Robert Morris (0-1 / 0-0) @ Sacred Heart (1-0 / 0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 at Noon
Campus Field (4,000) - Fairfield, Conn.
Top Story - The Robert Morris University football team continues a two-game road trip to open its 2010 schedule Saturday afternoon by lifting the lid off its 2010 Northeast Conference slate with a Noon kickoff against Sacred Heart at Campus Field in Fairfield, Conn. The Colonials are coming off a 28-14 loss @ Dayton (9/4) in their 2010 season opener and will look to snap an eight-game losing streak in games played during the month of September Saturday against the Pioneers. RMU hasn't posted a victory in September since opening its 2008 season with a 27-13 victory over Morehead State (9/6/08) at Joe Walton Stadium. Down 21-0 at halftime against the Flyers, Robert Morris trimmed its deficit to 21-14 before Dayton sealed the win with a 10-play, 81-yard drive that was capped three-yard touchdown run by Brian Mack with 7:45 to play. RMU returns to Joe Walton Stadium for its first home game of the 2010 campaign after squaring off with the Pioneers Saturday, welcoming nationally ranked Liberty Saturday, Sept. 18, for a Noon kickoff.
Quick Stat of the Afternoon - Robert Morris wasted no time putting together a sustained drive on offense in its 2010 season opener @ Dayton (9/4), scoring its first points of the 2010 campaign with a seven-play, 92-yard drive that was capped by a 33-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jeff Sinclair to junior wide receiver Anthony Coleman. It marked RMU's longest scoring drive since a 99-yard drive in a 27-14 win over Central Connecticut State (11/1/08). On the flipside against the Flyers, the Colonials allowed three scoring drives of at least 70 yards in the season opener, including a 13-play, 94-yard drive touchdown drive that gave Dayton a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. During RMU's five-game winning streak to close out the 2009 campaign, the Colonials didn't allow a scoring drive longer than 70 yards.
Saturday's Opponent - Robert Morris and Sacred Heart will square off for the 13th time Saturday, with the two programs having split each of the previous 12 meetings. The Colonials have won three of the last four contests against the Pioneers after a 9-7 victory at Joe Walton Stadium (10/31/09) last season. In that game kicker Garrett Clawson tied an RMU single-game record by drilling a trio of field goals, connecting from 23 yards out in the second quarter and converting a pair of 35-yard attempts in the second half.
The All-Time Series
RMU vs. Sacred Heart
Series tied, 6-6
10/17/98 - (W, 44-7), Home
10/16/99 - (W, 48-0), Home
11/4/00 - (W, 31-20), Away
9/22/01 - (L, 31-44), Home
10/5/02 - (L, 0-34), Away
10/18/03 - (L, 20-24), Home
11/13/04 - (L, 3-24), Away
11/12/05 - (L, 20-27), Home
11/11/06 - (W, 41-21), Away
11/10/07 - (W, 41-31), Home
10/4/08 - (L, 28-31), Away
10/31/09 (W, 9-7), Home
The Sacred Heart Series
All-Time: Tied, 6-6
At Robert Morris: RMU, 4-3
At Moon Stadium: Tied, 2-2
At Joe Walton Stadium: RMU, 2-1
At Sacred Heart: SHU, 3-2
Current Streak: RMU, 1
Current Streak at RMU: RMU, 2
Current Streak at SHU: SHU, 1
Robert Morris 2010 Quick Outs - Robert Morris enters Saturday's game @ Sacred Heart having posted an overall record of 96-68-1 (.585) since the program's creation in 1994 ... RMU was picked second in the 2010 Northeast Conference preseason coaches poll, trailing only preseason favorite and defending champion Central Connecticut State ... The Blue Devils earned four first-place votes in the NEC preseason coaches poll, while RMU garnered three ... Senior running back Myles Russ is the active leading rusher in the Northeast Conference with a career total of 2,978 yards rushing ... Russ ranks second all-time at RMU in career rushing yards ... Russ was one of four Colonials named to the 2010 All-NEC Preseason Team, joining senior cornerback Rolf Bathold, senior linebacker Alex DiMichele and senior kicker Garrett Clawson ... DiMichele ranks ninth all-time at Robert Morris with 238 career tackles..
Head Coach Joe Walton (17th Season; Pittsburgh '57) - If there has been one constant associated with Robert Morris University football through the program's first 16 years, it has been Joe Walton. He was named head coach on July 27, 1993. He started the program from scratch, completing everything from hiring assistant coaches to purchasing equipment to recruiting student-athletes. His fingerprints are all over the program, and to prove that, the University named its on-campus football stadium in his honor. Joe Walton Stadium hosted its first football game in 2005 to rousing success, as the Colonials defeated Butler, 49-13, on Sept. 17, 2005.
“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 happened to me in my life,” Walton said. “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. 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 five Northeast Conference titles and a pair of mid-major national crowns in the program's first 15 years of existence. Robert Morris is one of just two programs to claim a pair of victories in the ECAC Bowl, having won it in back-to-back seasons in 1996 and 1997. The success has done nothing to dampen Walton's enthusiasm for coaching football at Robert Morris, and with him on the sideline RMU wins almost 60 percent of the time.
