Enjoyed the preview article. Nice work.

Do we know who we are scrimmaging and when? Should be another fun season.

Our young coach is part of a recent trend within college hoops. Nice feature here on young coaches specifically Toole among others with quotes from Andy and Coleman.

Andy Toole feature

This one is harder to figure out, but much like our future football schedule thread, this is going to keep track of the different games Robert Morris has on the hardwood in the near future.

2013-2014 SCHEDULE
11/9 - Savannah State
11/12 - at Lafayette
11/14 - at Eastern Michigan (Keightley Classic)
11/17 - at Kentucky (Keightley Classic) on ESPN2
11/21 - Texas-Arlington (Keightley Classic)
11/23 - at Cleveland State (Keightley Classic), 3 p.m.
11/26 - at Buffalo
11/30 - at Delaware
12/4 - at Youngstown State
12/7 - Toledo, 4 p.m.
12/14 - at Duquesne, 2 p.m.
12/18 - Campbell, 7 p.m.
12/22 - at Oakland, 1 p.m.
12/30 - at Oklahoma State, 6 p.m. on ESPNU
1/4 - at Alabama
1/9 - at Sacred Heart
1/11 - at Bryant
1/16 - St. Francis PA
1/18 - at Mount St. Mary's
1/23 - Sacred Heart
1/25 - Wagner
1/30 - Bryant
2/1 - CCSU
2/6 - at LIU
2/8 - at St. Francis-Brooklyn
2/13 - at St. Francis PA
2/15 - Mount St. Mary's
2/20 - LIU
2/22 - St. Francis-Brooklyn
2/27 - at Fairleigh Dickinson
3/1 - at Wagner

LIKELY FUTURE OPPONENTS
Lafayette (return game for trip this year)
Delaware (return game for trip this year)
Youngstown State (return game for trip this year)
Oakland University (return game for trip this year)
at Toledo (return game for hosting this year)
Buffalo (part of 4 game series. RMU gets next 2 at home)

Duquesne

This post was edited on 9/25 8:42 PM by Andrew_Chiappazzi

Robert Morris is pursuing 2014 Mansfield (Ohio) Ontario athlete Eddrick Holley. The Colonials are eying the 6-foot-2, 165-pound Holley as a potential contributor on the defensive side of the ball, which is where he's playing this year so far for Ontario. He's also a wide receiver and kick returner.

Holley is an intriguing target at corner for Robert Morris, which has clearly noticed a lack of size amongst its defensive backs. With more players like Monmouth's Neal Sterling on the roster, Robert Morris needs some bigger DBs who can stay stride for stride and inch for inch with those receivers.

No, that headline isn't a mistake. Robert Morris has already dipped its toes into the 2016 pool of football recruits. It's surprising to see, as RMU still has a lot of work to do in 2014, let alone 2015 or 2016.

But thanks to Rivals Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt's tip, we've learned Robert Morris has offered 2016 Lyndhurst (OH) Brush athlete Jordan Overton.

Overton is primarily a wide receiver, but he also plays defensive back for Brush. His team uses multiple formations, but leans toward the spread, and Overton gets the ball quickly on a lot of screens and short passes. It looks like Brush wants the ball in his hands out in space, and from his highlight film, it's easy to see why. Overton makes things happen with what appears to be good speed and agility.

It's clear RMU is trying to get in early on guys (they offered 2014 stud Montae Nicholson early, only to watch as he blew up over the last 12 months) that they really like. We'll continue to monitor Overton's status and keep you updated on any developments as he goes through the recruiting process.

Andrew,

Any changes heading into the VMI game? I know there has been talk of certain players who quite haven't delivered yet.

Robert Morris is obviously still working on the Class of 2014 for hoops, as Andy Toole has two scholarships to fill to go with guard Jafar Kinsey and forward Andre Fredrick. But RMU is also hard at work on the Class of 2015, and RMU just issued a new offer tonight.

Brandon Kamga, a guard from Reston Virginia, now has an RMU offer to go with offers from Holy Cross, Howard and Radford. He also has interest from VCU and James Madison.

A 6-4, 180 pound shooting guard, Kamga is a junior at South Lakes High in Reston, Virginia this fall. You can see highlights of his sophomore season here - http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/2021992/highlights/33679377

Kamga is a penetrating scorer, and at his size, he'd like be a 2-guard or even a potential wing (like David Appolon) at Robert Morris. He averaged 17.5 points per game last year for South Lakes, and the bulk of it came inside, as he made just 20 3-pointers.

I am a big fan. As I mentioned in a previous post (in the trenches). When are we going to teach our secondary to turn and see the ball? Is it just me or does anyone else see it. Dejavu...Last year we had major issues in the secondary. Its early but I don't see much difference. Personally I would like to see us recruit some bigger defensive backs. Last but not least...the D line and linebackers have been very good. Cudos to the D line filling a huge gap with Farren Mason out. His namesake has really anwered the call in his new starting role. P.S. Give us defensive stats on website. Go Colonials!

Andrew - any update on whether he might be cleared this week?

No Mike Stojkovic?...I guess what someone posted was right about being eligible. 1st quarter was very rough for the Offense, OL was being pushed back especially Max Robertson. I can see a healthy Josh Thiel making a push to replace Max if he doesn't improve against Morgan State. Special Teams....ugh....different year, same story. Blocked FG and XPT. RMU was 2 for 12 on 3rd down...EPIC FAIL. EKU was 9 for 14 on 3rd down...Defense could not get off the field. EKU was not bigger than RMU but more physical.Forrest Mason played a very good game.AJ Holderman had a great motor out there, hope to see more and more of him out there. But that might take a switch to a 4-3. Alex Caratelli is going to get more playing time. RB situation....Howard was good but Thermil really hits to hole and delivers a blow to tacklers. I can see Thermil getting more carries especially in Ace. Jones had a good game being that he had pressure; great arm and very excited that he is only a Junior.

Well, that's a wrap. Training camp is over at Robert Morris and the school's 20th football season begins in one week at Eastern Kentucky. You can read the major news here - Joe Walton named Paul Jones the[/URL] starting quarterback[/URL] - and see some other thoughts from the head coach.

Even though the scrimmage ended early because of a lightning storm, Robert Morris got a handful of drives in the books. They also did enough extra work to get a glimpse at some things like special teams. So we still have plenty to get to.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Derik Abbott
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / Tyler Digby
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Sean Gavin
LT - A.J. Dalton / Jonah Tyus
LG - Max Robertson / Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci / Dylan Knight
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Riley Feenan

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Skinner
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Marcelis Branch / David Taylor
S - D.J. Myers / Andy Smigiera
S - Sam Collins / Logan Kelleher
CB - Antwan Eddie / Brian Jones

General Scrimmage Notes:
QB Brian Johnson, WR Chad Dawgiello, OL Drew Garbenis, OL Anthony Lucian, OL Chris O'Connor, OL Mike Randolph, OL Josh Thiel, DE Ryan Budny, DT Max Onyenwe, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric Lowry, all sat out the scrimmage.
OL Vince Mongelluzzo and TE D.J. Pearson both participated and looked healthy.
Of the absentees, I think Thiel and Lucian might have a shot to make it back in time for Week 1, but both O'Connor and Garbenis were observing, which they haven't done before because of concerns over concussions. Randolph, from my understanding, is fighting an eligibility issue.
There really wasn't any drama to the quarterback battle. Maybe the script had it playing out different if not for the lightning, but Jones took the first reps in 7-on-7 and other drills, and he was the only quarterback to work with the first team. Of course, only he and Abbott worked at all during the 11-on-11 drills, but even after a special teams break, Abbott went out with the second team offensive line.Once again, Alex Caratelli was the only receiver outside of the two-deep depth chart to get some action with the first team. Beyond his bump up, there were no other changes to the depth chart from the end of camp. But Robert Morris will release its official depth chart as part of the game notes, likely out on Tuesday, and there's always the chance for a surprise or two.As far as any injuries, wide receiver Luke Centofanti was the only one who appeared to go down. He tried to go up to get a Derik Abbott pass but instead of getting the ball he got a hit from Jimmy Masson right in the small of his back. Centofanti gingerly walked off the field after being tended to by trainers. The only other major revelation was seeing Andy Smigiera take most of the reps as the punt returner. Antwan Eddie took one rep - and looked quite good doing it, slipping and juking his way ahead for about 20 yards - and Smigiera took the rest, both as the scout team punt returner while RMU focused on punt coverage and as the normal return guy when RMU worked on returns.
Here's how the scrimmage went down:
Paul Jones led the first series, which pitted the first team offense against the first team defense. Jones went to work right away, hitting Donte Jeter to set up 3rd-and-short. On that play, Jones hit a wide open D.J. Hayes for a 30-yard gain to get Robert Morris in field goal range. After Ryan Thermil was stopped on third down a couple plays later, Hunter Khaleghi booted a 37-yard field goal to give the offense an early lead.Jones and the first team offense took over again, this time against a mix of first and second team players. After Jones kept it himself for 7 yards and then hit Andrew Smith for a 10-yard gain, linebacker Kimani Smith led a swarm of defenders to take down Deontae Howard in the backfield. But Jones got the first down again, hitting a sliding Alex Caratelli for 13 yards and then Duane Mitchell for 16-yards. One play later, the series came to a scripted end and Connor Shennan came on for a 36-yard field. His attempt went just wide.After special teams work, Derik Abbott led the second team offense against the second team defense. It started off well, as he completed a pass to Justin Kempka and Caleb Stennis used two runs to pick up a first down. But after an incomplete pass and another Stennis run, Abbott's third down pass was batted down at the line by Ryan Lewis to end the drive.The final drive of the day featured four straight runs from Travis Gregg to start off the series. Abbott then found Caratelli for a 12-yard gain and a first down. The final play was a completed pass, but it was whistled dead because of a penalty, and once again the drive came to a scripted end.No one had more than four carries. All told, Robert Morris had 12 carries for 48 yards. Not a bad clip, but not great. Only one receiver had more than one catch. Alex Caratelli had two for 25 yards. D.J. Hayes, Donte Jeter, Andrew Smith, Duane Mitchell and Justin Kempka each had receptionsOf Jones' 12 plays, 6 were runs. He finished 5-for-6 for 77 yards. Of Abbott's 12 plays, 7 were runs, one was a penalty. He finished 2-for-4 for 17 yards. Finally, to borrow a column staple of Sports Illustrated NFL writer Peter King, Ten Things I Think I Think about Robert Morris heading into Week 1:
I think the decision to name Jones the quarterback was very much anticipated. I like that Joe Walton gave Abbott a long look, though. Abbott has something to him that's hard to explain. He refuses to believe he can't do something, and by extension he refuses to believe his team can't do something. I wouldn't be surprised to see him starting at some point as a Colonial. He has the "it factor". But that's down the road. Jones is deservedly the guy. The physical talent is obvious, and Walton said he's picked up the offense well. I don't think anyone knows Walton's playbook inside and out, except the coach himself. It's about making good decisions and making positive plays on a weekly basis. The rest can be addressed as needed. Jones can certainly do that, and his arm will give him the chance to make some plays that will raise some eyebrows.I think I was surprised when Walton told me after the scrimmage that he liked his running game. Four yards a pop isn't bad, especially when it's a mix, but I just haven't been wild about the run game all of August. There was an obvious pop to Evan Taylor's runs in camp last year. He stood out. The only doing that, to me, this year is Ryan Thermil and occasionally Kenny Davis. But I don't think the staff wants to subject Thermil to a ton of carries per game because of his physical style. And Davis has yet to prove he can take a pounding in camp, let alone week-in and week-out. That leaves Deontae Howard, who the staff trusts but just isn't a splash player. Maybe this is a year where they're okay with a run-game by committee and just lean on the passing game.I think it's not just Jones that has Robert Morris people excited about the passing game this year. The pass protection has now looked really good in two scrimmages. The quarterbacks have time against pretty decent coverage, and with the speed RMU has at receiver, that's a good thing. I'm really curious to see if that cohesion stands up over the course of the season against different opponents. Two reasons why it might be good? A more experienced Jon Hill at right tackle (he was really green during his last go-round at the position in 2011), and the improvement of center Nick Faraci in his second year as a starter. "Nick really came in last year and did well, and in camp he's worked on technique and gotten a lot better," A.J. Dalton said. I think Joe Walton would normally like having a dominant tight end, a la Shadrae King, but he really likes his depth. So much so that he doesn't mind having a committee approach this year. Walton said Andrew Smith and Tyler Digby have had real good camps, but he also likes what a healthy D.J. Pearson can do and what Justin Kempka has shown in his second camp. "Justin I think will be ready when these three guys aren't around anymore," Walton said. "I feel good about any of them playing." Walton indicated that the top three guys will definitely have roles. We'll see about Kempka this year.I think anyone that thinks the end of camp means other than that the season is about to start should listen to A.J. Dalton. The left tackle enters his final season as one of the leaders of the team, and he said wrapping up his last college training camp is only something he'll think about at the end of the season. "We still have 13-plus weeks in my mind, 11 games, playoffs, hopefully a championship," Dalton said. "I'd imagine when that's done, that's probably when I'll start feeling it."I think Sean Gavin and D.J. Hayes might be listed as the immediate back-ups on the depth chart at receiver when the official list comes out next week, but no one should be sleeping on freshman receiver Alex Caratelli. I'll let Dalton explain it best: "He's going up and Moss'ing people. He's doing really well," Dalton said. "He has great hands and a great work ethic. He's seen, not heard, and that's really good for a freshman."I think Dalton was about the 50th person in the last two weeks to tell me linebacker Mike Cook is poised for a huge season, and not just on the field. Dalton cited Cook as one the emerging leaders on the team. He could also be the leading tackler, much like he was last year when he had 88 tackles. The one area Cook might have more of a presence: In the backfield. He had just three tackles for a loss last year, but with some stability next to him in the form of a healthy Kyle Cooper, he might have more freedom to slice through and make some big stops.I think this is the deepest defense I've ever seen at Robert Morris, especially in the secondary and on the line. Robert Morris goes four deep across the board on the defensive line, and can go three deep in the secondary. Brian Jones and David Taylor would likely start at most places, but they're behind Marcelis Branch and Antwan Eddie. And Malik Johnson and Clay Ilkin aren't slouches at corner, either.I think Hunter Khaleghi is your kicker to start the season, but if he struggles with accuracy, Connor Shennan will be right behind him. Khaleghi didn't have a strong start to camp, but he's been very solid at the end and he made his only field goal attempt Thursday night.I think there's more optimism around this team than there has been the last two years, and this is a staff and group of players that's traditionally pretty positive. The last two years, though, it was, "We'll be young, but if some things go our way early, we can contend." Walton even told me two years ago, "I don't know how good we'll be this year, but we'll be damn good next year." Injuries and other circumstances might have delayed that projection a year or two, but this is a very optimistic and hungry bunch. We'll see if it comes to fruition.
Thank you all for reading during camp. I hope you don't go anywhere as we'll have in-depth coverage all season long.

