Moon Township, Pa. - In its first-ever overtime game at home, the Robert Morris University football team garnered a 23-17 double overtime victory over Central Connecticut State Saturday afternoon at Joe Walton Stadium as part of the University's Homecoming festivities. The victory, the fifth straight for the Colonials, improves the club to 5-2 overall on the 2006 campaign, including 3-0 in Northeast Conference play, while the Blue Devils fell to 5-2 overall and 1-2 in conference action.

Sophomore quarterback Erik Cwalinski's (Jacobsburg, Ohio / Shadyside) 14-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Mario Hines (Ecorse, Mich. / Ecorse) in the second overtime lifted Robert Morris to the win after Central Connecticut State's Ryan Heeney missed an 18-yard field goal at the end of the first overtime.

Robert Morris took an early 7-0 lead when Cwalinski connected with sophomore wide receiver Sherrod Evers (Philadelphia, Pa. / Mastbaum Area) for a 35-yard touchdown pass on a flea flicker with 8:30 left in the first quarter. The Blue Devils knotted the score, 7-7, when Justise Hairston raced 61 yards to the end zone for a touchdown.

The Colonials took a 14-7 advantage in the second quarter thanks to a Central Connecticut State fumble. On third-and-10, Blue Devil signal caller Ryan Holmes fumbled on a hit by junior safety James Kazil (Georgetown, Pa. / South Side) and senior linebacker Jeff Rommes (Gibsonia, Pa. / Deer Lakes) pounced on the loose ball at the Colonial 12-yard line. Four plays later Cwalinski hit senior tight end Jarvis Powers (Stafford, Va. / Brooke Point) on a post pattern, and Powers raced 65 yards for the score. Senior kicker Nathan DiLorenzo (Wheeling, W.Va. / Wheeling Park) would give RMU a 17-7 edge at halftime with a 20-yard field goal with 42 seconds left before the break.

In the second half Central Connecticut State got behind the wheels of Hairston, who capped a 15-play, 74-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown leap at the 7:39 mark of the third quarter to pull the Blue Devils within three, 17-14. Hairston rushed for 32 yards during the drive, while Holmes added 24 yards rushing on three carries.

Heeney tied the score at 17-17 with 4:11 to play with a 20-yard field goal, and the Blue Devils were driving late in regulation but ran out of time. On second-and-10 from the RMU 14-yard line with less than 25 seconds remaining Hairston rushed for two yards, but CCSU was unable to get another play off, sending the game into overtime.

The two teams traded scoreless possessions in the first overtime frame despite each club having ample opportunity to score. Robert Morris had the ball inside the Blue Devil five-yard line for second-and-goal but were turned away three straight plays, then Heeney missed an 18-yard field goal on CCSU's first overtime possession.

On the possession for Central Connecticut State in the second overtime, the Blue Devils moved the ball to the RMU 10-yard line, but on third-and-six Hairston's halfback option pass was intercepted by freshman cornerback Jacky Candy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. / Stranahan) at the RMU two-yard line. Cwalinski then hooked up with Hines for the game-winning score to give RMU its fifth straight victory.

Cwalinski, despite not completing a pass in the second half, finished 12-for-20 passing for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Powers led the Colonial receiving corps with five catches for 99 yards and a score. Hairston was the bulk of Central Connecticut State's offense, posting 256 yards rushing on 49 carries, an average of 5.2 yards per rush.

Robert Morris closes out a two-game homestand when it welcomes Monmouth to Joe Walton Stadium Saturday, Oct. 21, for a 1:00 p.m. NEC tilt.

Notes: The win snapped a two-game slide against Central Connecticut State for Robert Morris and improves the Colonials to an 11-2 advantage in the all-time series ... The win marked the first for RMU against a ranked I-AA opponent, as the Blue Devils entered the game ranked No. 19 according to The Sports Network ... Rommes was one of five Colonials to post a double-digit tackle game, establishing a new career high with 18 takedowns, including seven solo ... Rommes also added a fumble recovery, interception and pass breakup ... Also establishing career highs in tackles were senior defensive lineman Ray Gensler (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Keystone Oaks) with 15 stops, senior defensive lineman Matt Brunck (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Fox Chapel) with 13 tackles, junior linebackers Jordan Howard (Uniontown, Ohio / Lake) and Chad Wengert (Kempton, Pa. / Kutztown) with 12 takedowns each and junior defensive lineman Kelvern Grant (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. / Hallendale) with nine tackles.