Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University football team concluded its 2007 campaign Saturday afternoon at Joe Walton Stadium with a 41-31 victory over Sacred Heart in a Northeast Conference game. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Colonials and settled the club's record on the season at 4-6 overall, including 3-3 in league play. The Pioneers finished the 2007 campaign with an overall record of 3-8 and 0-6 in NEC play.

RMU got on the board at the 6:40 mark of the first quarter when junior quarterback Erik Cwalinski (Jacobsburg, Ohio / Shadyside) connected with senior split end Alvin Hill (New Kensington, Pa. / Plum) for a 44-yard touchdown pass. Sacred Heart responded thanks to the legs of Jason Payne, who helped the Pioneers tie the game, 7-7, with a 15-yard touchdown scamper. Payne carried 10 times for 116 yards in the first quarter and finished the game with 35 rushing attempts for 185 yards and a touchdown. SHU took a 10-7 lead when Joe Schroeder connected on a 22-yard field goal with 13:30 left to play before halftime, but the Colonials came back to take the lead for good, 14-10, when junior Karey Murray (New Brighton, Pa. / New Brighton) capped a 10-play, 65-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge. The big play of the drive came on 3rd-and-7 from the Pioneer 30-yard line, when Cwalinski hooked up with senior flanker Julian Ellison (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Carrick) for a 22-yard completion down to the SHU eight-yard line.

The Colonials extended their lead to 21-10 with 5:47 to play before halftime when Cwalinski and Hill hooked up for the second time, this time for a 19-yard touchdown pass. Robert Morris was set up with good position on the drive, as senior Mario Hines (Ecorse, Mich. / Ecorse) returned a Pioneer punt 29 yards to the Sacred Heart 43-yard line. Sacred Heart trimmed its deficit to five at the break, 21-16, as Pioneer freshman signal caller Dale Fink drove the club 54 yards on six plays in just a minute and eight seconds before capping it with a six-yard touchdown pass to Payne. Schroeder missed the extra point, however, for the Pioneers.

In the second half Robert Morris took control thanks to its defense, which intercepted Fink three times on the afternoon and finished with a +4 turnover margin on the game. After the Colonial offense went three-and-out on its first possession of the second half, junior defensive lineman Shannon Smoot (Columbus, Ohio / Bishop Hartley) intercepted Fink at the Pioneer 45-yard line. Smoot received a couple of nice blocks to rumble to the end zone untouched for the score, increasing the RMU lead to 28-16. Fink was intercepted again on SHU's next possession, this time by senior linebacker Chad Wengert (Kempton, Pa. / Kutztown). Despite not producing any points on the turnover, RMU extended its lead to 34-16 when Cwalinski threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Hines at the 2:19 mark of the third quarter. Cwalinski added an eight-yard touchdown run with 13:55 to play to give the Colonials a 41-16 advantage before Sacred Heart scored two late touchdowns.

Cwalinski finished 15-for-25 passing for 220 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception, while Hill paced the RMU receiving corps with five catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Ellison added five receptions for 58 yards and Hines caught four balls for 51 yards and a score. The RMU ground game was paced by freshman Myles Russ (Boca Raton, Fla. / West Boca) and sophomore Raphael Johnson (Clinton, Md. / Charles H. Flowers), who each finished with 30 yards rushing. Russ had 11 carries on the afternoon while Johnson posted 10 carries.

The RMU defense was paced by Wengert, who finished with 13 tackles, including seven solo. He also added a forced fumble. Sophomore linebacker Adam Lawrence (Big Run, Pa. / Dubois Area) added 10 takedowns, while senior linebacker Jordan Howard (Uniontown, Ohio / Lake), freshman safety Troy Cree (Waynesburg, Pa. / Waynesburg Central) and sophomore safety Michael Landers (Springdale, Pa. / Springdale) each finished with eight tackles.