It may have been the last day of training camp, and many minds were probably already shifting to Thursday's scrimmage. Not Joe Walton, and he made sure his offense heard about it. With focus and execution a little bit of an issue during a passing drill, Walton got on his players quickly. First it was the receivers, who weren't running routes as crisp as he wanted them to be. So a very vocal Walton coached them through the route turn by turn. He stayed that way throughout the rest of the drill, even turning his admonishment back to the quarterbacks once the receivers were straightened out. After all, it doesn't matter what route a receiver runs if the quarterback doesn't give him something to work with.

It was classic Walton, and it served as a reminder that Walton's not taking a victory lap in his final season. He's not just playing out the string. He wants to win. He always has, and it's why he's especially proud of the six NEC titles. He wants a seventh, and he wants players who want the same thing. If they don't, he and the staff will find those who do.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Marcus Prather / Luke Brumbaugh / Joe Carroll
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / Tyler Digby
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Sean Gavin
LT - A.J. Dalton / Jonah Tyus
LG - Max Robertson / Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci / Dylan Knight
RG - Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Riley Feenan

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Skinner
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Marcelis Branch / David Taylor
S - D.J. Myers / Andy Smigiera
S - Sam Collins or Phil Peckich / Logan Kelleher
CB - Antwan Eddie / Brian Jones

Wednesday Practice Notes:
QB Brian Johnson, WR Chad Dawgiello, WR Chaq Nettles, OL Vince Mongelluzzo, OL Drew Garbenis, OL Anthony Lucian, OL Chris O'Connor, OL Mike Randolph, OL Josh Thiel, DE Ryan Budny, DT Max Onyenwe, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric Lowry, TE D.J Pearson all missed the afternoon practice
WR Chaq Nettles and OL Riley Feenan each returned to practice. It was Feenan's first practice in almost two weeks.No, there wasn't a coup at quarterback. But if you needed any indication that the decision comes down to Paul Jones or Derik Abbott, Wednesday's final practice was a pretty clear indicator. Jones and Abbott were dressed, but they were basically around for moral support and mental reps. I wouldn't be surprised to see both take the majority of the reps tomorrow, with Prather possibly getting the rest.Maybe, just maybe Robert Morris will have two offensive lines to rotate during Thursday's scrimmage with Riley Feenan back. Vince Mongelluzzo was out today, but if he's good to go tomorrow, RMU would have finally 10 healthy linemen dressed. Maybe it's possible one of the other guys participates, but I'm not counting on it.Robert Morris went only half speed or so during most of the drills Wednesday afternoon, so a lot of it was more of a walkthrough situation. Thus, there aren't many actual practice notes. But one thing we're keeping an eye on is who gets placed in certain special teams situations. After all, that's one way to see who is going to contribute. Robert Morris practiced kickoff coverage on Wednesday afternoon, and along with the usual reserves (Clay Ilkin, Malik Johnson, Matthew Fox) and starters (D.J. Myers, Mike Stojkovic), there was another interesting name on the first unit: T.J. Waters. The linebacker was the only true freshman on the first team, but Nic Lamica and Jimmy Masson took reps on the second team. All three could end up contributing in various special teams roles.Finally, with the scrimmage looming tomorrow, here are some things that we will be keeping an eye on:
The easy one: Who is the quarterback? Unless it's obvious, hopefully Walton will reveal after the scrimmage and not say that he wants to review tape. I think he'll reveal it...he sounded like he was pretty close to a decision after Saturday's scrimmage.Who emerges as the third running back? I wouldn't be surprised to see RMU take six backs, and they seem set at fullback with Ryan Thermil, Corey Garry and Marty Thomas. Deontae Howard and Kenny Davis are locks as the top two tailbacks, and everything seems to be leaning towards Caleb Stennis as the third back. But the freshman tends to freelance at times, so will they go with him or go elsewhere?Who will be the kicker? Robert Morris didn't do placekicking drills this afternoon, so Thursday's session might be the last chance to impress. It's a hard choice. I think Connor Shennan might have been ahead at one point because of his leg strength, but Hunter Khaleghi has looked good lately and has decent power himself. Accuracy is the primary concern, so we'll see what they do tomorrow.Which young guys step up? I think the depth chart is close to being set, and now it's about rhythm and making the travel squad. The staff will be looking at how the different units work together, but they'll also be very conscious of who impresses under the lights. Some of those guys won't be starters, but some of the back-ups could win roles on the travel team tomorrow night.Will Robert Morris go full 11-on-11? If so, how does the pass rush look? Robert Morris didn't establish much of one on Saturday, but sometimes that takes rhythm and RMU ran more 7-on-7 plays than it did 11-on-11. From my perspective, I think the run defense should be strong, but I'm curious to see who emerges as a consistent threat to get to the quarterback.Can anyone establish a running game? Or will the team struggle to find a consistent threat, much like it did during a dismal 2-9 season in 2011? If the offense finds any sort of balance, it could be interesting to watch. But without that balance, a lot of pressure will be put on the passing game and the line to keep the QB clean.
Stay healthy.
Robert Morris is hopeful some of the bodies who have been out lately will be back, and some of the ones out on Wednesday were precautionary. But they can't lose anyone else with a week to go before Eastern Kentucky.
That's all for today. Tomorrow is the last day of practice before we hit Thursday's final scrimmage.

Let's get right to the good stuff.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Derik Abbott
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Marty Thomas
TE - Andrew Smith / Tyler Digby
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Sean Gavin
LT - A.J. Dalton / Jonah Tyus
LG - Max Robertson / Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci / Dylan Knight
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Skinner
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Marcelis Branch / David Taylor
S - D.J. Myers / Andy Smigiera
S - Sam Collins or Phil Peckich / Logan Kelleher
CB - Antwan Eddie / Brian Jones

