Loretto, Pa. - The Robert Morris University football team opened its 2006 Northeast Conference schedule Saturday afternoon with a decisive 45-13 victory over Saint Francis at DeGol Field in Loretto, Pa. The victory, the club's third straight, improved the Colonials to 3-2 overall on the 2006 campaign, including 1-0 in league play, while the Red Flash fell to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in conference action.

After struggling to get on track in its 21-0 victory over Rowan last week, the RMU offense wasted no time against Saint Francis. On their first possession the Colonials marched 56 yards on 11 plays and sophomore quarterback Erik Cwalinski (Jacobsburg, Ohio / Shadyside) hit senior split end Michael Rogers (Duarte, Calif. / Citrus J.C.) on a slant pattern for a 20-yard touchdown pass to give Robert Morris a 7-0 lead. The drive was set up by another solid kickoff return from junior Mario Hines (Ecorse, Mich. / Ecorse), who took the opening kickoff 41 yards up to the RMU 44-yard line.

The Colonials stalled on their next possession after being pinned deep in their own territory, and the Red Flash were able to take advantage. Saint Francis started its second drive on the RMU 46-yard line and six plays later Red Flash quarterback Anthony Doria found Michael Caputo in the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown pass to knot the score, 7-7, with 35 seconds left in the first quarter. The Colonials answered on their next drive, marching 80 yards on nine plays to take a 14-7 lead on a six-yard touchdown scamper from senior halfback Moises Hernandez (Miami, Fla. / LaSalle).

SFU pulled within 14-10 after a 36-yard field goal from Adam Sciulli, but the Colonials came right back and took a 21-10 edge when Cwalinski hooked up with Rogers for the second time on the afternoon, this time on a 44-yard touchdown pass. RMU held that lead until late in the first half, when Saint Francis was able to close its deficit to 21-13 after a 26-yard field from Sciulli. The trifecta was set up a special teams fumble by the Colonials, as Hines let the ball slide through his hands on the return and Louis Beninato pounced on the loose ball to recover for the Red Flash at the RMU 23-yard line. Despite the great field position, Doria was unable to help Saint Francis score a touchdown, as constant pressure by the Robert Morris front seven and solid secondary play kept the Red Flash out of the end zone.

Doria started strong for Saint Francis, completing eight of his first 10 pass attempts on the game, but finished just 5-for-21 passing the rest of the contest. With Sciulli's field goal with 51 seconds remaining before halftime pulling the Red Flash within 21-13, the Colonial offense again went to work, marching down to the SFU three-yard line with 10 seconds left on the second-quarter clock. The big play of the drive came courtesy of Cwalinski and Rogers, who again hooked up for a 44-yard pass play to give the Colonials a 1st-and-10 from the Red Flash 15-yard line. Senior Nathan DiLorenzo (Wheeling, W.Va. / Wheeling Park) closed out the first half scoring by nailing a 20-yard field goal to give Robert Morris a 24-13 lead heading into the break.

The second half saw the pair of teams trade solid defensive stands, and the Colonials were able to put the game away late in the third quarter thanks to their defense. On 1st-and-10 from the Saint Francis 18-yard line, Doria dropped back and tried to find Caputo open in the flat, but his pass was picked off by junior linebacker Chad Wengert (Kempton, Pa. / Kutztown). Wengert found clear sailing to the end zone, rumbling 20 yards for the score and a 31-13 RMU advantage.

Robert Morris added two more scores in the fourth quarter, as Cwalinski connected with senior tight end Jarvis Powers (Stafford, Va. / Brooke Point) for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 14:55 to play, while Hernandez scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on a seven-yard run with 8:48 remaining.

Cwalinski had one of his best games in a Colonial uniform, completing 10 of his 16 passing attempts for 201 yards and three touchdowns while not throwing a pick in the game. Rogers tied a career-high with five receptions and notched the first 100-yard receiving game of his career with 133 yards against the Red Flash. The Colonial rushing attack was a balanced affair and was led by senior fullback Vince Magnone (Weirton, W.Va. / Weir), who finished with 10 carries for 66 yards, an average of 6.6 yards per rush. Hernandez also averaged 6.6 yards per rush, finishing with eight carries for a career-high 53 yards and two scores.

The Robert Morris defense again posted an inspired performance, holding both Doria and the NEC's leading rusher, Todd Harris, in check. Doria finished just 13-for-31 passing for 156 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while Harris was held to 88 yards on 20 carries. Wengert paced the RMU defense by tying a career high with nine tackles and also added two pass breakups as the Colonials finished with 10 passes defended in the game. Entering the contest, RMU had just two pass breakups in its first four games of 2006 but saw Wengert, senior strong safety Brian Pruitt (Steubenville, Ohio / Steubenville), senior defensive back Mike Niklos (Columbus, Ohio / Bishop Watterson) and senior defensive lineman Ray Gensler (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Keystone Oaks) each record a pair.

Robert Morris closes out a two-game road swing when it travels to Staten Island, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 7, for another key NEC tilt against Wagner at Wagner College Field. Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m.

Notes: RMU's defense on third downs continued to be stingy against Saint Francis, as the club allowed the Red Flash to convert just two of its 12 opportunities ... Robert Morris has allowed opponents a success rate of 16.1 percent (10-for-62) in third-down situations so far this season ... The Colonials posted a season-high 406 yards of total offense against the Red Flash and in three road games on the 2006 season are averaging 391.0 yards of total offense ... RMU improved to 10-2-1 all-time against Saint Francis, including 5-1-1 at DeGol Field ... The Red Flash posted 288 yards of total offense ... Magnone became the seventh Colonial to go over 1,000 yards rushing on his career, as his 66 against SFU pushed his career total to 1,039 ... Despite a season-low 50 all-purpose yards, Hines pushed his career total to 1,035, the third fastest Colonial in school history to eclipse 1,000 career all-purpose yards and the fastest from the wide receiver position ... Hines needed 15 games to turn the trick, trailing only former running backs Tim Hall (1994-95), who needed six contests, and Sam Dorsett (1999-2003), who needed 14.