Saturday, 2026-09-12 | 2:30 PM CT | InfoCision Stadium, Akron, OH | ESPN+
DraftKings snapshot: not yet posted in the ESPN/DraftKings feed | Over/under: not yet posted [S1]
What’s at stake
Akron’s opener was essentially over by halftime: Wake Forest led 28-3 on the way to a 38-16 win. The Zips now get their home opener against a Robert Morris team that is 2-0 and has allowed only 16 points, but the Colonials’ latest win came against Division II West Virginia State. Akron needs more than a win; it needs evidence that the explosive plays allowed at Wake will not define the season. [S2/S3/S4/S5]
Robert Morris has already won a conference road game and a home game. Now the Colonials make their first jump to FBS competition in 2026 with a receiver who has scored five touchdowns in two weeks. That makes this a dangerous confidence game for Akron, not an automatic reset. [S2/S4/S9]
Three things to know
- Akron has an interesting quarterback decision: First-time starter Cibastian Broughton completed 21 of 26 passes, but they produced only 111 yards and no touchdowns; he did lead Akron with 82 rushing yards. Brayden Roggow entered in the fourth quarter, completed all seven passes and threw two touchdowns. The box score does not settle the job, but it gives Robert Morris two very different styles to prepare for. [S3/S5/S8]
- The explosive-pass matchup should worry Akron: Wake Forest hit touchdown passes of 72 and 78 yards while throwing for 356 against the Zips. Robert Morris receiver Galen Combs answered with two catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns against West Virginia State. The opponent is changing, but Akron has to prove it can keep another vertical threat in front of the defense. [S2/S3/S5/S7]
- Robert Morris has been much cleaner with the ball: The Colonials gained 427 yards without a turnover in their latest win. Akron produced 305 yards and one turnover at Wake Forest, while 28 completions became only 156 passing yards. Akron’s path to a comfortable home opener starts with turning all of those short completions into drives that actually reach the end zone. [S2/S3/S5]
Stat comparison
| Metric | Robert Morris 2026 | Akron 2026 | Robert Morris 2025 rank | Akron 2025 rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 28.5 (FCS; no FBS rank) | 16.0 (No. 101*) | FCS — not ranked with FBS | No. 114 |
| Points allowed per game | 8.0 (FCS; no FBS rank) | 38.0 (No. 110*) | FCS — not ranked with FBS | No. 78 |
| Yards per game | 356.0 (FCS; no FBS rank) | 305.0 (No. 106*) | FCS — not ranked with FBS | No. 94 |
| Yards allowed per game | 203.5 (FCS; no FBS rank) | 559.0 (No. 125*) | FCS — not ranked with FBS | No. 81 |
| Passing yards per game | 228.5 (FCS; no FBS rank) | 156.0 (No. 104*) | FCS — not ranked with FBS | No. 79 |
| Passing yards allowed per game | 111.5 (FCS; no FBS rank) | 356.0 (No. 122*) | FCS — not ranked with FBS | No. 86 |
| Turnover margin | 0 (FCS; no FBS rank) | -1 (No. 86*) | FCS — not ranked with FBS | No. 49 |
*The 2026 ranking is based on the 131 teams who had played by Saturday night. We did not wait on the Sunday and Monday college football games to publish the majority of our previews. [S10]
Players to watch
- Robert Morris — Galen Combs: He turned two catches into 84 yards and two touchdowns against West Virginia State. Combined with his three-score opener, he has five receiving touchdowns in two games. [S2/S7/S9]
- Akron — Cibastian Broughton: In his first college start he completed 21 of 26 passes without an interception and led Akron with 82 rushing yards. His legs produced more explosiveness than the passing game. [S3/S5/S8]
Looking for a prediction?
I make final predictions on my TikTok/YouTube/Instagram/Facebook pages @uthinkuknowsports.
Sources
- S1: ESPN Robert Morris-Akron game page
- S2: ESPN West Virginia State-Robert Morris final box score
- S3: Akron official 38-16 Wake Forest recap
- S4: Robert Morris official 2026 schedule and West Virginia State final
- S5: ESPN Akron-Wake Forest final box score
- S6: Akron official opener preview and returning-starter details
- S7: Robert Morris official 2026 football roster
- S8: Akron official 2026 football roster
- S9: Robert Morris official 28-7 Wagner recap
- S10: SportsDataverse/ESPN 2025 team-summary source
Full disclosure: I use AI tools to format my research into an article encompassing all of the information.
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