Tuesday Practice Notes:
QB Brian Johnson, WR Chad Dawgiello, WR Chaq Nettles, OL Riley Feenan, OL Drew Garbenis, OL Anthony Lucian, OL Chris O'Connor, OL Mike Randolph, OL Josh Thiel, DE Ryan Budny, DT Max Onyenwe, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric LowryTE D.J. Pearson and WR Luke Centofanti returned but were somewhat limited. WR Warren Fields and DB Clay Ilkin were back to full participation.They effectively split the duties as the No. 2 fullback, but today was the first day in a while that Marty Thomas took a number of reps ahead of Corey Garry. Garry got his fair share of action, but it was enough to warrant putting Thomas' name in the spot behind Thermil on our listing today.
Hands and the general connection between receivers and quarterbacks were an issue today. There were a handful of missed throws, but there were also a handful of blatant drops throughout drills. It's not something that Joe Walton, Myles Russ, Bob Morris and Pat Shepard want to see out of their charges with nine days until Robert Morris takes the field against nationally ranked Eastern Kentucky.
Warren Fields had to feel like he got a little bit of redemption in that area later in the practice session. After getting his hands on a few passes but was unable to haul them in during 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 drills. But late in the 7-on-7 drill, Fields laid out for a pass in the corner of the end zone and was able to hang on.
Even with the hiccups, you get the sense that the passing game is still ahead of the running game. The perfect evidence of that was a very audible comment from Joe Walton during 11-on-11 drills. "We don't need any dancing," Walton yelled. "We need running! Hit the hole there!" Part of what made Evan Taylor so effective last year was his willingness to go straight ahead, relying on speed through the hole before making any necessary moves once he got through it. Taylor wasn't a blazer, but he was effective enough. It's something the Colonials miss right now, and it's definitely going to be something to watch when the scrimmage hits on Thursday.Sometimes playing time is all about patience. Take a guy like T.J. Matrascia. The redshirt sophomore defensive end got a few snaps as a true freshman in a blowout of St. Francis, but otherwise he hasn't seen the field in a game during his first two seasons. Part of that was because of his transition from linebacker in high school to defensive end, but a lot of it also had to do with depth at the position. Now Matrascia's right behind starters Chris Thompkins and Forrest Mason. Matrascia even got a few reps with the first team line today when Mason took a breather during 9-on-7 drills. Matrascia will play a role on this team. He's agile enough to contribute on kick and punt coverage, and he'll be a part of the rotation at defensive end. Something to think about with the rash of transfers in college sports. Sometimes transfers are for good reasons. There's evidence of that with the RMU roster with guys like Paul Jones and Mike Stojkovic. But there's evidence of it being a poor choice elsewhere. Sometimes you need a fresh start. But sometimes sticking it out pays off in the end. Matrascia and Henry Jartu are two guys on the defensive line who are bound to see their patience pay off this season.Another way to find the field besides patience and diligently working on your craft to be ready when the time comes? Versatility. Adrian Perez hoped he'd be starting at outside linebacker at this point of his career when he arrived out of junior college. But circumstances have dictated otherwise. Perez is a lock to contribute on special teams, and while he's lower on the depth chart at defensive end, he can still have a role because of his strength against the run. And Robert Morris recognizes that, which is why he's also played some outside linebacker still in camp. Robert Morris operates out of the 3-4 defense, but the Colonials utilize a variety of looks with different personnel. Perez can find a way on the field in those packages because of his versatility.ColonialsCorner kept track of the quarterbacks again today in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. We kept our tracking to the top three, since those guys are the potential starters. Paul Jones took the first rep in every drill, followed by Derik Abbott and then Marcus Prather. Jones was a combined 5-for-9 in those drills, with one of the incompletions a clear drop. Abbott was 2-for-6, with one of the incompletions a clear drop. Prather was 3-for-5. In terms of total snaps, Jones took 14, Abbott took 11, and Prather took 6.
Robert Morris wrapped up 11-on-11 drills with a little bit of live goal-line play. The ball was spotted on the 4-yard line and RMU ran eight plays. Jones directed four plays, with three resulting in touchdowns. The first came on a Ryan Thermil touchdown run. After Mike Stojkovic batted down a pass for Tyler Digby, Deontae Howard scored on a 4-yard run. Finally, Jones tossed a score to a wide-open Corey Garry. Derik Abbott came in for three snaps, and after Erich Maine used two carries to get RMU to the 2-yard line, Abbott kept it himself for the only score of his session. Prather came on for one last play, tossing a 4-yard touchdown to Thermil.
That's all for today. Tomorrow is the last day of practice before we hit Thursday's final scrimmage.

If you don't think that the players are counting down the hours to Thursday's scrimmage, then you've never been part of the last week of a college training camp. The end is near and the players can feel it. Today was the last true two-a-day of camp. Robert Morris has a single practice on Tuesday followed by a normal morning practice on Wednesday. The second session on Wednesday is bound to be a more limited walkthrough in preparation for Thursday evening's scrimmage.

After Thursday's scrimmage, Robert Morris will finalize its depth chart and start working toward Eastern Kentucky. I'm sure several drills over the next few days will also include Eastern Kentucky plans. RMU will get four days of practice in before using Wednesday to travel to Richmond, Kentucky in preparation for Thursday night's kickoff.

The hours are counting by, and I'm sure almost every single player could tell you how many are left until that final scrimmage.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Derik Abbott / Marcus Prather
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Tyler Digby / Andrew Smith
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Sean Gavin
LT - A.J. Dalton / Jonah Tyus
LG - Max Robertson / Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci / Dylan Knight
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Skinner
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Marcelis Branch / David Taylor
S - D.J. Myers / Andy Smigiera
S - Sam Collins or Phil Peckich / Logan Kelleher
CB - Antwan Eddie / Brian Jones

Day 17 Practice Notes:
QB Brian Johnson, WR Chad Dawgiello, TE
D.J. Pearson, OL Riley Feenan, OL Drew Garbenis, OL
Anthony Lucian, OL Chris O'Connor, OL Mike Randolph, OL Josh Thiel, DE
Ryan Budny, DT Max Onyenwe, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric
LowryQB Derik Abbott, WR Warren Fields, OL A.J. Dalton, and DE Tyler Potts all returned to practice. Abbott and Dalton jumped right back into their spots in the rotation and looked 100 percent. Fields was somewhat limited, as was defensive back Clay Ilkin. Potts was back in practice for the first time since the third day of camp, and today was just the first time he was in full pads in training camp. He'll have some rust to shake off, and the team is deep at defensive end, but I wouldn't be surprised for him to find a role, perhaps at home games when the roster is deeper. His size is just so unique. It's not something you can teach.Dylan Knight continued to get reps at center with Anthony Lucian out. Offensive line coach Andrew Richardson is trying to plug guys into different roles for emergency situations, and being more versatile might help Knight secure a spot on the travel roster. The other movement featured Nick Faraci subbing in at right tackle on the second team offensive line. Faraci was one of several players who helped fill in with just nine offensive linemen dressed, but he was the most unique sub. Paul Jones continued to take the first rep in every drill. It's hard not to get the impression that he's the leader for the QB job as the days wind down. But Joe Walton wants to get one last look at everyone in Thursday's scrimmage, and that's reasonable. Based off the order of reps in practice, it goes Jones, Abbott, and then Marcus Prather. We'll see if that's the rotation that holds up through the final scrimmage. The final three days will be interesting to watch.As we've mentioned before, in certain situations, the defense shifts from Robert Morris' customary 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense. The shift means a slightly different look to the personnel in the front seven. In most cases, R.J. Cook slots in at tackle next to Farren Mason with Kyle Cooper coming off the field. In other cases, Cooper shifted to outside linebacker with Mike Stojkovic coming off. I think the flexibility of those two linebackers (Cooper started off his career outside, Stojkovic came out of a 4-3 at North Texas) could provide some unique scenarios for RMU. It can be tough for players who are unable to practice to be up to speed. Many players who are on the sideline still observe, but it's not the same as getting reps. That's why it's interesting to watch a coach like Alex DiMichele pull the younger and out-of-commission defensive linemen to the side during special teams drills and put them through walk-through reps. Ryan Budny, Max Onyenwe and others aren't in uniform, but that little taste has to help them for when they finally are able to get the pads back on.The offense went a little deeper into Walton's playbook today with some trick plays. We'll spare you the details (as we promised at the beginning, we'll never give that info out), but you can always tell that the staff and the players enjoy testing them out. Some players get put in slightly different situations, and it's fun to see who the athletes are. The defense has seen these plays before, but sometimes they still get sucked in. That was the case during one play in 11-on-11, where the defense bought the trickery. The end of the play just didn't connect in a touchdown as hoped.Deontae Howard ripped off a 10-yard run early in 11-on-11 that was longer than any run play from Saturday's scrimmage. It was also the only long run of the day. However, Caleb Stennis turned a short pass into a big play, giving us a glimpse at his speed for the first time. If Robert Morris can't establish a true run game, maybe short passes can do the same. RMU has a handful of backs with decent hands (Howard, Kenny Davis and maybe Stennis if he cracks the travel roster). It might be able to serve the same purpose as a traditional running game.Finally, a kicker update. Connor Shennan and Hunter Khaleghi both handled kickoff duties in today's live kick coverage drills. It's hard to really separate either of them in kick duties, as it's not always about distance. Sometimes it's about direction, and both kickers were putting the ball roughly in the same area. When it came time to field goals at the end of practice, both made their first four kicks. But they missed their final seven combined kicks, all of them from a more aggressive distance. Khaleghi hit the upright on one kick that appeared to be close to 50-yards out. All of their kicks had good length from 40-plus, but they were each pulled to the right.Play of the Day:
You could tell Derik Abbott was back in form today after missing a few days. He had an excellent throw to D.J. Hayes in the corner of the end zone during 7-on-7 drills. It was a great throw but even better catch. As the ball came down, Hayes split two defenders, leaped into the air and tapped his feet down for the touchdown. It was an excellent adjustment to the ballThat's all for today. Robert Morris has three practices left and Thursday's scrimmage before camp wraps up.

Today was Robert Morris' first scrimmage, but it was a little different than anticipated. Probably in large part due to the lack of healthy linemen, Robert Morris only went to a full 11-on-11 scrimmage for a handful of drives. Instead, while the linemen got a breather, RMU ran 7-on-7 pass skeleton plays at full speed. It meant that the stats are largely skewed in favor of the offense (the defense is at an inherent disadvantage in 7-on-7 because there is no pass rush), and the quarterback numbers are inflated.

But the scrimmage gave a glimpse at a number of things, more of which we'll get to as this post goes along. We will eliminate any suspense regarding the quarterback race: It's still undecided. Joe Walton said after the scrimmage that they'll make a decision after Thursday's scrimmage. He initially wanted to make a choice earlier, but he wants to give Derik Abbott some full speed reps on Thursday. That didn't happen today because Abbott's a little banged up and did not participate.

The following players were out and did not participate:
QB Derik Abbott, QB Brian Johnson, WR Chad Dawgiello, WR Warren Fields, TE D.J. Pearson, OL A.J. Dalton, OL Riley Feenan, OL Drew Garbenis, OL Anthony Lucian, OL Chris O'Connor, OL Mike Randolph, OL Josh Thiel, DE Ryan Budny, DT Max Onyenwe, DE Tyler Potts, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric LowryFULL SCRIMMAGE OFFENSE DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Marcus Prather / Luke Brumbaugh / Joe Carroll
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis / Caleb Stennis / Erich Maine / Travis Gregg
FB - Ryan Thermil / Core Garry / Marty Thomas / Nick Sponyoe / Luke Zearing
TE - Tyler Digby / Andrew Smith / Justin Kempka
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes / Luke Centofanti / Jordan Blackmon / Chris Rivers
WR - Duane Mitchell / Sean Gavin / Alex Caratelli / Chaq Nettles / Uyi Akpan
LT - Vince Mongelluzzo / Jonah Tyus
LG - Max Robertson
C - Nick Faraci / Dylan Knight
RG - Blake Chambliss / Carlton Watson
RT - Jon Hill

Offense depth chart notes
With Abbott unavailable, Marcus Prather took the bulk of the second team reps behind Jones. Luke Brumbaugh and Joe Carroll each worked later in the scrimmage. Ryan Thermil continued to receive work at both running back and fullback, but spent more time at fullback today.The tight ends rotated quite a bit, but Tyler Digby ended up receiving a larger amount of reps with the first team. That might be due to his strong play overall, as he and Paul Jones once again developed a rhythm. The only other surprise on the offensive side of the ball was Alex Caratelli. The freshman has had some moments in camp, and he ended up working with the first team on multiple drives. You could pretty evenly split the receivers right now, with Caratelli marking the end of the first group and Luke Centofanti beginning the start of the second group.FULL SCRIMMAGE DEFENSE DEPTH CHART
DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia / Ryan Lewis
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook / Henry Jartu / Zac Bennett / Zack Zamiska
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman / Adrian Perez / Michael Woltz
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Skinner / Nic Lamica
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller / Jimmy Masson
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox / T.J. Waters
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach / Zach Cooper
CB - Marcelis Branch / David Taylor / Malik Johnson
S - D.J. Myers / Andy Smigiera / Sam Woods
S - Sam Collins or Phil Peckich / Logan Kelleher / Codi Casper
CB - Antwan Eddie / Brian Jones / Clay Ilkin

Defense depth chart notes:
They've done it occasionally throughout camp, but Saturday's scrimmage marked the first extended period where Taylor and Jones worked together almost exclusively at corner.
Collins spent the bulk of the time with Myers at safety. There was one series where Collins shifted over to strong safety and played alongside Peckich, and one brief series where Myers and Peckich played together. Smigiera and Kelleher played together exclusively at safety.There was surprisingly little rotation among the linebackers. The three platoons you see there are the ones that went every time.That wasn't the case on the defensive line, though the ends stayed paired. They just ended up with a different nose tackle between them on multiple occasions.
Day 15 Scrimmage notes:
As we mentioned earlier, not every drive was 11-on-11. Several were just 7-on-7. There were also no refs and no official scoring system. The coaches acted as refs, but it didn't look like any penalties were called. Because of the format, it was very hard to get a good read on the defense, although they erased any thought of an effective run game in 11-on-11 situations. It's harder to read the pass coverage because of the number of 7-on-7 reps. That said, the offensive line didn't allow a single sack in 11-on-11 drills.

