Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team returns to the road in search of its third straight victory Saturday when it travels to Albany, N.Y., for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff against Albany at University Field. The Colonials are coming off a 45-14 win over in-state rival Saint Francis (10/8) at Joe Walton Stadium in the first home night game in the program's 18-year history, which helped Robert Morris stay perfect in Northeast Conference play at 2-0 as well as marked RMU's 14th victory in its last 15 games against league foes. Junior quarterback Jeff Sinclair tossed three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores in the first half against the Red Flash as the Colonials opened up a 35-0 halftime lead en route to the victory. Sinclair finished 10-for-15 passing for 155 yards and three touchdowns against Saint Francis and also became the first quarterback in school history to eclipse the 100-yard rushing plateau in a contest, compiling 110 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries. Robert Morris returns home to Joe Walton Stadium after taking on Albany Saturday, opening a two-game homestand Saturday, Oct. 22, with a Noon kickoff against Bryant.

Quick Stat of the Afternoon - Senior tight end Shadrae King hauled in a pair of touchdown passes from junior quarterback Jeff Sinclair in a 45-14 victory over in-state rival Saint Francis (10/8), pushing his career total in touchdown receptions to 20. King, the program's all-time leader in career receptions with 119, is just two touchdown catches shy of breaking former wide receiver Tyjuan Massey's (2002-05) career record of 21, and it would be fitting if they came from Sinclair. Over the last three seasons, Sinclair has connected with King for 14 touchdowns, tied for the second highest total between a quarterback-receiver combo in school history. The only total higher comes from former quarterback Drew Geyer (2002-05) and Massey, who hooked up for 17 touchdowns over their four years together on the roster.

Saturday's Opponent - Albany and Robert Morris will meet for the 13th time Saturday afternoon, with the all-time series between the two programs tied, 6-6 (.500). The Colonials have won two straight over the Great Danes after a 38-0 victory in last year's meeting at Joe Walton Stadium (10/16/10). In that contest RMU scored 21 points in the first quarter in jumping out to a 35-0 halftime lead en route to the win.

All-Time Series vs. Albany
RMU leads, 14-2-1

10/30/99 - W, 30-20; Away
11/11/00 - W, 43-34; Home
11/10/01 - W, 42-31; Away
11/2/02 - L, 7-32; Home
11/8/03 - L, 7-27; Away
11/6/04 - W, 34-7; Home
11/5/05 - L, 17-20; Away
11/4/06 - L, 6-16; Home
11/3/07 - L, 17-45; Away
11/7/08 - L, 7-41; Home
11/7/09 - W, 13-10; Away
10/16/10 - W, 38-0; Home
@ Moon Township, Pa. - Tied, 3-3
@ Albany, N.Y. - Tied, 3-3

Robert Morris 2011 Quick Outs - RMU was picked third in the 2011 Northeast Conference preseason coaches poll, trailing only preseason favorite Central Connecticut State and Duquesne ... The Blue Devils earned five first-place votes in the NEC preseason coaches poll, the Dukes garnered two while RMU and Bryant each finished with one ... Senior tight end Shadrae King has caught at least one pass in 24 straight games dating back to the 2009 campaign, a school record ... King also owns 119 career receptions, a Robert Morris school record ... Junior quarterback Jeff Sinclair owns career totals of 3,539 passing yards and 38 touchdowns ... Junior defensive lineman Nolan Nearhoof is RMU's active leader in tackles (101), tackles for loss (17) and sacks (11) ... Nearhoof needs just half a sack to move into the top 10 all-time at Robert Morris ... A total of 17 Colonials have earned their first career start so far in 2011.

Head Coach Joe Walton (18th Season; Pittsburgh '57) - At the forefront of the football renaissance at Robert Morris University throughout its 18-year history is Joe Walton, who has built the Colonials from a fledgling program into one of the top Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams in the region.

The one constant associated with the program, Walton was named the first head coach July 27, 1993. He started the program from scratch, completing everything from hiring assistant coaches to purchasing equipment to recruiting student-athletes for the team's inaugural season in 1994. He owns an overall record of 105-73-1 (.589).

Walton's fingerprints are all over the football program, and to prove that, RMU has played its home games since 2005 in a stadium that bears his name. During his tenure, Walton has led Robert Morris to the first Northeast Conference championship in 1996, guided RMU to a perfect 10-0 season in 2000 and in 2010 helped lead the Colonials to the NEC's inaugural bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs with their league-high sixth regular-season championship.

"It's hard to believe," Walton speaks on how fast time has elapsed. "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 ever happened to me in my life. 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 outright NEC regular-season titles three times (1997, 1999, 2000) while sharing three others (1996, 1998, 2010). Walton led Robert Morris to back-to-back ECAC Bowl victories in 1996 and 1997, and in 1999 and 2000 he guided RMU to a pair of NCAA I-AA mid-major national crowns according to Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette.

In 2010, Walton added to his legacy by engineering the Colonials on an eight-game winning streak for a share of the NEC regular-season title and the NEC's first bid in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. In the process he picked up his 100th career victory in the collegiate ranks.

