Complete game notes available in Adobe PDF format at the bottom of the page

Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team takes to the road looking to snap a school record seven-game losing streak Saturday when it travels to Indianapolis, Indiana, for a 1:00 p.m. tilt against Butler at the Butler Bowl. The Colonials are coming off a 27-7 defeat to crosstown rival Duquesne (9/9) at Joe Walton Stadium in their 2006 home opener, while the Bulldogs garnered their first win of the season with a 30-20 victory over Division III Hanover. Robert Morris will also look to snap an eight-game road losing streak Saturday against Butler, as the last victory for the Colonials on the road came in a 31-24 victory @ Stony Brook (10/2/04). RMU returns home to close out its 2006 non-conference schedule after Saturday's game against the Bulldogs, hosting Division III Rowan at Joe Walton Stadium Saturday, Sept. 23, for a 1:00 p.m. contest.

Quick Stat of the Afternoon - Robert Morris has done a good job in its first two games of the 2006 season in stuffing the opponent run game, as the Colonials enter Saturday's contest against Butler yielding 128.5 yards rushing per game. That number is a little deceiving, as in the first three quarters of games RMU is allowing just 65.5 yards rushing, but in the final quarter the club's first two opponents have averaged 71.5 yards on the ground. The Colonials will look to continue that trend Saturday, as Butler gained just 122 yards rushing in last year's 49-13 victory for Robert Morris at Joe Walton Stadium.

Saturday's Opponent - Robert Morris and Butler will square off for just the fourth time Saturday afternoon, with the Colonials having won each of the previous three games in the all-time series. Saturday marks RMU's second visit to the Butler Bowl, with the Colonials having garnered a 26-21 victory in the first contest Sept. 13, 1997. RMU and Butler renewed its rivalry in 2005, with the Colonials coming away with a 49-13 victory in the inaugural game at Joe Walton Stadium Sept. 17, 2005.

Butler Series Quick Outs - Robert Morris has outscored Butler, 113-34, in the all-time series as the Colonials are averaging 37.7 points per game ... RMU's 38-0 victory in the first meeting between the two clubs Sept. 14, 1996, was the second in a three-game opening stretch for the Colonials in which the defense pitched a shutout ... In last year's 49-13 victory at "The Joe" Robert Morris rolled up 457 yards of total offense ... The Colonials had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the win over the Bulldogs last year, as senior fullback Vince Magnone rushed for a career-high 117 yards on 16 carries, an average of 7.3 yards a rush, while former flanker Tyjuan Massey (2002-05) finished with four receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

Head Coach Joe Walton (Pittsburgh '57) - If there has been one constant associated with Robert Morris University football through the program's first 12 years, it has been Joe Walton. He was named head coach on July 27, 1993. He started the program from scratch, including everything from hiring assistant coaches to purchasing equipment to recruiting student-athletes. His fingerprints are all over the program, and to prove that, he had the University's first on-campus football stadium named in his honor. Joe Walton Stadium hosted its first football game in 2005 to rousing success, as the Colonials defeated Butler, 49-13, on Sept. 17, 2005.

"I've said this many times before, and I mean it when I say that this situation is one of the best things that has happened to me in my life," Walton said. "It happened at the right time. Before this position became available, I felt I was too young to quit coaching, but I wasn't anxious to get back into pro football. When this came along, it was the perfect fit. This situation was the perfect opportunity for me to continue to do what I like to do, and I've loved every minute of it."

Under Walton's tutelage, the Colonials have claimed five Northeast Conference titles and a pair of mid-major national crowns in the program's first 12 years of existence. Robert Morris is one of just two programs to claim a pair of victories in the ECAC Classic, having won it in back-to-back seasons in 1996 and 1997. The success has done nothing to dampen Walton's enthusiasm for coaching football at Robert Morris, and with him on the sideline RMU wins nearly 70 percent of the time.

Walton is RMU's only head coach ever, and he is 75-47-1 (all at Robert Morris) at the collegiate level (.614). Walton was the head coach of the New York Jets from 1983-89, when he went 53-57-1 (.482). Also included among Walton's 35 NFL seasons is two (1990-91) as offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A two-time All-America tight end at Pittsburgh, Walton played eight years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and New York Giants.

Duquesne Game Notes - Robert Morris opened the game with a 53-yard kickoff return from junior Mario Hines, but on the fourth play of the drive senior tight endJarvis Powers fumbled and Duquesne came up with the ball ... On RMU's third drive of the afternoon, set up by Hines with a 59-yard kickoff return to the Duquesne 31-yard line, sophomore quarterbackErik Cwalinski was sacked on the first play and fumbled, and the Dukes again came up with the loose ball ... Duquesne outscored RMU, 17-7, in points off turnovers in the game ... Junior offensive lineman Edgar Hunt suffered an ankle injury against Duquesne and is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game against Butler ... Robert Morris reached the red zone four times against the Dukes but came away with just seven points, turning the ball over on its other three instances.

