#5 Robert Morris (2-1) @ Morehead State (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007 at 1:00 p.m.
Jayne Field (10,000) - Morehead, Ky.
Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team returns to non-conference action Saturday when it travels to Morehead State for a 1:00 p.m. contest against the Eagles at Jayne Field. It marks the inaugural meeting between RMU and Morehead State. The Colonials are coming off a 28-14 victory over in-state rival Saint Francis (9/15) for their second straight Northeast Conference win and have jumped up to No. 5 in the latest FCS Mid-Major poll according to The Sports Network. Robert Morris returns home to Joe Walton Stadium after Saturday's game against the Eagles for a two-game homestand, hosting VMI Saturday, Sept. 29, for Hall of Fame Day before welcoming Wagner for an NEC tilt Saturday, Oct. 6, that will be part of the University's Homecoming festivities.
Quick Stat of the Afternoon - Robert Morris enters Saturday's game at Morehead State riding a six-game winning streak in road contests dating back to the 2006 campaign. Over that span the Colonials have averaged 29.3 points and 334 total yards per game while the RMU defense has been stiff, allowing an average of just 10.0 points and 236.7 yards of total offense per contest. The school record for consecutive road victories is eight, set over the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
Saturday's Opponent - Saturday's tilt between Robert Morris and Morehead State marks the inaugural game between the two programs. The Colonials and Eagles signed a two-year deal, as Morehead State will play at Joe Walton Stadium in 2008. The Eagles enter Saturday's game with a record of 2-0, having defeated Saint Francis (9/8), 21-14, before opening the home portion of their schedule with a 34-7 victory over NAIA foe West Virginia Tech (9/15).
Morehead State Series Quick Outs - The Colonials own a record of 16-6-1 all-time when facing off with an opponent for the first time ... A total of five Eagles have had at least 14 rushing attempts through the first two games for Morehead State, with senior halfback Ricky Cornelius leading the way with 23 rushes for 126 yards, an average of 5.5 yards per carry ... Sophomore running back Jerrod Pendleton owns a pair of touchdowns rushing and a pair of touchdowns receiving and averages 5.4 yards per rush while leading MSU in receptions (6) and ranking second in receiving yards (76) ... Junior wide receiver Nick Feldman owns four receptions for 83 yards, an average of 20.8 yards per catch ... Through their first two games the Eagles have allowed just 23 yards rushing on 38 attempts, an average of 0.6 yards per carry ... Senior quarterback Brian Yost has completed 25 of his 43 passing attempts for 274 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Head Coach Joe Walton (14th Season; Pittsburgh '57) - If there has been one constant associated with Robert Morris University football through the program's first 14 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, the University named its on-campus football stadium 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 13 years of existence. Robert Morris is one of just two programs to claim a pair of victories in the ECAC Bowl, 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 over 60 percent of the time.
Walton is RMU's only head coach ever, and he is 83-50-1 (all at Robert Morris) at the collegiate level (.623). 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 seven years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and New York Giants.
Saint Francis Game Notes - The game marked the return of head coach Joe Walton to the sidelines after a one-game absence, as Walton missed RMU's 20-17 victory @ Monmouth (9/8) due to the death of his wife, Ginger ... Robert Morris improved to 2-0 in NEC play for the second straight year and eighth time in 12 seasons the league has sponsored football ... Robert Morris scored on its final two possessions of the first half and its first two possessions of the third quarter in building a 28-7 lead ... The Colonials finished with 249 yards of total offense, compared to 305 total yards for the Red Flash ... Freshman punter Nick Schirtzinger posted 10 punts for 415 yards, an average of 41.5 yards per punt, and placed three inside the SFU 20-yard line ... RMU won the battle of possession, 31:34 to 28:26 ... Robert Morris converted just three of its 15 (20 percent) third-down opportunities but held Saint Francis to 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) in the same category ... A total of seven different receivers caught a pass for RMU.
Red Hot - Robert Morris has gotten off to a good start on the 2007 campaign when reaching the red zone of its opponents, as the club is a perfect 8-for-8 in red-zone opportunities so far this season. Included in that streak is six touchdowns and a pair of field goals. Dating back to last season, the Colonials have been successful in red-zone opportunities 16 straight times, scoring 12 touchdowns and kicking four field goals over that span.
A Little Give and Take - After not posting a takeaway through the first two games of the 2007 season, the Colonials broke out in a big way in their 28-14 victory over in-state rival Saint Francis (9/15), recording four interceptions while also recovering a fumble. The four interceptions were the most by the club since posting five, which is the single-game school record, in a 23-12 win over Saint Peter's (10/30/04). Senior linebacker Chad Wengert and senior cornerback Mike Niklos each recorded a pick while senior safety James Kazil recorded a pair of interceptions of Red Flash quarterback George Little. Thanks to the five takeaways in RMU's win over Saint Francis the club's turnover margin is now even, as the Colonials have committed three fumbles and thrown two interceptions so far this season.