In all, Robert Morris ran 72 plays either as part of 7-on-7 drills or the full 11-on-11 scrimmage.
Paul Jones started off at quarterback as the first team offense took on the first team defense. After an initial 3-and-out, Jones led a 9-play, 70-yard drive for the day's first touchdown. The drive included two third down conversions, and it was a methodical drive. The first conversion came on a swing pass to Deontae Howard, who just made it to the sticks. Then on 3rd and 8, Ryan Thermil pulled the same trick, hauling in a pass and getting just to the marker. Finally, on 3rd and 8 from the 50-yard line, Jones flicked a pass down the sideline for Alex Caratelli. The freshman wideout got a step on his man, caught the pass, and sped into the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown.Marcus Prather took over and began his reps with 7-on-7 drills. Prather went 5-for-8 in the drill and placed his team in field goal position. Connor Shennan's 36-yard field goal was good. Prather ran four more plays in the 7-on-7 format, completing 3-of-4 attempts before the series was reset.Luke Brumbaugh took control of the huddle for a return to the 11-on-11 format, and he needed just five plays to do some damage. Facing 3rd-and-11, Brumbaugh found Duane Mitchell down the sideline. Mitchell slipped past one tackler before evading the safety to score a 47-yard touchdown. Brumbaugh ran seven more plays but couldn't repeat the same success.
Jones came back onto the field for his time in the 7-on-7 scrimmage. He hit Tyler Digby for two first downs in a row, but the drive stalled just inside the 30-yard line. Connor Shennan came on for another field goal try, but this time he just missed from 37-yards out. After a 3-and-out that featured a rough drop by Duane Mitchell that would have been a big gain, Jones needed just three plays to get into the end zone. Jones found an open Donte Jeter in the back corner of the end zone, and it looked like Jeter caught it cleanly until he tumbled to the turf after landing in bounds and taking a few steps out of bounds. When he hit the turf, the ball popped out. The defense argued that it was incomplete, and it looked like the coaches/refs were unsure of the call. Ultimately, it appears it was ruled a good touchdown.Prather then came on for his first series as part of the full scrimmage. His first series went 3-and-out, while his second drive died after six plays. Prather then tried to hit Uyi Akpan on a streak down the sideline on the first play of drive No. 3, but Clay Ilkin jumped in front and picked off the pass for the defense's only interception of the day. Prather ran two more plays before calling it a day.Joe Carroll wrapped up the reps with 10 plays in the 7-on-7 format. Carroll's had some rough moments in camp, but he showed why the staff is still high on him. He completed all 10 passes he threw, with his seventh throw going for an 8-yard touchdown to Justin Kempka. Three plays later, Carroll hit Alex Caratelli for a 20-yard touchdown and the final play of the day.Some final stats of note. All of these should be considered unofficial:
Paul Jones was 12-of-18 for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
Marcus Prather was 9-of-15 for 99 yards and an interceptionLuke Brumbaugh was 3-of-5 for 76 yards and a touchdownJoe Carroll was 10-of-10 for 99 yards and two touchdowns, though it should be noted all of his passes came in 7-on-7 drills.TE Andrew Smith caught four passes for 39 yardsWR Alex Caratelli made the most of his opportunities with the first team, catching two passes for 70 yards and two touchdownsTE Justin Kempka caught 3 passes for 43 yards and a TD.WR Duane Mitchell had just one catch, a 47-yard TDWR Donte Jeter had 3 catches for 81 yards and a TDTE Tyler Digby caught 2 passes for 31 yardsIn all, 18 different players caught a pass during the scrimmage.The running game combined for an abysmal 36 yards on 21 carries. That needs to be addressed pronto. The Colonials don't need a superstar back there, but they do need some consistency. Connor Shennan handled the two field goal attempts, while Hunter Khaleghi handled the extra points. Might that be the split throughout the season? We'll see.
That's all for today. The team is off Sunday before jumping back into the last four days of camp with two practices on Monday.

No prelude today, as we'll save our extra verbiage for a scrimmage preview at the bottom.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Marcus Prather
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Core Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / Tyler Digby
WR - D.J. Hayes / Luke Centofanti
WR - Duane Mitchell / Sean Gavin
LT - Vince Mongelluzzo / Jonah Tyus
LG - Max Robertson
C - Nick Faraci / Dylan Knight
RG - Blake Chambliss / Carlton Watson
RT - Jon Hill

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Skinner
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Malik Johnson / Clay Ilkin
S - D.J. Myers / Andy Smigiera
S - Sam Collins or Phil Peckich / Logan Kelleher
CB - David Taylor / Brian Jones

Day 15 News and Notes:
Quarterback Derik Abbott, QB Brian Johnson, DE Tyler Potts, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric Lowry, OL Drew Garbenis, DE Ryan Budny, DT Max Onyenwe, OL Riley Feenan, OL Mike Randolph, OL Josh Thiel, OL A.J. Dalton, OL Chris O'Connor, TE D.J. Pearson, FB Marty Thomas, WR Chaq Nettles, WR Chris Rivers, WR Donte Jeter, OL Anthony Lucien and WR Chad Dawgiello were all out for the afternoon practice.
RB Erich Maine, DT Farren Mason, WR Warren Fields and RB Deontae Howard all returned.
I think that's everyone...it was a long list as Robert Morris scaled down the afternoon practice. Robert Morris traditionally preserves everyone's health before scrimmages, because they understand that the players want to go full bore during the scrimmage. Players were just in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets for the afternoon session, and Walton even let them go early. Practice ended about a half hour before it typically does during camp.With Abbott out - he was on the field and participated in some run drills, but that was it - Marcus Prather got a few more reps behind Paul Jones. I fully expect Abbott to participate tomorrow.With the number of linemen dwindling rapidly, Dylan Knight took some reps at center today. From my previous notes, Knight was not originally among the linemen who typically work with the quarterbacks during center exchanges in the early portion of practice every day. Earlier in camp, that list was centers Nick Faraci and Anthony Lucian alongside Vince Mongelluzzo, A.J. Dalton and Mike Randolph. Dalton and Mongelluzzo are the vets, so it's no surprise there, and Randolph played center in high school. So Knight's a new addition. He's a veteran back-up, and this is a chance for him to do something to make himself more valuable as he tries to make the travel team. Who knows how many linemen Andrew Richardson takes on the road trips, but you have to figure a healthy Josh Thiel and Lucian are locks. Sixty guys travel, so that could be one of the battles.Today also gave Blake Chambliss a chance to run with the first team, which had to be a nice opportunity. He's been the only freshman to survive throughout camp besides Carlton Watson, and Watson's raw. Chambliss might be Knight's chief competition for that eighth spot on the travel roster if that's what Richardson goes with.Speaking of the travel roster, another way to crack that list is to make waves on special teams. A few freshmen who might be crawling up the ranks: Andy Smigiera, T.J. Waters, Nic Lamica and Jimmy Masson. All four were on kick coverage duty during special teams work today. Maybe all four make it. Maybe none do. Maybe other guys make it as part of kick return or punt return. It's all part of the process, some of which will start to come into focus tomorrow.

Finally, with the scrimmage looming tomorrow, here are some things that we will be keeping an eye on:Will Joe Walton tip his hand? If he's leaning in a particular direction at quarterback, the bulk of the snaps with the first team offense might go to a particular player in an attempt to cement the idea of that player being the guy. If it's a true split, then the scrimmage might be the last evaluation point before a decision. Will someone emerge at wide receiver behind Donte Jeter and Duane Mitchell? A number of players have shown flashes of being solid No. 3 and No. 4 guys, but someone needs to seize the opportunity. Will it be Sean Gavin? Will D.J. Hayes cement his status after getting some looks last year? Or will someone else step forward with a strong performance on Saturday?How does the offensive line look at full speed? They've been a fairly consistent unit, in terms of repetitions together, since spring ball. But how well do they click at full speed? Saturday will be their best test so far, though it may come with an absence or two. In that case, it'll be good to see how the top unit works with someone like Vince Mongelluzzo at left tackle, freshman Blake Chambliss at right guard, or redshirt freshman Anthony Lucian at any number of spots.Saturday could give us an occasion where three FBS transfers are all with the top units: Paul Jones at quarterback, Mike Stojkovic at outside linebacker and Phil Peckich at safety. Depending on how things go, it's possible all three could end up as starters on August 29 against Eastern Kentucky. How does the rotation work at corner? You'd have to think reigning NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year Marcelis Branch and junior Antwan Eddie are the likely starters, but Bill Hurley's rotated Brian Jones, David Taylor, Malik Johnson and Clay Ilkin in on the first team throughout camp. Saturday should give a look at how they might be pieced together.Which freshmen are poised to make a breakthrough and make the travel team? Barring a stunning turnaround, I don't think any true freshman is in line to start. But there are plenty of roles available. We'll keep a close eye and do a freshman report for Monday. Stay healthy. Robert Morris is starting to play with fire in terms of the number of bodies out. Some of it is precautionary, but the Colonials can ill afford to lengthen that injury list on Saturday considering they have five practices in three days before the last scrimmage Thursday night.
That's all for today. Camp continues Saturday with the scrimmage. We'll have a full report afterward.

