Smithfield, R.I. - The Robert Morris University football team concluded its 2010 regular season Saturday afternoon by having its eight-game winning streak snapped with a 27-21 loss to Bryant at Bulldog Stadium.

RMU slips to 8-2 overall and suffered its first loss in the Northeast Conference to dip to 7-1, while the Bulldogs improved to 7-3 overall and 4-3 in league play.

Playing for the first time as a ranked team, the Colonials took an early 7-0 lead when sophomore quarterback Jeff Sinclair (Natrona Heights, Pa. / Highlands) connected with junior wide receiver Anthony Coleman (Cheltenham, Md. / St. John's College High School) for a 16-yard touchdown pass at the 5:19 mark of the first quarter.

Bryant responded on its next possession, as Jordan Brown posted a 38-yard run on the first play of the possession for the Bulldogs and was aided by a personal foul penalty that moved the ball to the RMU 21-yard line. Four plays later Brown scored from three yards out to make it 7-6 after Chris Bird missed the extra-point attempt.

The Bulldogs took a 13-7 lead just four plays later when Addison Lynch intercepted Sinclair and rumbled 43 yards to the end zone for a touchdown with 1:43 remaining in the first quarter.

Bryant's defense came up big again in the second quarter to help the Bulldogs increase their lead to 20-7.

RMU started a drive at the 15-yard line of Bryant after a muffed punt by Brown was recovered by senior Sean McElhinny (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette), but on the second play of the drive Samad Wagstaff intercepted Sinclair and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown.

RMU trimmed its deficit to 20-14 with 9:28 to play in the third quarter when redshirt senior running back Raphael Johnson (Clinton, Md. / Charles H. Flowers) scored from a yard out to cap an 11-play, 47-yard drive. Sinclair ran for a pair of first downs during the possession, while Johnson converted on 4th-and-1 from the Bryant six-yard line to set up his score one play later.

Despite the score for Robert Morris, Bryant answered on its next drive to take a 27-14 thanks to another three-yard touchdown run by Brown. The big play was a 64-yard completion from Mike Croce to Khalel Pritchard that set up the offense for the Bulldogs at the three-yard line of the Colonials.

Senior fullback Jeff Link (Cumberland, Md. / Allegany) hauled in a six-yard touchdown pass with just 5:10 remaining to pull the Colonials within a score, 27-21, but a last-gasp effort by Robert Morris ended in a turnover on downs with under two minutes to play.

Senior running back Myles Russ (Boca Raton, Fla. / West Boca) posted his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game and 17th of his career with 109 yards on 22 carries, while Sinclair finished 15-for-37 passing for 159 yards two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Coleman caught three passes for 23 yards and a score, while senior wide receiver T.J. Green (Stamford, Conn. / Milford Academy) posted five catches for 75 yards.

Brown finished with 138 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Bulldogs, while Croce completed nine of his 20 passing attempts for 165 yards.

Defensively the Colonials were led by redshirt senior safety Michael Landers (Springdale, Pa. / Springdale), who finished with eight tackles.

Robert Morris owns a bye for the last week of the 2010 regular season next week and will learn of its opponent in the 2010 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs Sunday, Nov. 21, with a selection show that will air live on ESPNU at 10:00 a.m.