At 1-7, this season for Robert Morris hasn't gone as planned. The optimism that started the year has faded quickly and has resulted into a slew of blowouts. The offense is a work in progress. The talent might not be there, but the coaching has to improve and adjust as well.
What might be the most disappointing aspect of the season is the front seven on the defense. After a string of impressive defenses the past few years, the Colonials have fallen on hard times with a defense that ranks last in the NEC.
It's tough to say the talent isn't there. Mike Stojkovic is an outstanding middle linebacker who is all over the field. Stojkovic has played both inside and outside at linebacker in his time at Robert Morris.
The defensive line also has some players. Forrest Mason, who missed the beginning of the year due to a suspension, shows good versatility in the pass and run. Ryan Lewis has come on strong in his second year and leads the team in sacks.
One of the problems I see with the defense is just that though, getting pressure on the quarterback. RMU has just eight sacks on the season, which ranks them tied for 114 out 121 FCS teams in sacks. Mason and Lewis are good defensive ends but in the 3-4 scheme your outside linebackers are the one's who have to provide pressure.
Going into the year the outside linebacking play looked like it would be a strength. Redshirt freshman Nic Lamica was the athletic freak that was going to rack up sacks and cause havoc. Veteran Luke Mueller has been solid his whole career and be a steadying presence for an inexperienced group.
Lamica made an impact but the coaches ultimately moved him to wide receiver after four games. Mueller was suspended week one and has again been in off-field issues. It is unknown if Mueller will play the rest of the season. That has forced Jimmy Masson and Gerald Ferguson to play more than expected. Both are fine players but were not expected to contribute much this year.
Overall the secondary has held up pretty well. I would like to see defensive coordinator Scott Farison get a little more exotic with blitz packages. Overload blitzes that could force teams to throw at Antwan Eddie would be beneficial to the defense.
The biggest concern is the run defense. RMU is last in the NEC in rushing defense, giving up 244 yards per game. The most important part of a 3-4 defense is the nose tackle. In the past, someone like A.J. Holderman was anchoring the front of the defense. RMU doesn't really have that reliable, big run stopper. Steve Fiadewornu fits the mold of what you want in size but has not been able to see the field consistently.
The loss of safety D.J. Myers was a big one for multiple reasons. He made a lot of the on-field defensive calls, was their leader, and was also a great run stopper. Myers was physical enough to come in the box and help with the run. Losing Kyle Cooper, Mike Cook, and R.J. Cook in the front seven hurt as well.
If I'm the Robert Morris defensive staff, I probably still feel better about this year's performance than scores would indicate. RMU has allowed their fair share of big plays but still has a middle-of-the-pack red zone defense ranking. Most of the time, the offense has put them in tough situations.
Overall RMU still has to be better defensively. I would like to see them stack the box more and see how the secondary holds up. Safety Sam Woods is a converted linebacker who would benefit from playing closer to the line of scrimmage. RMU has to get creative through their final three games to get some stops on defense.
This post was edited on 11/2 4:10 PM by Chris Cappella
What might be the most disappointing aspect of the season is the front seven on the defense. After a string of impressive defenses the past few years, the Colonials have fallen on hard times with a defense that ranks last in the NEC.
It's tough to say the talent isn't there. Mike Stojkovic is an outstanding middle linebacker who is all over the field. Stojkovic has played both inside and outside at linebacker in his time at Robert Morris.
The defensive line also has some players. Forrest Mason, who missed the beginning of the year due to a suspension, shows good versatility in the pass and run. Ryan Lewis has come on strong in his second year and leads the team in sacks.
One of the problems I see with the defense is just that though, getting pressure on the quarterback. RMU has just eight sacks on the season, which ranks them tied for 114 out 121 FCS teams in sacks. Mason and Lewis are good defensive ends but in the 3-4 scheme your outside linebackers are the one's who have to provide pressure.
Going into the year the outside linebacking play looked like it would be a strength. Redshirt freshman Nic Lamica was the athletic freak that was going to rack up sacks and cause havoc. Veteran Luke Mueller has been solid his whole career and be a steadying presence for an inexperienced group.
Lamica made an impact but the coaches ultimately moved him to wide receiver after four games. Mueller was suspended week one and has again been in off-field issues. It is unknown if Mueller will play the rest of the season. That has forced Jimmy Masson and Gerald Ferguson to play more than expected. Both are fine players but were not expected to contribute much this year.
Overall the secondary has held up pretty well. I would like to see defensive coordinator Scott Farison get a little more exotic with blitz packages. Overload blitzes that could force teams to throw at Antwan Eddie would be beneficial to the defense.
The biggest concern is the run defense. RMU is last in the NEC in rushing defense, giving up 244 yards per game. The most important part of a 3-4 defense is the nose tackle. In the past, someone like A.J. Holderman was anchoring the front of the defense. RMU doesn't really have that reliable, big run stopper. Steve Fiadewornu fits the mold of what you want in size but has not been able to see the field consistently.
The loss of safety D.J. Myers was a big one for multiple reasons. He made a lot of the on-field defensive calls, was their leader, and was also a great run stopper. Myers was physical enough to come in the box and help with the run. Losing Kyle Cooper, Mike Cook, and R.J. Cook in the front seven hurt as well.
If I'm the Robert Morris defensive staff, I probably still feel better about this year's performance than scores would indicate. RMU has allowed their fair share of big plays but still has a middle-of-the-pack red zone defense ranking. Most of the time, the offense has put them in tough situations.
Overall RMU still has to be better defensively. I would like to see them stack the box more and see how the secondary holds up. Safety Sam Woods is a converted linebacker who would benefit from playing closer to the line of scrimmage. RMU has to get creative through their final three games to get some stops on defense.
This post was edited on 11/2 4:10 PM by Chris Cappella