This post was edited on 8/16 6:42 PM by Andrew_Chiappazzi

This post was edited on 8/16 8:13 PM by Andrew_Chiappazzi

A lot to get to today, so let's get right into the good stuff.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones or Derik Abbott
RB - Ryan Thermil / Kenny Davis
FB - Corey Garry / Marty Thomas
TE - Andrew Smith / Tyler Digby
WR - Donte Jeter / Sean Gavin
WR - Duane Mitchell / D.J. Hayes
LT - Vince Mongelluzzo / Jonah Tyus
LG - Max Robertson / Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucian
RG - Anthony Lucian / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - R.J. Cook / Henry Jartu
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Kyle Cooper
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Antwan Eddie / Malik Johnson
S - D.J. Myers / Andy Smigiera
S - Sam Collins or Phil Peckich / Logan Kelleher
CB - Marcelis Branch / David Taylor

Day 14 News and Notes:
Quarterback Brian Johnson, DE Tyler Potts, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric Lowry, RB Perez Mackell, OL Drew Garbenis, DE Ryan Budny, DT Max Onyenwe, RB Erich Maine, OL Riley Feenan, OL Mike Randolph, OL Josh Thiel, OL A.J. Dalton, OL Chris O'Connor, TE D.J. Pearson, and WR Warren Fields were all out.
FB Luke Zearing, FB Marty Thomas, LB Kimani Smith, and DB Clay Ilkin all returned to practice in some capacity.Legendary assistant coach Dan Radakovich has poked his head in on occasion. He's not hard to spot, as he rides around the area on a bicycle that has a little extra zip to it courtesy of a battery motor. The former Penn State and RMU assistant roamed the field for a bit, stopping to by to chat with the position groups and offer a few tips. A longtime college and NFL assistant, Radakovich helped foster the concept of "Linebacker U." at Penn State and later created a small college version of that as the defensive coordinator at RMU. He retired in April 2008 after 48 years in coaching.The defense started the day really sharp. Though they didn't come up with many turnovers, the linebackers and secondary forced a number of tipped passes or aborted plays during 7-on-7 and even 1-on-1 drills. It's not surprising. From talking to a bunch of people, the offense and defense have been playing a bit of tug-of-war lately, which is what you want to see. After all, Paul Jones and Derik Abbott picked that defense apart in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 a couple days ago.
Speaking of Mssrs. Jones and Abbott, while Marcus Prather continues to be part of their group, the first two received all of the snaps in the live 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 two-minute drill that ended practice.

Live two-minute drill/hurry-up scrimmage:
Robert Morris wrapped up the day with a version of the two-minute drill/hurry-up offense. I'm not sure if it was precisely two-minutes, but the concept was the same. Quick, snap decisions, protect the ball, and get down the field as quickly as possible. If a completed pass stayed in bounds, it turned into a no-huddle play. Some notes from the drill:Abbott and Jones were the only quarterbacks to get reps, but during both portions of the drill, all of the running backs, fullbacks, tight ends and receivers participated in some capacity. The defense also rotated pretty heavily.There were 27 7-on-7 snaps, and then the lines were brought in for 16 11-on-11 snaps. Jones took 29 total snaps between the two drills, while Abbott took 14. Of Jones' 29 snaps, five were not passes. Two were runs, one was a sack, one was a false start, and one was a defensive pass interference penalty. He completed 13-of-24 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Of his 11 incomplete passes, I counted six as being tipped or deflected and two being outright dropped by receivers. Of Abbott's 14 snaps, two were not passes. One was a sack and one was a false start. Abbott completed 6-of-12 passes for 35 yards, and he was picked off once by David Taylor. Of his incomplete passes, one was batted down at the line and another was dropped by a receiver. Totals for the receivers: Tyler Digby 5 catches, 33 yards; Donte Jeter 3 catches, 44 yards; Sean Gavin 2 catches, 14 yards; Justin Kempka 2 catches, 13 yards; Duane Mitchell 2 catches, 10 yards; Andrew Smith 1 catch, 10 yards; Alex Caratelli 1 catch, 9 yards; Kenny Davis 1 catch, 7 yards TD; Corey Garry 1 catch, 5 yards; Nick Sponyoe 1 catch, 4 yardsDigby was outstanding in the drill, serving as the perfect security blanket to help move the ball downfield. It was a rough drill for Smith, as he had a false start and at least one drop. Wide receiver D.J. Hayes also had a drop, as did Gavin. Gavin came back to redeem himself after the drop (see below).Davis did a nice job to find a soft spot in the defense to get open so that Jones could hit him for an easy touchdown. It was the only score of the drill and came at the end of a 12 play drive that included a fourth down conversion.I thought the defense played well in the drill, which accounted for a couple of the hiccups by the offense. They got their hands on a number of passes, and it wasn't just the secondary. The linebackers were very active in coverage, and one of the linemen (I couldn't see who) got a hand on the very first pass during the 11-on-11 session. Taylor also made a solid play on the ball to pick off Abbott.
Finally, our plays of the day:Almost pick (s) of the day: Corner Brian Jones was all about trying to come up with a pick on Thursday. First he made an excellent play on the ball during 1-on-1 drills, nearly holding on for an interception as he fell backward into the end zone. He just couldn't hang on despite sacrificing his body to make the play. Then, during regular 7-on-7 drills, Jones made a diving attempt at an interception, had his hands on it, but couldn't hang on as his body hit the turf. The effort was laudable, though.Catch of the Day: Sean Gavin's made some noise because of his hands in camp, and the play he made during the two-minute drill at the end of Thursday's session is just the latest example. It was just a 6-yard pass from Derik Abbott, but it was a high effort play. Gavin leaped to make the catch and was hit while in mid-air by Antwan Eddie. Gavin helicoptered to the turf, but hung onto the ball the entire time.
That's all for today. Camp continues Friday with Day No. 15.

A little bit of an abbreviated session for yours truly, as my visits to a couple high school camps in the area ran long. So let's get right to it.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones or Derik Abbott or Marcus Prather
RB - Deontae Howard / Ryan Thermil
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / Tyler Digby
WR - Donte Jeter / Sean Gavin
WR - Duane Mitchell / D.J. Hayes
LT - Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson / Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Tkach
MLB - Luke Mueller / Jimmy Masson
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kyle Cooper / Jake Skinner
CB - Malik Johnson / Brian Jones
S - D.J. Myers / Phil Peckich
S - Sam Collins / Logan Kelleher
CB - David Taylor / Antwan Eddie

Day 13 News and Notes:
Quarterback Brian Johnson, DE Tyler Potts, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric Lowry, RB Perez Mackell, FB Luke Zearing, OL Drew Garbenis, DE Ryan Budny, DT Max Onyenwe, RB Erich Maine, OL Riley Feenan, OL Mike Randolph, OL Josh Thiel, OL A.J. Dalton, OL Chris O'Connor, LB Kimani Smith, TE D.J. Pearson, DB Clay Ilkin, and FB Marty Thomas were all out today.
Another day, another addition for RMU. Offensive lineman Jonah Tyus was on the field for the first time today, though he was just in his jersey and pads. Tyus has been off and on the roster throughout the summer as a transfer from Cal (Pa.). He'll sit out this year, but he'll help add some depth during practices during a banged up offensive line.Today was a two-a-day session, and there was a laundry list of players who sat out the afternoon practice. That did some serious damage to the depth chart, especially on the offensive line and in the backfield. The offensive line was a mess, with a lot of mixing and matching. The listing is just the most common positions seen.The backfield's a bit of a mess, too. Ryan Thermil's been getting more snaps at tailback, and today it was just him, Deontae Howard and Corey Garry working with the "first team". He took reps at both positions, but if the tailback spot continues to be problematic, Robert Morris might be better served just having Thermil as the feature back with Garry or Marty Thomas paving the way in front of him. Thermil's a true power back (remember, he was a lineman in high school), so he doesn't have a ton of speed. But he is a pain in the rear to bring down. If he's healthy and no one emerges at running back, he could eventually end up with the bulk of the carries this season. There's a lot to be determined before that happens, though.
Position flexibility is a term that's become en vogue in recent years. Two guys that could have that phrase attached to their names on offense are Garry and Duane Mitchell. With tight ends a little hard to come by right now, Garry and Mitchell have helped tight ends coach Pat Shepard run some drills. I don't know that you'd ever seen either in a game, though Mitchell will certainly factor into some goal line situations because of his hands and size, but it's a way to make yourself useful.A word about the injuries: I had a great chat with offensive line coach Andrew Richardson, which you'll read more of tomorrow. He was detailing where his group stands, what they're working on, and he pointed out that they're being careful with injuries. Josh Thiel is the perfect example. Richardson said the early report on Thiel, who went down with what looked like a scary leg injury yesterday, is very positive. But they're going to be cautious, let him sit out and work his way back. I don't think Robert Morris wants to run guys into the group in this camp. Richardson and the offense are especially aware of what injuries can do to a team's depth; he had to coach up Tyler Digby to play at left tackle at the tail end of last year, after all. The Colonials face a grind this year. They have a difficult opener against Eastern Kentucky, a new opponent that has a history of FCS Playoff success. They have the standard non-conference rivalry game against Dayton, plus games against Morgan State and VMI. That's all before what stands to be a very competitive and wide-open NEC race. The concept of "work hard, but work smart" seems to truly be in play here.I do think you'll start to see a number of guys get back on the field soon, perhaps in time for Saturday's scrimmage. If not then, I think it's likely you'll see them back next Monday or so.

Finally, our plays of the day:Kick/Catch of the Day: It was no 57-yarder, but it was an amusing feat nonetheless. While it looked like Hunter Khaleghi had a nice rebound day and did slightly better than Connor Shennan with field goals, Shennan booted one right into the arms of one of the student volunteers who was driving a golf cart on the auxiliary field behind the field goal posts.Throw of the Day: This didn't come in drills, but after practice. Paul Jones decided to show off his arm strength, starting off with a 65-yard or so throw into the end zone. Apparently that was just a warm-up, because a few throws later, he hit the crossbar from 70-75 yards away. Catch of the Day: The defensive backs must hate Duane Mitchell. Even with good coverage, the junior receiver is still a threat to come down with the ball. Wednesday afternoon in 1-on-1 drills in the end zone, Marcelis Branch had Mitchell tightly covered. Or so he thought. Mitchell spun around, leaped into the air and plucked the ball right off of Branch's head.
That's all for today. Camp continues Thursday with Day No. 14.

We are past the halfway point of training camp. I know, it seems like it just started, and August still has two and a half weeks to go. But 14 practices are done, while 10 sessions and two scrimmages remain. Time is running out on those looking to make a push for playing time, and the first scrimmage is looming. There weren't as many adjustments to the rotation and depth chart as I anticipated after Sunday's day off, which leads me to believe that any tweaks will certainly come after Saturday's first scrimmage.

This is the time for some players to take a step forward. The second scrimmage, which will be under the lights on August 22, is always the one that gets the most publicity because it's the last dress rehearsal before the season opens a week later. But the first scrimmage might be the most crucial. RMU has just three days of practices between scrimmages. Those days will likely be for tweaks and to plan the final position battles. The bulk of the battles could be decided in the practices leading up to Saturday and then from the results on Saturday.

