Air Force Football: First Look at the Robert Morris Colonials
The Falcons will begin their 2023 season by hosting the FCS Colonials. Here’s a first look at Robert Morris.
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Air Force’s customary tune-up looks to bounce back.
Air Force Football: First Look at 2023 Non-conference Opponents
Robert Morris | Sam Houston State | Navy | Army
Note: Headline photo provided courtesy of RMU Athletics.
Throughout his long and decorated tenure, Air Force football under Troy Calhoun have often made quick work of a FCS opponent to begin each season. Last season’s romp over Northern Iowa marked 16 years in a row that the Falcons came out on top in their opener.
The Robert Morris Colonials hope to be the team that ends the streak, but it could be an uphill battle after a tough 2022 campaign.
Location: Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Conference: Big South
Series History: This will be the first meeting between Air Force and Robert Morris.
2022 Record: 0-11 (0-5 Big South)
Head Coach: Bernard Clark (sixth year, 13-34 overall). Since making their lone appearance in the FCS playoffs back in 2010, things haven’t always come easily for RMU. Clark inherited a program that had gone 2-9 the year before his arrival and guided them to a 7-5 finish in his second season in charge, 2019, but the program has gone 4-20 in the past three years.
Last year’s winless campaign must have felt particularly galling since the Colonials opened 2022 with a pair of one-score losses to Dayton and Delaware State and a competitive loss to Miami of Ohio in the season’s first month. RMU only managed to score at least 20 points in two contests all year, though, which explains why they were outscored on average by 24.4 points per game and finished 128th among FCS teams in overall SP+.
Key Players
Joe Casale, LB
The Colonials have one all-conference player from last season back for 2023, but Casale is a solid anchor in the middle of their defense. After transferring in from Albany, he settled in to lead the team with 69 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 74.1.
Tony Brown, LB
Casale’s primary running mate at linebacker, Brown had a fairly productive 2022 himself by racking up 68 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. According to Pro Football Focus, he also finished second to Casale in making 27 stops while missing just 11.8% of tackle attempts.
James Westry, WR
Westry has had an interesting collegiate career thus far, spending three seasons at Robert Morris which culminated in catching 35 passes for a team-high 460 yards with four touchdowns in 2021. Last May, however, he transferred to nearby Lackawanna College and finished the 2022 season with 31 receptions, 528 yards, and a touchdown before returning to RMU with a second transfer.
#FPF pic.twitter.com/oXpUXAb1OG
— Jimmy Westry (@cantguardjames_) December 7, 2021
Robert Carter Jr., CB
Westry’s return wasn’t the only big prize that RMU landed from the transfer portal, though. Carter Jr.’s arrival from Division II University of Virginia-Wise could be a boon in more than one way considering that he was an all-South Atlantic selection as both a defensive back and a return specialist in 2022, grabbing a program-record six interceptions (including two pick-sixes) while returning one kickoff for a score and averaging 21.4 yards per return.
ROBERT CARTER ON THE 1ST PLAY pic.twitter.com/qvxEZMPIeQ
— UVA Wise Football (@UVAWiseCavsFB) November 12, 2022
Luke Beltavski, C
Arguably the best center in the Big South, Beltavski held that position down for the Colonials last year after being elevated to the starting lineup late in 2021. That move paid dividends as the Cleveland native tallied an overall PFF grade of 71.4, allowing one sack and seven hurries in 720 total snaps.
Overview:
Offense
The Colonials struggled mightily on this side of the ball in 2022, finishing dead last among all FCS teams in scoring 9.9 points per game, averaging 3.55 yards per play, and converting 24.4% of third-down opportunities. It’ll be a titanic challenge for first-year offensive coordinator Josh Firm to turn things around.
At the top of the to-do list: Settle on a quarterback. Senior Anthony Chiccitt and sophomore Zach Tanner combined to complete 49.4% of their throws for slightly under five yards per attempt, with five touchdowns against 14 interceptions a primary culprit for the offense’s stumbling. The Colonials also need to replace their top two running backs from 2022, though transfer portal additions Zachary Bair (870 rushing yards in two seasons at Dartmouth) and DJ Moyer (Elon) should have every opportunity to compete with incumbents like Kimon O’Sullivan for carries.
Westry’s return gives the passing game one reliable option and slot receiver Parker Fetterman (20 catches, 237 yards, one touchdown) provides another, but it remains to be seen who else will step up as outside options and at tight end.
Along the offensive line, Beltavski leads a quartet of starters back for 2023, including the entire left side: senior tackle Diego Turcios and junior guard Dante Thompson. Collectively, one point of emphasis will be to allow fewer sacks since the 36 they gave up in 2022 were the most in the Big South.
Defense
Considering the Colonials on this side of the ball often got little help from their offensive counterparts, you can take some of last year’s numbers with a grain of salt. RMU had just 13 sacks as a team, the fewest in their conference, but did manage 17 total takeaways and gave up a respectable 5.99 yards per play.
There’s plenty of work left, however, most notably on a defensive line that needs to replace the majority of its disruption. Fifth-year seniors Daunte Boudy and Garret Fairman could lead the charge after combining for ten tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks a year ago, though Noah Stevenson may also factor in after he led this unit with 522 snaps and tallied nine hurries from the interior.
The linebackers could be a strength with Casale, Brown, and Donovan Parham (35 tackles, 4.5 TFLs) all returning. As for the secondary, the big challenge revolves around replacing all-conference cornerback Sydney Audiger, though veterans like Dakari Cabell (60 tackles, three TFLs) and William Barber (33 tackles, two TFLs) could mesh with newcomers like Carter Jr., Dee Pierce (Miami of Ohio), and Travell Cook (St. Francis).
Early Prediction
Even if the Falcons aren’t yet sure what they will do at quarterback and fullback, it is likely they’ll be able to roll over RMU pretty easily.
Air Force 49, Robert Morris 3
