Fairfield, Conn. - Sophomore quarterback Jeff Sinclair (Natrona Heights, Pa. / Highlands) hit junior tight end Shadrae King (McKeesport, Pa. / McKeesport) with an eight-yard touchdown pass with just 17 seconds to play to help lift the Robert Morris University football team to a come-from-behind victory over Sacred Heart, 35-31, Saturday afternoon in the 2010 Northeast Conference opener for both programs.
The victory, which snapped an eight-game losing streak for the Colonials in the month of September, improved RMU to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the NEC on the 2010 campaign, while the Pioneers slipped to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Robert Morris trailed three times in the contest, including a pair of double-digit deficits, before the late game heroics of Sinclair and King helped propel the Colonials to victory.
Sacred Heart had taken a 31-28 lead with just 59 seconds to go when quarterback Dale Fink found a wide open Sean Kessler for a 47-yard touchdown pass to cap a five-play, 76-yard drive and put the Pioneers back on top.
RMU got the ball back with 52 seconds remaining but had good field position after junior Anthony Coleman (Cheltenham, Md. / St. John's College High School) posted a 20-yard kickoff return to set up the Colonial offense at its own 40-yard line.
Running the hurry-up offense, Sinclair connected with junior wide receiver Jamie Cobb (Casa Grande, Ariz. / Scottsdale Community College) for a 27-yard gain to the Sacred Heart 33-yard line. On the next play Sinclair hooked up with King for a 25-yard completion to move Robert Morris to the Pioneer eight-yard line, and two plays later Sinclair and King hooked up again, this time for the winning score.
Sacred Heart had jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on the strength of a pair of touchdown passes from Fink to running back Marcel Archer. The first, a three-yard touchdown pass, came with 1:47 left in the first quarter, while a six-yard connection for a score with 10:05 to play before halftime gave the Pioneers a two-score advantage.
RMU battled back to tie it at the break, 14-14, with senior running back Myles Russ (Boca Raton, Fla. / West Boca) providing a 17-yard touchdown run and Sinclair hitting King for the first of three touchdowns on the afternoon with a 12-yard score with just 37 ticks left on the clock in the first half.
The Pioneers owned the third quarter, stretching their lead back to double digits, 24-14, thanks to a six-yard touchdown pass from Fink to Rich Rossi and a 46-yard field goal by Jesper Fredriksson.
The Colonials didn't wilt, climbing back to take their first lead of the 2010 season with a pair of touchdowns. Russ pulled RMU within a field goal, 24-21, with his second touchdown run of the afternoon, this time a 16-yard scamper. During the drive Robert Morris was faced with a 2nd-and-22 at its own 38-yard line thanks to a holding call and a sack of Sinclair, but a 48-yard reception by senior wide receiver T.J. Green (Stamford, Conn. / Milford Academy) kept the drive alive before Russ capped it with his touchdown run.
RMU finally pulled in front with 11:14 to go when Sinclair hit King on a slant and the tight end galloped 35 yards to the end zone to push Robert Morris in front, 28-24. The score remained that way until the final minute, when a pair of touchdowns were scored.
King hauled in eight catches for a career-high 133 yards and became the fifth receiver in school history, and first tight end, to catch three touchdown passes in a game. Green added three catches for 77 yards, while Cobb caught a pair of balls for 37 yards.
Sinclair completed 14 of his 28 passing attempts for a career-high 250 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while Fink finished 27-for-41 passing for 324 yards, four touchdowns and an interception for Sacred Heart. However, Fink was sacked five times, including twice by senior inside linebacker Elias Navarro (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / South Plantation).
Russ recorded his first 100-yard rushing effort of the 2010 campaign and 11th of his career with 116 yards on 24 carries, an average of 4.8 yards per rush.
Navarro posted arguably one of the most dominant single-game performances in school history, recording 13 tackles, including 11 solo stops and five takedowns for losses that totaled 23 yards.
Robert Morris completes its three different openers in three weeks to begin the 2010 campaign Saturday, Sept. 18, when it opens the home portion of its schedule with a Noon kickoff against No. 19 Liberty at Joe Walton Stadium.
Notes: Robert Morris improved to 9-6 (.600) in the Northeast Conference openers with the victory ... Russ became the second player in school history and eighth player in NEC history to eclipse 3,000 career rushing yards in the win over Sacred Heart ... Russ pushed his career total in rushing yards to 3,094 and is 754 yards shy of becoming RMU's all-time leading rusher ... The Colonials finished 4-for-4 in the red zone against Sacred Heart and have now scored in 15 straight trips (11 touchdowns, four field goals) when reaching the 20-yard of their opponent dating back to last season ... Senior cornerback Rolf Bathold (Naples, Fla. / Lely) sealed the win for RMU by intercepting Fink on the final play of the game, his second pick in as many games to start the year ... Robert Morris racked up 415 yards of total offense, while Sacred Heart finished with 326 total yards ... The Pioneers were held to just 10 yards rushing ... In addition to a pair of sacks by Navarro, sophomore defensive lineman Steve Mitchell (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Pittsburgh Central Catholic) posted one and-a-half sacks, while sophomore defensive lineman Nolan Nearhoof (Gibsonia, Pa. / Mars Area) had one and sophomore defensive lineman Cory Nolton (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Baldwin) recorded a half a sack ... Coleman finished with 172 all-purpose yards ... Robert Morris climbed out of a 14-point deficit to garner a victory for the fourth time in school history, its largest deficit overcome to win.
