Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University football team posted its sixth straight victory Saturday afternoon by rolling to a 38-0 win over Albany at Joe Walton Stadium as part of the University's Homecoming festivities.
RMU improved to 6-1 overall on the 2010 season with the victory, including a perfect 5-0 mark in the Northeast Conference, while the Great Danes dipped to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in league play.
The Colonials scored 21 points in the first quarter en route to rolling to a 35-0 halftime advantage.
For the third straight week Robert Morris scored on its opening possession, marching 80 yards on just four plays before sophomore quarterback Jeff Sinclair (Natrona Heights, Pa. / Highlands) gave RMU an early 7-0 lead with a 14-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Anthony Coleman (Cheltenham, Md. / St. John's College High School).
On just RMU's second offensive play of the game senior running back Myles Russ (Boca Raton, Fla. / West Boca) burst through the line, found a hole and scampered 53 yards to the 20-yard line of the Great Danes. Two plays later Sinclair found Coleman for the score.
Russ gave the Colonials a 14-0 lead at the 6:03 mark of the first quarter with a 32-yard touchdown run that capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive, and Sinclair made it 21-0 in favor of Robert Morris with a one-yard touchdown dive with 1:35 to go in the first quarter.
Russ eclipsed the 100-yard rushing plateau in the first 15 minutes of play, compiling 110 yards on just seven carries, an average of 15.7 yards per rush.
Sinclair added a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter to help RMU score at least 30 points in a half for the second time on the 2010 season. His 24-yard strike to junior tight end Paul Evans (Elma, N.Y. / Iroquois Central) capped a seven-play, 71-yard drive, while he connected with Coleman for the second time on the afternoon, completing a 30-yard touchdown pass with just 30 seconds remaining before halftime to help Robert Morris open up a 35-0 lead.
The final touchdown of the first half for the Colonials was set up by redshirt senior safety Michael Richards (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Bishop Ford), who intercepted Albany quarterback Dan Di Lella at Albany 33-yard line.
Senior kicker Garrett Clawson (Duncansville, Pa. / Hollidaysburg) accounted for the only points in the second half when he connected for a 35-yard field goal with 1:49 to play in the third quarter.
The interception by Richards was one of three on the afternoon for the Colonials, as redshirt senior safety Michael Landers (Springdale, Pa. / Springdale) recorded his fifth pick of the year, which leads the NEC, while sophomore safety Ben Ridgeley (Ebensburg, Pa. / Central Cambria) intercepted Albany's Buddy Leathley in the final minute of the contest for his first career pick.
Overall Robert Morris forced four turnovers and held the Great Danes to just 132 yards of total offense in pitching the program's 12th shutout.
Senior linebacker Alex DiMichele (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Sto-Rox) finished with a team-high six tackles, while sophomore defensive lineman Nolan Nearhoof (Gibsonia, Pa. / Mars Area) and senior defensive lineman Mike Lovely (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Keystone Oaks) each recorded a sack.
Russ finished with 138 yards rushing on 23 attempts as the Colonials posted a season high in rushing yards with 255. Sinclair completed 10 of his 17 passing attempts for 143 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and also added eight rushes for 28 yards and a score.
Junior tight end Shadrae King (McKeesport, Pa. / McKeesport) paced the receiving corps for RMU with five catches for 57 yards, while Coleman caught four balls for 62 yards and two touchdowns.
Robert Morris has a bye next week and will return to action Saturday, Oct. 30, with a Noon kickoff against Duquesne that continues a four-game homestand at Joe Walton Stadium. The game will be televised live locally on PCNC as well as on Fox College Sports.
Notes: RMU's six-game winning streak is the program's longest since winning seven straight over the course of the 2001 and 2002 seasons ... The Colonials posted wins in each of their final six games of the 2001 campaign before opening the 2002 season with a 41-12 win over Buffalo State (9/7/02) ... Sinclair improved to 11-3 (.786) in his career, the best start by a Robert Morris quarterback in school history ... Inaugural signal caller Jake Newman (1994-97) began his career with a record of 10-3-1 (.750) ... Russ pushed his career total in rushing yards to 3,714 thanks to his performance against Albany and is 134 yards shy of becoming the program's all-time leading rusher ... Russ became the second Colonial to eclipse 4,000 career all-purpose yards with his performance against Albany, pushing his total to 4,047 ... Russ is 209 yards shy of the record for all-purpose yards that is held by former running back and current assistant coach Sam Dorsett (1999-2003) ... The interception for Landers in the third quarter was the 12th of his career, moving him into sole possession of fourth place all-time at Robert Morris ... In the first half the Colonials held the Great Danes to just 38 total yards on 29 plays and two first downs ... Robert Morris compiled 398 yards of total offense, including 313 before intermission ... The Colonials dominated in time of possession, 38:56 to 21:04 ... The win marked the sixth straight for RMU at Joe Walton Stadium, its longest winning streak at the facility since it opened in 2005.
