
The Colonials were 9-of-14 on third down Saturday, a season high, but North Carolina A&T held a 446-257 edge in total offense. Martin finished 17-for-31 passing for 203 yards but was sacked twice while throwing one interception. He completed a pass to seven different receivers, with wide receiver
Jaylon Brown finishing with four catches for 47 yards, while Hicks collected four receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown. In five career games for the Colonials, Hicks owns 27 catches for 274 yards and five scores.
THE TRIO
Linebackers
Jamar Shegog and
Aniello Buzzacco finished as the top two tacklers for RMU Saturday against the Aggies, combining for 16 stops. Shegog recorded a game-high nine takedowns, including eight solo, and recorded one of RMU's two-and-a-half tackles for loss. Safety
Lorenzo Euline added five tackles, including three solo stops, to lead the secondary.
UP NEXT
The Colonials return home for their first Big South contest ever at Joe Walton Stadium, welcoming Charleston Southern Saturday, Oct. 9, for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff. The game is part of Homecoming festivities at RMU.
Follow The Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | RMU Athletics Gameday App
