Baltimore, Md. - The Robert Morris University football team suffered its third straight loss to open the 2011 campaign Saturday afternoon, dropping a 13-12 decision to Morgan State at Hughes Stadium to close out its 2011 non-conference schedule.

Trailing, 13-6, with 5:03 to play, junior quarterback Jeff Sinclair (Natrona Heights, Pa. / Highlands) moved the Colonials 60 yards on eight plays and connected with junior wide receiver Rickeem Jackson (Orlando, Fla. / College of Canyons) for a seven-yard touchdown pass with just 1:57 remaining to pull Robert Morris within a point.

However, RMU failed to send the game to overtime when the point after attempt by junior kicker Greg Langer (Wexford, Pa. / Pine-Richland) was wide left.

The Robert Morris defense, which yielded just 208 yards of total offense to Morgan State on the afternoon, held the Bears to a three-and-out on their next possession but were unable to stop the clock due to just one remaining timeout.

The Colonials did get the ball back with 10 seconds left in regulation but were unable to move the ball into scoring position for the possible go-ahead score.

Deadlocked, 3-3, entering the second half, the Colonials inched ahead on their first possession after intermission, 6-3, when Langer hit his second field goal of the afternoon, this one from 41 yards out, to cap a seven-play, 41-yard drive.

RMU freshman running back Justin Brooks (St. Charles, Md. / McDonough) ran twice for 16 yards during the drive, while sophomore wide receiver Donte Jeter (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Oliver) added a 10-yard run on an end-around that moved the ball to the 24-yard line of the Bears. Two incomplete passes by Sinclair, however, forced the Colonials to settle for the field goal.

Morgan State finally put the first touchdown of the game on the board on its next possession to take a 10-6 advantage when Robert Council found Tyrone Hendrix down the sideline for a 56-yard touchdown pass, just the second passing attempt of the game for the Bears.  

The lead swelled to 13-6 in favor of MSU at the 10:56 mark of the fourth quarter when Abraham Mercado converted a 23-yard field goal to cap a 10-play, 39-yard drive.

Defense dominated the affair, as combined the two programs finished with 10 sacks and 22 tackles for losses that totaled 106 yards. Penalties also hurt the cause of both teams, with RMU suffering seven penalties for 60 while Morgan State was whistled for 11 infractions for 139 yards.

Robert Morris took an early 3-0 lead on its possession of the game when Langer converted a 37-yard field goal with 7:09 remaining in the first quarter. The Colonials looked as if they were going to extend their lead early in the second quarter, driving to the two-yard of the Bears before on second-and-goal Sinclair's lob pass to Jackson was intercepted in acrobatic fashion by Morgan State's Reshaude Miller. 

The Bears were able to knot the game, 3-3, at halftime when Mercado booted a 40-yard field goal with just 26 seconds left in the first half. The score came off a Sinclair interception, as Cody Acker came up with the pick at the RMU 27-yard line with just 1:12 to go before the break.

Sinclair completed 15 of his 29 passing attempts for 166 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, while Brooks paced the ground game with 68 yards rushing on 16 attempts. Senior tight end Shadrae King (McKeesport, Pa. / McKeesport) recorded a game-high five catches for 36 yards, while Jackson posted four receptions for 54 yards and a score.

Defensively a trio of Colonials finished with a career-high 11 tackles to tie for game-high honors, including junior defensive lineman Nolan Nearhoof (Gibsonia, Pa. / Mars Area) and junior linebackers Kyle Cooper (Hurricane, W. Va. / Hurricane) and Andrew Douglass (San Clemente, Calif. / Saddlebrook J.C.).

Nearhoof recorded two and-a-half of RMU's six sacks on the afternoon and of his 11 tackles, six were for losses that totaled 20 yards. Junior defensive lineman Sam Miller (Washington, Pa. / Trinity) added three tackles, including one and-a-half sacks.

Robert Morris now has a bye week before returning to action to close out a three-game road trip. The Colonials will open defense of their 2010 Northeast Conference regular-season championship with a Noon kickoff against Monmouth Saturday, Oct. 1, at Kessler Field in West Long Branch, N.J., in a game that will be broadcast live on PCNC.

Notes: Robert Morris is 0-3 to start a season for just the third time in school history (2001, 2009) ... The Colonials dipped to 17-11-1 (.603) all-time when facing off with an opponent for the first time ... Over RMU's last 25 games, the Colonials own a six-game losing streak (first six to start the 2009 campaign), a five-game winning streak (to close out the 2009 season), an eight-game winning streak (2010) and now a five-game slide (over 2010 and 2011 seasons) ... Thanks to five receptions against the Bears, King tied an RMU school record for consecutive games with at least one catch at 22 ... Former Colonial wide receiver Opio Gary (1998-2001) closed out his career by posting at least one reception in each of his final 22 contests ... King enters the 2011 bye week for Robert Morris with 106 career receptions, seven shy of establishing a new career record ... Jeter earned his first career start at split end, while junior Nate Hargraves (Natrona Heights, Pa. / Highlands) was a member of the starting lineup for the first time in his career on the offensive line at right tackle ... A total of 16 Colonials have been a member of the starting lineup for the first time in their career so far through three games of the 2011 campaign ... During RMU's five-game losing streak, the Colonials own a turnover margin of -7 ... The lone takeaway for Robert Morris against Morgan State was the first career interception by junior linebacker Mike Cook (Victoria, Minn. / Eden Prairie) ... Cook added a career-high seven tackles.