Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University football team notched its fourth straight road victory and in the process moved into a four-way tie for first place in the Northeast Conference with a 21-6 win over Stony Brook at LaValle Stadium Saturday afternoon. The victory improves the Colonials to 6-3 overall on the 2006 season, including 4-1 in NEC play, while the host Seawolves fell to 4-5 overall and 4-1 in conference action.

In a game played with wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour, the Colonials won the coin toss and elected to kick the ball off with the wind at their back, forcing Stony Brook to open the game going against the wind. RMU's defense held firm, holding the Seawolves to three-and-out on their first possession and getting the ball back in great field position after Sean McGinty's punt traveled just 27 yards and was downed at the SBU 48-yard line.

Robert Morris began to drive, reaching the read zone after an offside penalty by Stony Brook. However, on first-and-10 from the Seawolves 13-yard line sophomore quarterback Erik Cwalinski (Jacobsburg, Ohio / Shadyside) was pressured, and his errant pass was intercepted by Milo Otis at the SBU seven-yard line. Again the Colonial defense held Stony Brook to three-and-out, and this time McGinty's punt into the wind traveled just 29 yards and was downed at the Seawolves 38-yard line. Three plays later freshman halfback Brian Harden (Sunrise, Fla. / Stranahan) hit the open hole, then scampered to his right and raced 20 yards untouched to the end zone for a 7-0 Robert Morris lead.

Stony Brook answered early in the second quarter when quarterback Josh Dudash hit wideout Lynell Suggs on a slant pattern and Suggs raced 48 yards to the end zone for the touchdown, but the extra point attempt by Matt Weeks was off the mark and RMU held a 7-6 advantage. The Colonials then put together one of their most balanced drives of the season to take a 14-6 lead, driving 68 yards on 10 plays and was capped by a one-yard touchdown plunge from senior fullback Vince Magnone (Weirton, W.Va. / Weir). Cwalinski was 3-for-4 passing during the drive for 40 yards, while RMU's stable of running backs picked up good chunks of yardage on the ground.

In the second half neither team could get much going offensively due to the elements, but Robert Morris cracked the scoreboard again with a three-play, 44-yard drive that was set up by another short McGinty punt. Starting with the ball at the Stony Brook 44-yard line, Cwalinski hit senior Michael Rogers (Duarte, Calif. / Citrus J.C.) for an eight-yard gain and then senior tight end Jarvis Powers (Stafford, Va. / Brooke Point) for a 20-yard completion down to the SBU two-yard line. On the next play junior fullback Rion Listhrop (Miami, Fla. / Felix Varela) scored from two yards out to give the Colonials a 21-6 lead.

To seal the victory Robert Morris got big plays from its defense, forcing the Seawolves into turnovers three times in the fourth quarter, including a pair of interceptions from senior cornerback Mike Niklos (Columbus, Ohio / Bishop Watterson). The first pick for Niklos came with less than eight minutes to go in the game when he ran step-for-step with Suggs down the sideline and stepped in front of him in the end zone to intercept Dudash. On SBU's final drive of the day, Niklos again picked off Dudash, this time with less than two minutes remaining, to help seal the win.

The Robert Morris ground game had one of its most effective afternoons of the season against Stony Brook, as the club finished with 132 yards rushing on 42 carries, an average of 3.1 yards per rush. Harden led the way with 60 yards on 12 carries, an average of five yards a rush, while Magnone added 41 yards on 10 carries. Cwalinski finished 12-for-18 passing for 128 yards, with his favorite target being Powers, who caught four balls for 43 yards.

RMU returns home to Joe Walton Stadium for its final home game of the 2006 regular season Saturday, Nov. 4, when it welcomes Albany for Senior Day at 1:00 p.m. The Great Danes are currently tied with the Colonials along with Stony Brook and Monmouth atop the NEC standings with 4-1 league records.

Notes: The win clinched RMU's 10th winning season in the first 13 years the University has fielded an intercollegiate program ... The pair of interceptions for Niklos bumped his season total to five, tops in the NEC, and his career total to 13, which ranks third all-time at RMU ... Niklos also added four tackles on the afternoon ... The defense was led by junior linebacker Chad Wengert (Kempton, Pa. / Kutztown), who finished with nine tackles, including five solo ... After posting just three sacks in its first four conference tilts, the Colonials tallied four of Dudash, as leading the way was senior defensive lineman Colyn Haugh (Murrysville, Pa. / Franklin Regional), who had one and-a-half ...The four sacks push RMU's season total to 26 ... The one-yard touchdown plunge by Magnone in the second quarter marked his first career rushing touchdown ... In Stony Brook's last six possessions of the contest, four ended in turnovers, one a turnover on downs and the other a punt.