Settling In - After opening the season as the backup at halfback, freshman Myles Russ has stepped into the starting spot the past two games and has produced, rushing for 175 yards on 46 attempts, an average of 3.8 yards per rush. In a 28-14 victory over in-state rival Saint Francis (9/15), Russ rushed 22 times for 89 yards and scored the first two touchdowns of his collegiate career, posting touchdown scampers of six and 12 yards. For those efforts we was named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week (9/17). Russ is the third true Colonial freshman to rush for two touchdowns in a game, joining former running backs Archie Wannamaker (1996-98), who did it twice in 1996, and Sam Dorsett (1999-2003).
Snap the Streak - If freshman Myles Russ or sophomore Raphael Johnson can step up and provide a spark in the backfield in 2007, it should help compliment the RMU offense quite nicely. For the first time in school history last season, no Colonial running back was able to eclipse the 100-yard rushing plateau in a game. In fact, Robert Morris enters Saturday's tilt @ Morehead State without a 100-yard rusher in its last 15 games, the longest drought in school history. The last Colonial to eclipse the barrier was former halfback Devin Wilson (2002-05), who rushed for 137 yards on 20 carries @ Albany (11/5/05).
Lucky No. 13 - Despite playing just its 14th season of intercollegiate football in 2007, Robert Morris has had its share of stellar play on defense throughout the years. In RMU's 28-14 victory over in-state rival Saint Francis (9/15), senior safety James Kazil recorded two of the club's four interceptions on the afternoon of Red Flash signal caller George Little. Kazil becomes the 13th Colonial in school history to record a pair of picks in a game, and its also marks the 20th occasion the feat has been accomplished. Thanks to his pair of interceptions, Kazil now owns eight picks on his career, which is tied for seventh all-time at Robert Morris with former defensive back Josh Marino (2001-04).
Natural Intensity - One can point to the play of senior linebacker Chad Wengert as a big reason the Colonials were able to gain a 28-14 victory over in-state rival Saint Francis (9/15). Wengert led the way with 11 tackles, including four solo stops, and also added an interception, forced fumble, pass breakup, quarterback hurry and half a sack. For those efforts Wengert was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Week (9/17) for the second time in his career. Through the first three games of the 2007 campaign Wengert leads RMU with 21 tackles, and his 11 against the Red Flash bumped his career total to 169. That ranks 18th all-time at Robert Morris, just five behind former defensive lineman Will Weathers (2000-03), who ranks 17th with 174 career tackles. Based on his current average (7.0 tackles per game), Wengert is on pace to finish his career with 218 career stops, which would rank ninth all-time at RMU.
Pick Pocket - Senior cornerback Mike Niklos recorded one of RMU's four interceptions in the club's 28-14 victory over Saint Francis (9/15), his first of the 2007 season. The pick also bumped his career total to 14, which ranks tied for second in the Robert Morris career annals and tied for third in the Northeast Conference record book. Niklos is tied with former Colonial defensive back Nick Downs, who also posted 14 career interceptions from 1997 to 2001. Niklos is now five picks off the RMU career record of 19, held by former defensive back Brian Dunn (1994-97), but needs just two more interceptions to tie the NEC record. That mark is held by Chris Blackshear of Central Connecticut State, who posted 16 picks from 2001 to 2003. Brian Pawlowski of Sacred Heart ranks second with 15 career interceptions.
Pulling the Trigger - Junior quarterback Erik Cwalinski, who has completed 48.8 percent of his passes (41-for-84) so far this season for 551 yards, had another solid game in RMU's 28-14 win over Saint Francis (9/15). Cwalinski finished 15-for-30 passing for 161 yards and two touchdowns but more importantly did not throw an interception. Cwalinski has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in five straight games, a career-best streak. More importantly, since throwing a career-high four interceptions against Albany (11/4/06), Cwalinski has thrown seven touchdown passes and has been intercepted just twice.
Fast Start - Senior flanker Mario Hines hasn't taken long to get off to a good start on the 2007 campaign. Through the first three games of the season, Hines has racked up 549 all-purpose yards, an average of 183 per game that currently ranks 19th in FCS/I-AA. That total is also the sixth highest average by a player from the wide receiver position. Hines is just 451 yards shy of eclipsing 1,000 all-purpose yards for the season. The fastest player to reach 1,000 all-purpose yards in school history is inaugural running back Tim Hall (1994-95), who eclipsed the mark in the sixth game of RMU's inaugural season in 1994. On his career Hines owns 1,962 all-purpose yards, a total that ranks ninth all-time. Based on his average through the first three games of the 2007 campaign, Hines is on pace to finish with 1,830 all-purpose yards this season, a total that would rank second in the Colonial single-season records, behind only Tim Hall's record of 1,905 yards in 1995.
