Opening up the season on the road is never easy no matter the team, so it was always going to be a big test for the Colonials in Week 1.
Out in Colorado Springs, the Colonials played with heart, but that wasn’t enough as they fell to the Falcons 42-7.
The run game was key for the Colonials’ defeats, as Air Force tallied 374 rushing yards on 56 attempts, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. The run defense was frustrating for the team the whole game.
“We’ve got to tackle better. Plain and simple,” head coach Bernard Clark said when talking about the frustrations of the run defense over the first week.
The grueling football season is hard to make it through 100% healthy, and that struck the Colonials early as starting quarterback Tyler Szalkowski had to leave the game in the second quarter with an injury.
Coming into the game was backup quarterback and Bethel Park native, Anthony Chiccit, who was able to lead the team to their lone touchdown of the game. Chiccit finished the game 14-for-18 for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Talking with Coach Clark, he spoke on how hard it is to come into a game cold as a backup and praised Anthony while doing it.
“The great thing about Chiccit is he got a lot of starts last season, so it was a situation he was familiar with once he went in there,” Clark said. “You have to remember too, Chiccit fought cancer. So going into a football game with 30,000 fans is no big deal to him.”
Other injuries during the Air Force game were Joe Casale who had a thumb injury but will be available for the home opener. The big loss for the Colonials will be senior offensive lineman Hayden Barron, who is set to miss the game due to injury.
Over the course of a season, there isn’t time to pounder a loss as you have to prepare for next week’s game immediately. That said, the excitement remains as RMU opens up their home games with a good old rivalry matchup.
RMU will welcome their in-state rival to Joe Walton Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff. This will be RMU’s first night game since 2017.
The Colonials haven’t met the Red Flash since 2019 when they came out victorious in an OT thriller 20-17. In the all-time series, RMU leads the all-time series with a 16-9-1 record. The Colonials will look for their first win over Saint Francis since 2011.
With it being a rivalry week, players always want to come out fired up and want to perform better.
“A familiar old foe is real good for the fact that we are going to play our first night game since I’ve been here. I think the guys will be excited about that,” Coach Clark said. “Going against a team that we are familiar with, will be a great test for us”.
RMU will open the doors to Joe Walton Stadium for the first time in 2023 with a 6 p.m. kickoff.