Three positions I think Robert Morris would like to finalize between now and the end of Saturday's scrimmage: Quarterback (as has already been stated by Joe Walton), starting running back and starting corners. From there, I think they can work through to the second scrimmage to settle on situational backs, the receiver rotation, the defensive backs for certain packages and which players will factor on special teams and make the travel squad. Of course, that is always subject to change. Injuries, a light bulb going on for someone, and other factors can always delay a decision or cement one earlier than expected.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones or Derik Abbott or Marcus Prather
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry / Marty Thomas
TE - Andrew Smith / Tyler Digby
WR - Donte Jeter / Sean Gavin
WR - Duane Mitchell / D.J. Hayes
LT - A.J. Dalton / Josh Thiel
LG - Max Robertson / Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Tkach
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Skinner
CB - Brian Jones / Marcelis Branch
S - D.J. Myers / Phil Peckich
S - Sam Collins / Logan Kelleher
CB - Antwan Eddie / David Taylor

Day 12 News and Notes:
Quarterback Brian Johnson, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric Lowry, RB Perez Mackell, FB Luke Zearing, OL Drew Garbenis, DE Ryan Budny, DT Max Onyenwe, RB Erich Maine, OL Riley Feenan, OL Mike Randolph and OL Chris O'Connor were all out today. WR Warren Fields and WR Chris Rivers each returned in a limited capacity. WR Chad Dawgiello and DT R.J. Cook remained limited.
After nearly a two week delay, Chaq Nettles has arrived. The freshman wide receiver had to fight through some NCAA red tape to get cleared, but he made it for his first practice today. He's behind, and it'll be some time until he's able to go full steam ahead. Nettles was just in a helmet today and he'll have to do the typical transition from that to full pads. Because he wasn't in full pads, his reps were mostly limited, but he ran his routes fluidly when he had the opportunity.Robert Morris began the day with live offensive line versus defensive line drills. It was basically 11-on-11, but it focused solely on pass-blocking. There was just one catch: There were no receivers. The quarterback would drop back and any tight ends or backs would go out in formation, but there was only a simulated pass. It was designed to focus on pass-rush and pass-blocking. The first team defense got a lot of penetration, enough so that offensive line coach Andrew Richardson swapped Max Robertson out for Josh Thiel for a few plays. But when the second unit went out, with Robertson and Thiel on the left side, they did fine and it was the right side that struggled from time to time. It's a dynamic that's going to be interesting to watch, because the staff was hoping that the freshmen linemen would come in and push the vets. Through nearly two weeks, that hasn't really happened. None of them have gotten first team reps when they've been on the field, and in the last handful of practices, the only original recruit who has been in every practice is Blake Chambliss. It'll be interesting to watch the final week and a half of practices/scrimmages to track the line's progression, especially if those youngsters remain out. The line must be a cohesive, strong unit if RMU is going to have any success on offense this year.
Thiel has been the one player who has gotten some first team reps outside of the usual quintet, and as I've written before, it's clear he's the swing guy. Unfortunately he left 11-on-11 drills with a leg injury. He had to be helped off the field, though he was walking on it after practice. We'll see what transpires, but RMU could sure use some good luck on the line for once this camp.Paul Jones and Derik Abbott had accurate days throwing the football. ColonialsCorner tracked all throws from the five quarterbacks during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. Now, this is without taking into account timing against a pass rush for 7-on-7 drills or whether a throw was the right decision (outside of the obvious throw into triple coverage). Walton always has a preferred target and gets after QBs who don't hit that receiver and go elsewhere. Quarterbacks also sometimes unfairly get punished for drops. That said, Jones was 8-of-9 and Abbott was 6-of-6. It was a stark contrast to the other QBs. Marcus Prather was 2-of-5 in Group 1 with Jones/Abbott while Luke Brumbaugh was 6-of-10 with an interception and Joe Carroll was 3-of-8 in Group 2.Jones, in particular, had one of his best throwing days that I've seen. He's had good throws - all of them have at times - and he's had good days, but he made several impressive plays on Tuesday. Jones' arm strength is legitimate and well known, but he showed that he can add a deft touch to his deep balls as well. In 1-on-1 drills, Jones threw a pass down the sideline for Uyi Akpan. The receiver got a slight step on Antwan Eddie, and Jones' throw hit Akpan in stride in the back corner of the end zone. Then, in 11-on-11 drills, Jones threw a deep ball into the far corner of the end zone and what appeared to be pretty good coverage. Instead, Duane Mitchell made a little hop, caught the pass, and made sure to tap both feet in the end zone for a touchdown. Mitchell spiked the ball as the defense groaned.
Speaking of good days: Connor Shennan had one as well, or at least a good end to practice. As always, Robert Morris wrapped the day with PAT and field goal work. It was exceptionally windy today, a wind that pops up at Joe Walton Stadium from time to time that makes every kick an adventure. Shennan and Hunter Khaleghi were kicking into the wind during drills, and both made all three PATs. But as they moved to field goals, their two contrasting styles went to work. Both kick soccer style, like every kicker does these days, but Khaleghi's kicks always seem to have some curve (much like David Beckham's kicks on the soccer field famously did). With the wind, that wasn't a good combination. Shennan, however, booted four straight into the wind that were all good. Then, special teams coach John Banaszak had them turn around kick with the wind...from 57 yards out. Khaleghi missed his attempt, and then Shennan got a crack. After a botched attempt, Shennan's kick sailed downfield and plunked off the upright. Banaszak and Walton granted him one more attempt, which he hammered through. Wind-aided or not, it was an impressive display of leg strength.

Finally, our plays of the day:Throw of the Day: Jones' toss to Mitchell mentioned above has to be the winner.
Almost Pick of the Day: Marcelis Branch had perfect coverage on a deep ball in the end zone on 11-on-11, boxed out the man he was covering and tried to make a leaping interception. He just couldn't haul it in. Outside of that play and an easy pick by Antwan Eddie in 7-on-7 against Luke Brumbaugh, the defense didn't force many turnovers at all today.Catch of the Day: Mitchell's toe-tap mentioned above has to be the winner on Tuesday.
That's all for today. Camp continues Wednesday with Day No. 13.

One of the toughest challenges facing any team is punching the football into the end zone on offense and holding a team out of the end zone on defense. The good offenses don't settle for field goals, but they also make sure to come away with points every single time they step foot inside that 20-yard line. Good defenses do the opposite; touchdowns must be prevented if at all possible, and if a defense can't come away with a turnover then a field goal is a quality consolation prize.

Robert Morris ranked 7th in the NEC in offensive success in the red zone and 7th in the NEC in defensive success in the red zone last year. For the Colonials to have success, both numbers have to improve.

When Robert Morris won the NEC in 2010, the Colonials were 2nd in the NEC in red zone conversion. RMU scored on 34-of-40 red zone chances, with 31 scores coming as touchdowns. Robert Morris went 3-of-4 on field goals inside the 20 in 2010, a league low in attempts.

On defense in 2010, Robert Morris led the league by allowing opponents to convert just 69.7 percent of the time. That included allowing a league low 16 touchdowns inside the red zone and came despite forcing just three turnovers inside the 20.

Last year, those numbers took a nose dive across the board, though they were better than Robert Morris' woeful performance in 2011 in the midst of a 2-9 season. Robert Morris clicked at 76 percent on offense, scoring just 15 touchdowns (tied for least in the NEC). RMU also converted 4-of-7 field goals inside the 20, among the lowest attempts in the league.

On defense, RMU allowed opponents to convert at a rate of 83.3 percent. That included 24 touchdowns (middle of the pack in the NEC) and an opponent field goal rate of 11-for-13.

So it's no surprise that red zone efficiency on both ends of the ball would be a point of emphasis. It is for every team, and we got a good look at RMU's efforts in the afternoon practice on Monday. We'll get to the results later in the post.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones or Derik Abbott or Marcus Prather
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry / Marty Thomas
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / Sean Gavin
WR - Duane Mitchell / D.J. Hayes
LT - A.J. Dalton / Josh Thiel
LG - Max Robertson / Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Jake Tkach
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith or Kyle Cooper / Adrian Perez
CB - Marcelis Branch / Clay Ilkin
S - D.J. Myers / Andy Smigiera
S - Sam Collins or Phil Peckich / Logan Kelleher
CB - Antwan Eddie / Brian Jones

Day 11 News and Notes:
Quarterback Brian Johnson, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric Lowry, RB Perez Mackell, FB Luke Zearing, OL Drew Garbenis, DE Ryan Budny, WR Warren Fields, WR Chris Rivers, DT Max Onyenwe, RB Erich Maine, OL Riley Feenan, OL Mike Randolph and OL Chris O'Connor were all out today. RB Kenny Davis, RB Caleb Stennis and DT Henry Jartu were all back to full participation. WR Chad Dawgiello and DT R.J. Cook returned to practice in a limited capacity.Onyenwe has yet to dress, but he's worked out with the rest of the injured guys and he's working with the veterans to pick up the defense.
With limited linemen tackles available, Josh Thiel got some significant reps at left tackle on the second offensive line unit. Thiel's worked at both guard spots, as well. He also continued his occasional relief of Vince Mongelluzzo at right guard on the first unit, so it's looking more and more like he's the No. 6 lineman if he doesn't fully supplant Mongelluzzo or if someone goes down.Though R.J. Cook was back and working in several drills, when Robert Morris went "live" at the end of the day with 11-on-11, Henry Jartu jumped up to the first team in Robert Morris' 4-3 defense alongside Farren Mason.Outside linebacker Kimani Smith was somewhat limited today, as he didn't take any reps during 9-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills (which were run-heavy). When Smith was out, Kyle Cooper slid outside and Luke Mueller joined the first team at middle linebacker. Adrian Perez then jumped into the second unit at outside linebacker.While watching the quarterbacks, it's clear the two true freshmen have potential. But they're just not there yet. Joe Carroll and Luke Brumbaugh have split the reps with the second unit and have shown why they deserved Division I scholarships. Both have good arms and look solid in some deeper throws. But the timing patterns are off, largely due to some hesitancy on their part. It's to be expected. Joe Walton's offense is famously complex and with many players, it takes time to digest and for decisions to become natural instead of part of the thought process.

Goal line drills!
Some of 11-on-11 drills were spent on regular plays, but the final 12 snaps were handled down at the goal line for the first time in camp. Unofficially, neither side 'won', though I guess you could say everyone won. Traditionally the players all do sprints after 11-on-11 and field goal drills to wrap up practice, but Walton sent them into the locker room without any sprints. Paul Jones kept it himself and scampered to the front pylon. As Jones' body went out of bounds, he slipped the ball over the pylon for a touchdown.Deontae Howard took a hand-off but was met harshly by Chris Thompkins in the backfieldFarren Mason, freshly named to the preseason All-NEC team, hunted down Ryan Thermil and brought him down for a minimal gainMarty Thomas picked up a few yards but was stood up and taken down before getting into the end zone.Marcus Prather lofted a pass up to D.J. Pearson in the corner of the end zone. Pearson was tightly covered, but got a hand on the ball, juggled it, and brought it in. However, it looked like Pearson came down out of bounds.
Corey Garry churned his way forward for a few yards. Garry doesn't have much in the way of shiftiness, but he has no hesitation when it comes to lowering the shoulder.Jones threw a beautiful strike off his back foot while under pressure to an open Duane Mitchell for a touchdownTechnically Thermil fought his way through for a touchdown, but the whistle blew in the middle of the play despite Thermil not being down. Corner Brian Jones came on a blitz and batted the ball out of Luke Brumbaugh's hands just as he began a pass.Howard found zero room to run and was stuffed at the lineJoe Carroll was sacked by a trio of defenders (well, whistle-sacked, since QBs can't be touched)Brumbaugh tried to find Andrew Smith in the back corner of the end zone, but Malik Johnson had the tight end covered perfectly and forced an incompletion.
Finally, our plays of the day:Throw of the Day: As mentioned earlier, the freshmen have some hiccups but the potential is there. Case in point: Joe Carroll ran a play-action pass that left tight end Justin Kempka wide open down the middle of the field. Carroll faced significant pressure but got off a throw just as the rush came down on him. Kempka caught it easily for a touchdown.Catch of the Day: On the degree of difficult scale, Alex Caratelli's catch in 7-on-7 drills was probably in the middle range. But Caratelli still had to half-dive, half-slide on the turf to haul in a low pass in coverage, and he did so smoothly.
That's all for today. Camp continues Tuesday with Day No. 12.

