Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University football team fell to crosstown rival Duquesne, 51-14, in its Northeast Conference opener Saturday evening at Joe Walton Stadium. RMU slips to 2-4 on the year and 0-1 in league games while the Dukes run their league-best record to 5-1 and 2-0 in the NEC.
 
Things looked good for the Colonials early on when Drew Allen picked off a Tommy Stuart pass and raced 48 yards to paydirt to give RMU a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Stuart, however, would come back with a vengeance.
 
One of the nation's top passers, Stuart ended the game with five touchdown passes, going 14-of-21 for 219 yards. He wasn't a one-man show though. A.J. Hines tacked on 130 yards rushing. The Dukes scored the next 44 points after RMU took the lead. The Dukes scored 27 points in the second quarter and led 34-7 as Stuart connected on scoring passes to Kellon Taylor, Thomas Lucas, Chavas Rawlins and twice to Neshari Crawford.
 
Duquesne pushed the margin to 44-7 with a third quarter touchdown run by P.J. Fulmore and a fourth quarter field goal by Jacob Gill.
 
Robert Morris capped a seven-play, 73-yard drive when Harrison Dreher broke through from a yard out. The Dukes tacked on one more score when Aaron Morton went 64 yards on an interception return late in the fourth quarter.
 
Dreher finished the game with 78 yards rushing on 21 carries and also caught three passes for 45 yards to total 123 all-purpose yards. Quarterback Jimmy Walker went 12-30 for 162 yards with two picks. He connected with eight different receivers, Tavin Allison leading that group with three catches and 58 yards.
 
Andy Smigiera led the defense with nine tackles followed by Adam Wollet who had seven, including one tackle for loss. Zack Zamiska, who had six tackles, and Gerald Ferguson shared the team's lone sack.
 
Robert Morris hosts Sacred Heart in a Noon game net Saturday, Oct. 21, at Joe Walton Stadium.