New Britain, Conn. - The Robert Morris University football team dropped its third straight game Saturday with a 16-10 loss in Northeast Conference play to Central Connecticut State at Arute Field. The defeat, which snaps a seven-game road winning streak, drops the Colonials to 3-4 overall on the 2007 campaign, including 2-2 in league play.

Head Coach Joe Walton shook up the starting lineup on offense for the contest against the Blue Devils, including replacing junior Erik Cwalinski (Jacobsburg, Ohio / Shadyside) at quarterback with sophomore Camdin Crouse (Snow Shoe, Pa. / Bald Eagle). Crouse put RMU on the board first with a 23-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Chris Molnar (Murrysville, Pa. / Franklin Regional) with 7:08 to go in the first quarter. The drive was set up by good special teams play, as junior Mario Hines (Ecorse, Mich. / Ecorse) returned a Chris Rose punt 52 yards back to the CCSU 31-yard line. Crouse rushed twice during the drive for nine yards, and on 4th-and-2 he found a streaking Molnar wide open down the middle for the touchdown pass and an early Robert Morris lead.

Central Connecticut State came back to tie the game, 7-7, on its next possession with a 15-play, 69-yard drive that was capped by a two-yard touchdown run from Adrian Hull. The drive ate up 6:43 of the clock and was a balanced attack offensively, as Jo Jo Freeman rushed for 35 yards on six attempts and quarterback Aubrey Norris carried three times for 26 yards.

The starting assignment at quarterback didn't last long for Crouse, as he was pulled in the second quarter and was replaced by Cwalinski, who guided the Colonials on a 12-play, 43-yard drive down to the CCSU 24-yard line. However, the drive stalled and RMU had to settle for a 41-yard field goal from junior Michael Walser (Thornville, Ohio / Sheridan) and a 10-7 advantage with 2:19 to play in the first half. On the next possession for the Blue Devils, quarterback Ryan Holmes was sacked by sophomore Mark Szymanski (Cadogan, Pa. / Ford City) and fumbled, and sophomore linebacker Adam Lawrence (Big Run, Pa. / Dubois Area) pounced on the loose ball at the CCSU 43-yard line. Starting with good field position with 1:41 to go before the break, Robert Morris couldn't capitalize, as Cwalinski threw an interception on the second play of the drive when Dominique Rose came up with the pick. The Blue Devils then marched to the RMU 19-yard line before Dennis Bien converted a 36-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to knot the score at halftime, 10-10. The big play of the drive came on 3rd-and-10, when Holmes completed a 24-yard pass to Tyler Rossnagle.

In the second half the Colonials seemed to get their offense going, but the drives ended up stalling. On its first possession of the second half freshman halfback Myles Russ (Boca Raton, Fla. / West Boca) gave RMU a first down with a 17-yard run, but without another first down freshman Nick Schirtzinger (Hurricane, W.Va. / Hurricane) was brought in to punt. Schirtzinger promptly placed his punt on the CCSU one-yard line, pinning the Blue Devils deep in their own territory. Central Connecticut State started to drive, but it stalled at the RMU 38-yard line. Rose then pinned the Colonials at their own 11-yard line, but the CCSU defense forced the Robert Morris offense to go three-and-out. A 40-yard punt from Schirtzinger was returned 17 yards to the RMU 40-yard line by Nick Colagiovanni with 1:34 left in the third quarter. 

The Blue Devils took advantage of the good field position, wearing down a Colonial defense that was on the field for over 38 minutes on the game. After a six-yard rush for Freeman, Holmes connected with tight end Greg Grochowski for a 13-yard completion to the RMU 21-yard line. Four plays later Hull scored his second touchdown of the game, this time from 12 yards out, to give Central Connecticut State a 16-10 edge after Bien missed the extra point. Robert Morris tried to respond on its next drive, marching to the CCSU 17-yard line. However, after a Russ four-yard rush Cwalinski was sacked on 2nd-and-6 for a six-yard loss, and his pass attempt to senior flanker Julian Ellison (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Carrick) on third down was off the mark. RMU decided to try a Walser 39-yard field goal, but on the play the Colonials were flagged for a false start, bumping the club back five yards. Instead of another Walser attempt at three points, Robert Morris decided to go for it on 4th-and-17 from the CCSU 28-yard line. Cwalinski's pass was complete to senior split end Alvin Hill (New Kensington, Pa. / Plum), but the play picked up just 10 yards, and RMU turned it over on downs.

The Colonial defense held the Blue Devils on their next two drives, and RMU got the ball back with 2:01 to play at its own 20-yard line after a 42-yard punt from Rose. However, on the first play of the drive Cwalinski was intercepted by defensive lineman Ernie Greywacz, helping CCSU seal the victory. Cwalinski finished 7-for-17 passing for 81 yards and two interceptions in relief of Crouse, who completed two of his four passes for 28 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his first career start. Russ carried just 12 times for 67 yards, an average of 5.2 yards per rush. Hill led the RMU receiving corps with three catches for 35 yards, while Molnar caught two passes for 30 yards and a score.

RMU's defense again put forth a spirited effort and was led by its trio of linebackers in seniors Jordan Howard (Uniontown, Ohio / Lake), Chad Wengert (Kempton, Pa. / Kutztown) and Lawrence. The trio combined for 55 of RMU's single-game record 121 tackles on the afternoon. Howard tied the RMU single-game record with 20 tackles, while Wengert added 19 and Lawrence 16. Joining the trio with double-digit tackle games was senior cornerback Mike Niklos (Columbus, Ohio / Bishop Watterson), who had 11 takedowns, and sophomore safety Michael Landers (Springdale, Pa. / Springdale), who recorded 10 stops.

Robert Morris continues its three-game road swing Saturday, Oct. 20, when it travels across town to square off with Duquesne for a 1:00 p.m. tilt at Rooney Field in a non-conference game. The contest will mark the final time the Colonials and Dukes meet as non-conference opponents.