Fairfield, Conn. - The Robert Morris University football team scored four touchdowns over the last 4:58 of the second quarter to take a commanding 31-0 lead into halftime en route to a 41-21 victory at Sacred Heart in its 2006 regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Campus Field in Fairfield, Conn. The win settles RMU's overall record at 7-4 on the season, including 5-2 in Northeast Conference play. RMU finishes in a three-way tie for second place in the conference with Albany and Stony Brook, both losers Saturday afternoon.

The Colonials wasted no time putting points on the board, driving 74 yards on 13 plays on their first offensive possession before settling for an 18-yard field goal from senior Nathan DiLorenzo (Wheeling, W.Va. / Wheeling Park) to give RMU an early 3-0 lead. Robert Morris was turned away three straight times inside the SHU five-yard line before DiLorenzo's trifecta. On their third possession of the afternoon the Colonials scored their first touchdown at Sacred Heart since the 2000 season when sophomore quarterback Erik Cwalinski (Jacobsburg, Ohio / Shadyside) rifled a seven-yard touchdown pass to senior split end Michael Rogers (Duarte, Calif. / Citrus J.C.) to give RMU a 10-0 lead with 4:58 to go before halftime. The touchdown pass capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive by Robert Morris.

Sacred Heart took the ensuing kickoff and began to drive, marching down to the RMU 10-yard line. On first-and-goal, however, Pioneer running back Jason Payne was popped at the five-yard line by senior defensive lineman Matt Brunck (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Fox Chapel), who knocked the ball loose. Junior safety James Kazil (Georgetown, Pa. / South Side) quickly picked up the ball and sprinted 94 yards to the end zone untouched to give the Colonials a 17-0 advantage. On SHU's first offensive play on its next possession, Pioneer quarterback Tyler Arciaga's pass was tipped in the air by junior defensive lineman Kelvern Grant (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. / Hallendale). Brunck caught the ball out of the air and rumbled 16 yards to the end zone for a touchdown to give RMU a 24-0 advantage at the 3:05 mark of the second quarter.

The Pioneers were then held to three-and-out on their next possession, and Robert Morris got the ball back at the 50-yard line after a 46-yard punt by Derek Mears. On the first play of the Colonial drive Cwalinski dropped back and hit junior flanker Alvin Hill (New Kensington, Pa. / Plum) in stride down the sideline for a 50-yard touchdown pass with 1:44 remaining before halftime, giving RMU a commanding 31-0 lead.

In the second half DiLorenzo gave Robert Morris a 34-0 advantage with a 20-yard field goal with 7:09 left in the third quarter. The Colonial defense played a part in RMU's final score of the afternoon, as Kazil picked off Arciaga at the RMU 42-yard line, scampered to the sideline and then cut back in his attempt to reach the end zone, but he fell short after Justin Playdon hauled Kazil down at the Sacred Heart one-yard line. On the next play senior fullback Vince Magnone (Weirton, W.Va. / Weir) scored from one-yard out to give Robert Morris a 41-0 edge.

The Pioneers scored all three of their touchdowns in the last 8:27 of the game, getting a two-yard touchdown run from Payne, a Ryan Fresch blocked punt recovery in the end zone and a 19-yard touchdown pass from Arciaga to Steve Tedesco.

Cwalinski had a picture perfect afternoon, completing 20 of his 28 pass attempts for 270 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly he threw no interceptions and was sacked just once. Hill finished as RMU's leading receiver, registering five receptions for 95 yards and a score, while freshman Frankie Probst (Lock Haven, Pa. / Lock Haven) added four catches for 50 yards. Senior Moises Hernandez (Miami, Fla. / LaSalle) led the Colonial ground game with 50 yards rushing on just eight carries, an average of 6.2 yards per rush, while Magnone added 36 yards rushing on nine carries. 

Leading the Robert Morris defense was Brunck and freshman cornerback Jacky Candy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Stranahan), who each finished with six tackles, while senior defensive back Jonathan Robinson (Orlando, Fla. / William R. Boone) added four takedowns. The Colonials posted four sacks on the afternoon, as Brunck and Grant each finished with one and-a-half, while junior defensive lineman Shannon Smoot (Columbus, Ohio / Bishop Hartley) notched the other.

Notes: With the win Robert Morris tied the school record for road wins with five ... RMU's 2000 club also finished with five road victories ... The win snapped a five-game slide against Sacred Heart ... Kazil's 94-yard fumble return for a touchdown is the longest in school history ... The four sacks by Robert Morris pushed the club's total on the season to 34, establishing a new school record ... RMU racked up 369 yards of total offense while holding Sacred Heart to 254 yards ...  The Colonials finished the season in total defense allowing an average of 228.4 yards per game, setting a new team record ... The old record for total defense was also the 1996 club, which allowed 258.5 yards per game ... Senior linebacker Jeff Rommes (Gibsonia, Pa. / Deer Lakes) notched just one tackle against the Pioneers and finished his career with 214 takedowns, good enough for ninth all-time at Robert Morris ... Cwalinski pushed his season total of passing yards to 2,066, good enough for third in the RMU single-season record book.