Seven Deadly Sins - A key reason the Colonials have done a good job of keeping their opponent's running game in check in the early portion of the 2006 campaign has been due to the solid play of the club's front seven. Senior linebacker Jeff Rommes (14 tackles @ Dayton) and senior defensive lineman Matt Brunck (nine tackles vs. Duquesne) each set career highs for tackles in the first two games, while the defensive line and linebacking corps has accounted for 59.7 percent of the club's tackles in the first two contests (83 of 139).

Ready for Takeoff - Needing to fill the shoes of Mr. Do-It-All in former wide receiver and kick returner Tyjuan Massey (2002-05), Robert Morris didn't have to look far to find his replacement. JuniorMario Hines has gotten off to a stellar start through the first two games of the 2006 season, racking up 315 all-purpose yards, an average of 157.5 per game that currently ranks 18th in I-AA. Currently tied for the team lead in receptions with seven (for 79 yards), Hines has made his mark on special teams. He is averaging 28.8 yards per kickoff return so far this season, a total that ranks him 14th in I-AA. In just his second season with RMU (he sat out the 2005 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules), Hines has an opportunity to be one of the program's most electrifying players in school history. In 11 games as a freshman in 2004, Hines finished with 379 all-purpose yards but already has 315 in two games this season.

The Fantastic Four - Despite the loss of the program's top two receivers in wide receiver Tyjuan Massey (2002-05) and tight end Rupert Rickards (2002-05), the Colonials remain a talented and deep team of receivers. Alongside junior flanker Mario Hines are senior tight end Jarvis Powers, junior flanker Alvin Hill and senior split endMichael Rogers. Powers, Hines and Hill have given RMU another balanced receiving corps, as Powers and Hines each have seven receptions through the first two games of the 2006 season, while Hill has six catches for a team-high 106 yards. Powers, Hines and Hill each have a touchdown reception this season, as well.

Protecting the Ball - Putting together sustained drives on offense has not been a problem for Robert Morris in the first two games of the 2006 campaign, as with 24 total offensive possessions this season the club has entered into its opponent territory in 18 of them (75 percent). Among those 18 visits to their opponents territory, seven have been in the red zone. However, RMU has produced points in just three of those visits to the red zone (all touchdowns), but each of the other four having resulted in turnovers, including two fumbles and two interceptions. In all, RMU has eight turnovers on the year compared to three by its opponents.

Fast Willie - After gaining 48 yards on 17 carries in his inaugural collegiate game @ Dayton (9/2/06), freshman tailbackBrian Harden seemed more relaxed in his second game against Duquesne (9/9/06). He finished the afternoon with 82 yards rushing on just nine carries, an average of 9.1 yards per rush. Those numbers were bolstered by a 41-yard scamper in the third quarter that saw Harden flash his trademark speed. Harden's average of 9.1 yards per rush against Duquesne is the best single-game mark by a Colonial freshman in school history and is the best mark since RMU's all-time leading rusher, Sam Dorsett (2000-04) averaged 10.3 yards per carry in a 36-6 win over Saint Francis (9/27/03).

Sack Attack - Robert Morris received inspired play from its defense in the 2006 season opener @ Dayton (9/2/06), keeping the Flyer ground game in check most of the afternoon while continually putting pressure on UD quarterback Kevin Hoyng. Senior defensive linemanRay Gensler put the most pressure on Hoyng, sacking him three times and coming close to pulling him down on a pair of other occasions. Gensler became the sixth different Colonial in school history to tally at least three sacks in a game and the first since former defensive lineman Abu Sesay (1997-98) notched three against New Haven (11/14/98). Gensler owns 11.5 sacks on his career entering Saturday's tilt @ Butler and has an outside shot of becoming RMU's all-time sacks leader in 2006. A look at RMU's top sack artists in school history:

Did You Know? The inaugural running back at Robert Morris, the late Tim Hall (1994-95), rushed for 2,908 yards in his two seasons as a Colonial. Hall still owns the I-AA season and career records for yards per carry, with his season record of 8.7 yards per carry set in 1994 and his two-year career record of 7.4 established in 1994 and 1995 ... During the 1990s Robert Morris posted a record of 42-18-1, a winning percentae of .697 that ranks 10th in I-AA football during the decade ... So far in the 2000s Robert Morris owns an overall record of 33-29, a winning percentage of .532.