The Robert Morris Colonials (1-2) used a dominant performance by their quarterback to claim their first victory of the season. Despite the Mercyhurst Lakers (1-2) being a member of the NEC, the Colonials 55-28 victory against them on Saturday afternoon did not count as a conference game.
A week after falling to a Division II opponent and scoring only 21 points, the Colonials bounced back in a big way in the first half against the Lakers. Fueled behind a strong start from their senior quarterback Anthony Chiccitt, the Colonials led 14-0 after the first quarter and 34-14 after the first half.
Chiccitt started the game 11 of 15 passing for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Chiccitt finished the game completing 19 of 25 passes for 307 yards and career-high five touchdown passes.
The Colonials opened the game with the ball and wasted no time in getting the scoring underway. They used nine plays to go 75 yards for the opening score. On the drive Chiccitt hit 6 of his 7 passing attempts and finished it with a touchdown pass to his favorite target, wide receiver Noah Robinson, on a roll out to the right side of the pocket.
The Lakers tried to answer but on their second offensive play from scrimmage, quarterback Adam Urena was picked off by Colonials defender Seth Verilus.
The Colonials used the sudden change of possession to take a shot down the field. Using a flea-flicker play, Chiccitt threw a 25-yard strike to Ethan Shine which got them down to the plus-three. On the next play, DJ Moyer powered his way into the end zone.
On the next Lakers drive, the Colonials defense bent but did not break. They allowed the Lakers to move the ball into their territory but the Colonials forced a fourth-down stop to get the ball back.
On the Colonials ensuing offensive drive, facing a fourth-down attempt of their own, Chiccitt found his tight end Chaz Middleton on a slant into the end zone to extend the Colonials lead to three touchdowns.
Then, the Lakers went on a small run of their own and scored two touchdowns in just over a minute and a half. This cut the Colonials lead to 21-14.
With around two minutes left in the half and their lead being slashed, the Colonials needed to answer with a score of their own to not lose all momentum. They did just that when Chiccitt found Robinson for the duo’s second touchdown connection of the game. On the scoring play, Chiccitt went to hand the ball off but when no running back was there, he spun around and found a wide open Robinson who outran every defender in route to his 63-yard touchdown.
Robinson finished the game with four catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
The Colonials managed to get the ball back again before the halftime intermission and Chiccitt led the Colonials down the field to their fifth touchdown of the first half, and his fourth passing score of the half.
Chiccitt added one more passing touchdown in the second half while the Colonials defense and some of their reserve offensive players helped close out the team’s first win of the season.
Next week, the Colonials head up to Staten Island to take on Wagner while the Lakers travel to take on Montana State.