Saint Francis Game Notes - Robert Morris improved to 15-2-1 (.861) all-time against Saint Francis and has now won six straight in the series ... A total of 4,384 fans packed Joe Walton Stadium, the largest crowd in the facility's seven-year history and the sixth official sellout at the venue ... Junior defensive lineman Nolan Nearhoof eclipsed 100 career tackles with four against Saint Francis, giving him 101 on his career, while also recovering one of two fumbles against the Red Flash ... A total of 10 different Colonials posted a rushing attempt against Saint Francis, including 12 carries for 60 yards for redshirt freshman Deontae Howard ... Robert Morris rolled up a season-high 432 yards of total offense.

Did You Know? Thanks to a 45-14 victory over Saint Francis (10/8) at Joe Walton Stadium, the Colonials enter Saturday's game @ Albany winners of 14 of their last 15 games against league foes dating back to the 2009 campaign. Over that span, Robert Morris has has averaged 28.7 points per game while allowing just 13.5 points per contest, a scoring margin of over two touchdowns (+15.2).

First Time for Everything - Junior quarterback Jeff Sinclair made history in RMU's 45-14 victory over Saint Francis (10/8), becoming the first quarterback in school history to eclipse the 100-yard rushing plateau. Sinclair finished with 110 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns on just five carries, an average of 22.0 yards per rush. Sinclair posted touchdown runs of 64 and 22 yards in the second quarter to help the Colonials build a 35-0 halftime lead en route to the victory. Overall, Sinclair is the 12th different player in school history to post a 100-yard rushing game.

Settling In - After a rough start to the 2011 campaign, junior quarterback Jeff Sinclair is looking more and more like the quarterback that led Robert Morris to a share of the 2010 Northeast Conference championship and the league's inaugural bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs. Over the last two games Sinclair has completed 71.8 percent (28-for-39) of his passes for 366 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Sinclair enters Saturday's game @ Albany with a career total of 3,906 yards of total offense, an average of 169.8 per game that ranks second in the RMU record book behind only former quarterback Tim Levcik, who averaged 191.4 yards per game from 1998 to 2001.

Stuffing The Run - Five games into the 2011 season, and the Robert Morris defense is again proving to be stingy in regard to the opposing running game. Opponents have averaged just 87.8 yards rushing against the Colonials so far this year, which leads the Northeast Conference while ranking 11th in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The school record for rushing defense is held by the 2006 Colonials, which allowed an average of 99.8 yards per game. Overall, RMU enters Saturday's game @ Albany leading the NEC and ranked fourth in the country in total defense, yielding an average of just 273.60 yards per contest.

Creating Turnovers - While the Robert Morris defense has done a stellar job in holding the running game of its opponent in check so far this season, the unit is beginning to create turnovers more frequently. The Colonials forced four turnovers in a 45-14 victory over Saint Francis (10/8), recovering a pair of fumbles while recording a pair of interceptions. The best of the night came courtesy of senior cornerback Alex Tarr, who posted an acrobatic interception near the home sideline. It marked Tarr's second interception of the 2011 campaign and third of his career, tops among active Colonials. Over the last two games RMU has forced six turnovers while suffering five, a +1 margin.

Sack Happy - Thanks to a deep front seven that features interchangeable parts, Robert Morris enters Saturday's game @ Albany having recorded 10 sacks through the first five games of the 2011 campaign, an average of 2.0 per game and a total that ranks tied for third in the Northeast Conference with Central Connecticut State and Albany. To illustrate RMU's depth in regard to its front seven, a total of eight different Colonials have registered at least half a sack so far this season. Leading the way have been junior defensive linemen Nolan Nearhoof and Steve Mitchell, who each have two and-a-half sacks to their credit. Nearhoof and Mitchell enter Saturday's game @ Albany with a combined 17.5 career sacks between them.

Driver's Education - While the offense struggled at the beginning of the 2011 campaign, the unit is coming together at the right time. Robert Morris enters Saturday's game @ Albany having posted 13 touchdown drives this season, but it's been the ability of the offense to put together sustained drives that is paying off. Of RMU's 13 touchdown drives this season, six have been 70 yards or longer. Five of those drives have come in the last two games and are big reason why RMU leads the Northeast Conference in time of possession at 32:20. Hats off goes to the defense in regard to allowing the offense to put together sustained drives, as the Colonials are allowing opponents to convert just 29 percent (18-for-62) of its first downs, which ranks second in the NEC.

New Balance - While Vince Mongelluzzo served as tight end to begin the season, in RMU's 45-14 victory over Saint Francis (10/8) the sophomore earned his first career on the offensive line, starting at left guard. He helped the Colonials rack up a season-high 257 rushing yards against the Red Flash and will again serve as the starter Saturday @ Albany. Mongelluzzo is the 17th different player to earn their first career start so far this season for Robert Morris.

Those Issues Are Secondary - Through the first five contests of the 2011 season, a member of the Robert Morris secondary has led the team in tackles in four games. Included in that group is senior cornerback Alex Tarr (twice), sophomore safety D.J. Myers and junior safety Eric Lowry. Tarr led Robert Morris in tackles in road games @ Liberty and Monmouth, while Myers paced the Colonials in the 2011 season opener against Datyon. Lowry, meanwhile, posted a career-high seven tackles in a 45-14 win over Saint Francis (10/8). RMU enters Saturday's game with 119 of its 329 tackles (36.2 percent) so far this season having come from its secondary.