A lot to get to get to today, so let's eschew the usual prologue and jump right into the nitty gritty.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott or Paul Jones or Marcus Prather
RB - Deontae Howard / Ryan Thermil
FB - Corey Garry / Marty Thomas
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / Sean Gavin
WR - Duane Mitchell / Warren Fields
LT - A.J. Dalton / Riley Feenan
LG - Max Robertson / Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / Zac Bennett
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Kyle Cooper or Adrian Perez
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Brian Jones / Malik Johnson
S - D.J. Myers / Andy Smigiera
S - Sam Collins or Phil Peckich / Logan Kelleher
CB - Clay Ilkin / David Taylor

Day 8 News and Notes:
Quarterback Brian Johnson, WR Chad Dawgiello, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric Lowry, RB Perez Mackell, RB Kenny Davis, DT R.J. Cook, FB Luke Zearing, OL Drew Garbenis, DE Ryan Budny, WR Chris Rivers and OL Chris O'Connor were all out today. RB Caleb Stennis and DT Henry Jartu returned to practice in a limited capacity.
The offense used a number of formations and combinations today as they dig deeper into the playbook. That necessitated some interesting movement of personnel. Fullback Ryan Thermil continues to get a few reps as a single back, while fullback Corey Garry received a few reps as a tight end in certain 7-on-7 drills. No doubt part of that is just to spread the reps out; you can't keep running Andrew Smith and D.J. Pearson or Tyler Digby and Justin Kempka in back-to-back drills if you're working on two tight end sets with 7-on-7 drills. You'll just run them into the ground. But Thermil will get his share of carries in general. He's good with the football in his hands, he's difficult to take down, and he showed a lot of promise in his first exposure last year.
Along the line, it looks like Josh Thiel is emerging as the primary back-up. The redshirt freshman once again juggled duties, serving in his usual role at left guard during his reps with the second unit and then bouncing over to right guard when he subbed in occasionally for Vince Mongelluzzo. When Thiel didn't run with the second unit, Mike Randolph jumped into the lineup at left guard. Thiel has a little bit more size than Mongelluzzo, so it'll be curious to see if that battle continues or if offensive line coach Andrew Richardson is just getting Thiel some run with the first unit to get him used to working with that quintet in case of an in-season emergency.
On the defensive side of the ball, the continued absence of Mark Centofanti at outside linebacker - last year's starter - has necessitated some double-shifting and other switches. Mike Stojkovic has taken Centofanti's place with the first team, but he's stayed on with the second team in some drills. In other situations, Kyle Cooper has shifted outside to fill in that hole at outside linebacker on the second team. The new development today was Adrian Perez jumping back to his old position. Perez was exclusively a linebacker last year, worked at both OLB and defensive end in spring, and has been exclusively a defensive end in training camp. But he might be a good candidate to play in certain roles as a stand-up player rather than with his hand down in the defensive end spot. Quarterbacks aren't allowed to be touched in training camp. They have bright red jerseys on as a reminder. So "sacks" are kind of an iffy proposition as it is in training camp. But there were two plays that would have gone down as clear sacks during 11-on-11 drills. The first came from Adrian Perez as he sped past right tackle Jon Hill off the line with a speed rush and a quick shrug of his right arm. The play continued, but if it was a live game, the quarterback would have been plastered into the turf. Perez had a direct bead on him and arrived in the backfield fast enough that few quarterbacks would have been able to evade his rush. The other play came from T.J. Matrascia, as he beat Riley Feenan to get into the backfield quick enough to cause a "whistle sack".Finally, a special teams note. Placekicker is one of the wide open jobs in camp, so every PAT and field goal session at the end of the practice day is interesting to watch. Today was definitely Hunter Khaleghi's day. The lefty got eight chances compared to freshman Connor Shennan's three. Shennan went 1-for-3, though his first was tipped. Khaleghi went 6-for-8, with just one true miss. The other miss went could have been good but we'll never know. It went right into the backside of an on-rushing D.J. Myers. It's one day of kicking, but based on the reps and the results, it looks like Khaleghi is in the lead.
Finally, our plays of the day:Hit of the Day: There were a handful of nice throws and catches, but none really stood out above the rest in the afternoon session. Instead, we'll give some plaudits to Ryan Thermil for stepping up into the hole to throw a loud block on a rushing Matthew Fox. The 'pop' reverberated throughout the stadium and drew some 'oohs' from teammates, and it was a well-executed block. Thermil stood Fox right up.Pick of the Day: Brian Jones got his fellow defensive teammates fired up with his diving interception in 1-on-1 drills. Matched up against Luke Centofanti, Jones used tight coverage to get good position. Quarterback Derik Abbott threw the ball just to let Centofanti try to make a play on it, but it was Jones who made the play, diving in the end zone toward the back pylon for the pick.
That's all for today. Camp continues Saturday with Day No. 9. The practice has been moved to the morning, which unfortunately conflicts with another project for ColonialsCorner. The team is off on Sunday. So while our camp coverage will continue with a couple "Getting to Know..." pieces and a Sunday feature you will NOT want to miss, our practice reports won't resume until Monday.

There is a point in every college training camp where it feels like the coaches take the gloves off a little bit. Camp is always about teaching and installing the playbook on both sides of the ball. Mistakes will still be made. But the key is for them to be new mistakes. It's a refrain Robert Morris basketball fans are very familiar with; Andy Toole has referenced the idea of new mistakes on a regular basis during his tenure.

The same concept applies to football. If you're working on a new play, a new technique, et al., it's understandable if you stumble a bit at first. But when mistakes occur running the same route or in the same coverage, a little exasperation sets in for the coaches.

That tide might be turning a bit at Robert Morris. Head coach Joe Walton and offensive line coach Andrew Richardson were particularly feisty today, admonishing their charges to be sharper. Surely guys are starting to drag a little bit. They've had a week without a break, including one set of two-a-days with another looming tomorrow. Legs are shot, aches and pains won't go away, and the stamina's down.

It's the perfect time to turn up the heat a little bit if you're a coach.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott or Paul Jones or Marcus Prather
RB - Deontae Howard / Ryan Thermil
FB - Corey Garry / Marty Thomas
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Warren Fields
LT - A.J. Dalton / Riley Feenan
LG - Max Robertson / Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Dylan Knight

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / Zack Zamiska
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Marcelis Branch / Brian Jones
S - D.J. Myers / Malik Johnson
S - Sam Collins / Logan Kelleher
CB - Antwan Eddie / David Taylor

Day 7 News and Notes:
Quarterback Brian Johnson, WR Chad Dawgiello, LB Mark Centofanti, S Eric Lowry, RB Caleb Stennis, RB Perez Mackell, DT R.J. Cook, FB Luke Zearing, OL Drew Garbenis, DE Ryan Budny, DT Henry Jartu and OL Chris O'Connor were all out today. RB Kenny Davis took off his pads midway through for a minor ailment.
A minor adjustment with the quarterbacks today. Marcus Prather rejoined "Group 1" for 11-on-11 drills after splitting time between the two groups recently. Derik Abbott also took the first rep for several drills after Paul Jones led the way the last few days. So the trio are listed on the depth chart together. I think the staff wants to make sure it gets a good look at everything before making a decision.
Abbott had a strong day from my vantage point. He had a nice zip on his throws as well as a deft touch. I don't think he has the overall strength of Jones (hard to, considering the older QB's size), but Abbott can fire some bullets when he's on.There were a handful of different looks elsewhere, partially due to some absences or limited work and partly due to certain packages being practiced. With Davis a little hobbled, Ryan Thermil took a number of snaps in different drills at running back. The move bumped Marty Thomas up to the first group at fullback behind Corey Garry.
Redshirt freshman Josh Thiel also got some time with the first team. Thiel had been working mostly at left and right guard, depending on the alignment, with the second team offensive line. He was bumped up to the first team for a few reps in place of Vince Mongelluzzo. Thiel got a few looks with the first team during spring ball, too, so this isn't something new. It's just the first time we've seen it in fall camp.
There was quite a bit of shuffling in the secondary today. It looks like Eric Lowry was out and Phil Peckich was relatively limited, which led to some interesting combinations and shifts in an already pretty active secondary. The first grouping was pretty stable, as corners Antwan Eddie and Marcelis Branch played alongside safeties Sam Collins and D.J. Myers. Beyond that grouping, though, came a number of shake-ups. Brian Jones and David Taylor seemed to be together the most at corner, though Clay Ilkin got his reps. The change came with Andy Smigiera. The freshman had been solely at safety since camp started, but he got some reps at corner today. Malik Johnson, meanwhile, shifted over to safety, a position he's played in other camps before.
Smigiera's an excellent all-around athlete. He's working his way into the picture on special teams as a potential return specialist, too. It's going to be interesting to track his progress to see if he can crack the travel roster.Speaking of returners, it was a short list today for punt returns. Smigiera, Jones and Warren Fields were the only ones returning punts while the team worked on punt return drills.
Finally, the kickers looked good today. From a slightly tilted vantage point, it looked like both Hunter Khaleghi and Connor Shennan went 4-for-5 on a mix of extra points and field goals, though both misses were close enough that they might have made it. I'll get a better view for their kicks Friday.

Finally, our plays of the day:Throw of the Day: We'll give this one to Derik Abbott for his toss to the back corner of the end zone and the waiting arms of D.J. Pearson. Sometimes you have to just give your receiver a chance to go up and get the ball, and Abbott did just that. He placed it in a location where Pearson could make a play on the ball, and the big tight end made a nice leaping grab to haul it in.
Catch of the Day: The fullbacks don't get a lot of love for their hands, but they have to be decent receivers in Joe Walton's offense. So props to freshman Nick Sponyoe for his catch in 3-on-3 drills. Sponyoe had to reach back for a pass and caught the ball almost with the crook of his elbow. Picks of the Day: Sometimes an excellent play isn't about a player's athleticism, but about their ability to capitalize on mistakes. Antwan Eddie had two interceptions during drills on Thursday that were all about recognizing a situation and timing his move perfectly. Eddie jumped a route by Jordan Blackmon to pick off Abbott in 1-on-1 drills. He did the same thing in 11-on-11 drills, this time jumping a route by Warren Fields to take away a pass by Marcus Prather.
That's all for today. Camp continues Friday with Day No. 8.

From what I gathered, RMU has lost their Mr. Everything(Nolan Nearhoof) to graduation. I would like to see some updates on who is going to be filling those shoes on game day. I would like to see some reporting on the battles in the trenches. After all 15 sacks a season will not be easily replaced. I know all the buzz about the QB battles and RB is great. But I am a meat and potatoes kinda guy. Put me nose to nose across from the O line. Thanks

The first day of two-a-days in the midst of August is often like a summer storm. You know it's coming, you even try to prepare for it, but it always seems to catch you by surprise.

Robert Morris got a little of both on Tuesday. Not only did a late summer storm chase the Colonials off the field a bit early to end the day's events, but RMU also put the extra work in with its first two-a-day. The impact in the afternoon session was noticeable. The feisty atmosphere around the team the past few days that led to a few minor scrums wasn't there. The players went hard, but it was like they were conserving their energy for the drills and not for the jawing afterward.

It was perfect timing. Coaches straddle the line between wanting to see fight and desire from their players and making sure that things don't get out of hand. Having competition between players is crucial. You see who truly wants to be there and who is just going through the motions. Robert Morris is now getting a good look at who is willing to scratch and claw to get better every day and who will wilt.

TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Derik Abbott
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Warren Fields
LT - A.J. Dalton / Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson / Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Chris O'Connor

DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / Zac Bennett
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Malik Johnson / Marcelis Branch
S - D.J. Myers / Eric Lowry
S - Sam Collins / Phil Peckich
CB - David Taylor / Antwan Eddie

Day 6 News and Notes:
Wide receiver Chad Dawgiello remained out. Joining him on the sideline once again were running backs Perez Mackell and Caleb Stennis, defensive end Tyler Potts, offensive lineman Drew Garbenis and linebacker Mark Centofanti. New additions to the absentee list were defensive tackle R.J. Cook, defensive tackle Henry Jartu, defensive end Ryan Budny and quarterback Brian Johnson.Linebacker Devon Cesario and wide receiver Dustin Lowman have decided to leave the team. Lowman's departure is of particular surprise, as he was expected to compete for significant playing time. But Lowman has also battled injuries ever since he arrived at RMU, so other factors could have been in play for him. Either way, both are no longer in camp or on the roster.
A new face arrived in camp on Wednesday. Running back Travis Gregg, a transfer from Grand Valley State, joined the team for the first time. Gregg graduated from South Christian High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2012 and he will be a sophomore. He will have to sit out a year as per NCAA transfer rules, but his addition helps RMU's depth at running back for camp. Perez Mackell and Caleb Stennis have been out the past couple of days, leaving the Colonials with just four healthy tailbacks.With two-a-days in effect and camp approaching a full week of action, don't be surprised to see a number of veterans get maintenance days, especially in the afternoon sessions of two-a-days. Yes, camp is about conditioning and preparing for the season, but it's also about being smart and healthy. My general rule of thumb is that outside of head injuries, no one should be overly concerned about an absence unless that player is in a boot or cast. Hamstrings and other injuries are bound to happen, but they (generally) heal in time.
The first five days of special teams work was largely spent on punt coverage and punt returns. Today was the first day of kickoff coverage. Both Hunter Khaleghi and Connor Shennan got reps as the kickoff specialist. Shennan showcased a bit of his power when he hammered one kickoff deep into the end zone, something that hasn't been overly common at RMU. Also something to keep an eye on: A couple freshmen, including T.J. Waters and Nic Lamica, earned some kickoff coverage time with the first unit. It might be the best way for them to make an impact.Though the focus wasn't on kick returns, the work did give a little glimpse at potential returners. Incumbent Brian Jones went back, as did freshman wide receiver Jordan Blackmon, junior Duane Mitchell and redshirt freshman Sean Gavin. Some other candidates (David Taylor, Andy Smigiera, etc.) were on kick coverage detail and naturally didn't participate, so we'll see who else gets thrown into the mix as a returner.For now, it's looking the core linebacker group is going to be Kyle Cooper, Mike Cook, Kimani Smith, Matthew Fox, Luke Mueller, Jake Tkach, Mark Centofanti and Mike Stojkovic. Stojkovic was moved up to the first team with Centofanti out, and with Devon Cesario no longer on the team, Stojkovic is pulling double duty at times at outside linebacker. He can use the reps to help his transition from the 4-3 at North Texas, but I found it interesting that no one from the second group of outside linebackers has been bumped up to even out the linebackers. Perhaps that will happen down the road, or maybe the young guys just haven't shown enough to Scott Farison that they're ready to jump up a level.I think, nearly a week into camp, the staff has to be pretty pleased with where the defense is. Yes, there's still competition, but there's a lot of promise on the defensive side of the ball. That's a front seven that can generate pressure and a fairly good secondary that can provide a number of different looks. I'm not sure about things on the offensive end of things. The offensive line appears to be stable and equipped with experience, which is good. But Evan Taylor's absence in the backfield really muddies the running game. And if I'm on the RMU staff, I'm hoping that some playmakers beyond Duane Mitchell and Donte Jeter step forward and make a serious statement that they deserve to be part of the passing game. Definitely something to watch.

Finally, our plays of the day:Catch of the Day: Luke Centofanti made an outstanding catch during 1-on-1 drills in the end zone. Once again, the receivers and defensive backs worked on short end zone patterns to start the afternoon session. Centofanti beat his man and made a diving grab along the sideline toward the back pylon. It was a perfectly timed lunge and excellent grab.Catch of the Day, Part Deux: Duane Mitchell tried to one-up Centofanti later in the drill, but his catch had less to do with an excellent grab and more to do with his physical presence. Going up against safety D.J. Myers, Mitchell was able to get positioning to turn back towards the quarterback. Myers had excellent coverage, but Mitchell saw the ball the entire way, leaped, and plucked the ball out of the air over the top of Myers. Mitchell basically Moss'd Myers.
That's all for today. Camp continues Thursday with Day No. 7.

Up until Tuesday's practice, what went on during the training camp sessions at Joe Walton Stadium were just facsimiles of football. First it was just helmets and jerseys, then just shoulder pads. Tuesday brought the first day of full pads, and though coaches cautioned about "staying up", the irresistible urge to go full speed is pretty widespread.

With everyone in full pads, it's also time to get a look at who is competing where during the first week of camp. Based off the schedule, there are a couple of natural breaks for adjustments to occur to the depth chart. Outside of injuries, I don't anticipate there to be many changes to the depth chart through Saturday. Sunday is the team's first off day, which will likely involve multiple meetings and discussions on who to move around. Then they'll have five days of practices leading up to the first scrimmage on the 17th, all of which will allow them to make the next round of adjustments.

The final three practices leading up to the final scrimmage on August 22 very well might be a bit lower key, more about making sure that the final position battles are set for the scrimmage if they haven't already been decided. The scrimmage will be a run through at game speed, one final look at any possible adjustments and maybe even some early game-planning for Eastern Kentucky.

So with that in mind, ColonialsCorner spent Tuesday and came up with the following full depth chart. These are based off of my observations.

FULL OFFENSE DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Derik Abbott / Marcus Prather / Luke Brumbaugh / Joe Carroll / Brian Johnson
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis / Erich Maine / Caleb Stennis / Perez Mackell
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry / Marty Thomas / Luke Zearing / Nick Sponyoe
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson / Tyler Digby / Justin Kempka
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes / Dustin Lowman / Luke Centofanti / Chris Rivers / Alex Caratelli
WR - Duane Mitchell / Sean Gavin / Warren Fields / Chad Dawgiello / Uyi Akpan / Jordan Blackmon
LT - A.J. Dalton / Riley Feenan / Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson / Josh Thiel / Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss / Michael Randolph
RT - Jon Hill / Chris O'Connor / Drew Garbenis

Depth Chart Notes:
There are two clear lines drawn for the quarterbacks. Once again, it was just Jones and Abbott working with the first team during full 11-on-11 drills. Marcus Prather works with Jones and Abbott during the rest of the drills, but then takes snaps with Brumbaugh and Carroll during 11-on-11 drills. It's pretty clear that the quarterback battle is really just down to Abbott and Jones. Prather's the clear No. 3 right now, while Brumbaugh and Carroll are pretty evenly split. Johnson often doesn't get many reps at all during drills.With Stennis and Mackell out, fullback Marty Thomas has gotten some reps at running back to help spell Maine. Davis and Howard are the only backs working with the first team offense in 11-on-11 drills and 9-on-7 drills.That's also the case with the fullbacks, as Thermil and Garry are the only ones who have worked with the first team since pads were put on. It's also true for the tight ends, as Smith and Pearson are clearly the top two right now.Wide receiver is pretty jumbled, especially with Dawgiello out. He was working with D.J. Hayes as the top pairing behind Jeter and Mitchell, but he's been out. Dustin Lowman has also floated around. The best guess is that when everyone is healthy, there will be a line drawn after the top six receivers. Centofanti, Rivers, Akpan, Caratelli and Blackmon have spent the most time with the second-team offense. We'll see if that continues.The offensive line has been amazingly stable during the last two practices. Randolph can also be considered the third team center, though a couple other guys have worked with the quarterbacks to get the experience, likely just for emergency game situations.FULL DEFENSE DEPTH CHART
DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia / Adrian Perez / Ryan Budny
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook / Henry Jartu / Zac Bennett / Zack Zamiska
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman / Ryan Lewis / Tyler Potts / Michael Woltz
OLB - Mike Stojkovic / Mark Centofanti / Devon Cesario / Zach Cooper
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller / T.J. Waters
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox / Jimmy Masson
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach / Jake Skinner / Nic Lamica
CB - Marcelis Branch / Brian Jones / Malik Jonson
S - D.J. Myers / Sam Collins / Logan Kelleher / Codi Casper
S - Eric Lowry / Phil Peckich / Andy Smigiera / Sam Woods
CB - Antwan Eddie / Clay Ilkin / David Taylor

Depth Chart Notes:
Potts is probably somewhere around Perez and Lewis on the actual depth chart, but he's been out with a foot injury. Centofanti and Stojkovic are probably battling for the starting spot, though Centofanti's experience has to give him the edge. The only issue is he's been out the last couple of days. So has Cesario, so Skinner has been working with the second unit at linebacker at times. Mueller has also dropped outside at times to give the grouping a different look. Zach Cooper has flashed inside at times, too, though he's also looked pretty good at outside linebacker despite being a smaller guy.The freshmen at linebacker might be lower on the depth chart, but they might force their way into the picture on special teams. Lamica and Waters, especially, give some height and pop that the Colonials might not get elsewhere.As we've documented already, the corners are rotating, so that's not a true depth chart. That's also the case with the three safeties behind Myers, as Collins and Peckich are also getting looks at the free safety starting spot alongside Myers.General Day 5 News and Notes:
Wide receiver Chad Dawgiello remained out. Joining him on the sideline once again were running backs Perez Mackell and Caleb Stennis, defensive end Tyler Potts, linebacker Devon Cesario and linebacker Mark Centofanti. Only one player was added to the list of absent players, as freshman offensive lineman Drew Garbenis did not practice.Defensive tackle Max Onyenwe has yet to practice but he is with the team. He's awaiting medical clearance to participate.There's no update on wide receiver Chaq Nettles. The NCAA Clearinghouse is notoriously slow on these matters. It took all of August to get David Taylor in the clear last year.Also, Billy Occean is no longer with the team. It's a shame, because the staff was high on him, but apparently he decided to go a different route.

Finally, our plays of the day:Throw of the Day: There were plenty of good throws, but not many stood out as overly impressive. The best was Derik Abbott's placement of a ball between four defenders in 11-on-11 drills. Donte Jeter found a hole to basically sit in, turned to Abbott, and the ball was right in his chest despite the coverage.
Catch of the Day: RMU worked on end zone patterns early in the practice session, and these drills increase the degree of difficulty to make a solid catch. A bunch of the passes are basically fade patterns and jump balls, and sometimes good catches don't count because the receiver runs out of room to make a play on the defender. D.J. Hayes, though, found a way to make a one-handed catch and just get his feet in bounds against David Taylor.Pick of the Day: Linebacker Nic Lamica played wide receiver in high school, and he hasn't lost his ability to go up for the ball. During 3-on-3 drills, Lamica trailed fullback Ryan Thermil perfectly on a deep route and then leaped for the ball. Lamica hauled it in and landed hard on the turf, knocking the wind out of him a bit. He held on all the way.
That's all for today. Camp continues Wednesday with practice No. 6.