Walton is RMU's only head coach ever, and he is 95-68-1 (all at Robert Morris) at the collegiate level (.582). Walton was the head coach of the New York Jets from 1983-89, when he went 53-57-1 (.482). Also included among Walton's 35 NFL seasons is two (1990-91) as offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A two-time All-America tight end at Pittsburgh, Walton played seven years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and New York Giants.s.
Dayton Notes - Robert Morris dropped its eighth straight game to Dayton and fell to 2-11 (.154) all-time against the Flyers ... Quarterback Steve Valentino accounted for 317 of Dayton's 388 yards of total offense, rushing for 106 yards on 16 attempts while finishing 19-for-37 passing for 211 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions ... The Colonials finished with 213 yards of total offense ... The Flyers held the time of possession edge by almost a two-to-one margin, holding the ball for 37 minutes compared to 23 for RMU ... In the second quarter, Dayton owned the ball for 11:03 compared to 3:57 for Robert Morris.
Experience Counts - Robert Morris returned all five of its starters on the offensive line entering the 2010 campaign, and despite junior Logan Miles earning his first career start at center in the season opener @ Dayton (9/4), the group is still an experienced one. The offensive line, which includes seniors Carlos Andrade and Corey Konycki at left and right tackle, respectively, and juniors Brian Bevilacqua and Brad Rodgers at left and right guard, respectively, as well as Miles, enters Saturday's 2010 Northeast Conference opener @ Sacred Heart having combined for 91 career starts.
I Can See for Myles - Despite battling a tender hamstring the majority of training camp, senior Myles Russ saw plenty of action at halfback in the 2010 season opener @ Dayton (9/4), rushing for 70 yards on 14 carries. Thanks to his performance against the Flyers, Russ moved into sole possession of second place all-time at Robert Morris in career rushing yards with 2,978, and he enters Saturday's 2010 Northeast Conference opener @ Sacred Heart just 22 yards shy of becoming the second running back in program history and the eighth in league history to eclipse 3,000 career rushing yards. Among active rushers in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Russ ranks fifth.
King of Queens - While senior running back Myles Russ highlights a deep and capable backfield for Robert Morris, junior Shadrae King is at the heart of the receiving corps for the Colonials. In the 2010 season opener @ Dayton (9/4), King posted a team-high six receptions, accumulating 42 yards. Thanks to his six catches against the Flyers, King pushed his career total to 57 and enters Saturday's game @ Sacred Heart just five receptions shy of breaking into the top 10 all-time at Robert Morris for career receptions. King currently is tied for 13th all-time with inaugural running back Tim Hall, who caught 57 passes for 793 yards over two seasons in 1994 and 1995.
The Complement - Junior wide receiver Anthony Coleman looks to be morphing into the perfect complement to junior tight end Shadrae King as a key part of the receiving corps for the Colonials. In the 2010 season opener @ Dayton (9/4), Coleman finished with three catches for 61 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter that marked RMU's first score of the season. After compiling just six catches for 49 yards over his first 20 career games, Coleman enters Saturday's game @ Sacred Heart having posted eight receptions for 145 yards (18.1 yards per catch) and two touchdowns over his last three games dating back to the end of the 2009 season. Coleman also racked up 158 all-purpose yards in the season opener against the Flyers thanks to four kickoff returns for 97 yards.
Keep It Going - Robert Morris kept one streak intact in its season opener @ Dayton (9/4), scoring a touchdown on its only trip to the red zone when sophomore quarterback Jeff Sinclair scored on a one-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to pull the Colonials within 21-14 of the Flyers. Dating back to last season, RMU has scored in 11 straight trips to the red zone, scoring seven touchdowns and converting four field goals. Robert Morris has also scored on 14 of its last 15 trips (93.3 percent) to the red zone, with its only miss over that span when the Colonials reached the 18-yard line of Sacred Heart (10/31/09) before running out the final 53 seconds of the game in a 9-7 win over the Pioneers at Joe Walton Stadium.s.
Nick at Night - Senior Nick Schirtzinger has been a rock for Robert Morris on special teams the last three seasons and got off to a great start in his final season of eligibility in 2010 in the season opener @ Dayton (9/4). Schirtzinger punted four times for 194 yards, posting a long of 55 and pinning a pair inside the 20-yard line of the Flyers. More importantly, Schirtzinger's average of 48.5 yards per punt against the Flyers established a new career high. He broke his old mark of 46.8 yards on four punts against Monmouth (9/27/08) at Joe Walton Stadium. For his efforts @ Dayton, Schirtzinger was one of four punters honored with a Performer of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards, joining Patrick Murray of Fordham, Graham Purvis of Gardner-Webb and David Miller of William & Mary.
Fitted Shirt - Senior punter Nick Schirtzinger enters Saturday's game @ Sacred Heart just three punts shy of establishing a new RMU career record in the category, and his career totals of 7,311 punting yards and 40.4 yards per punt rank first and seventh, respectively, among active players in the Football Championship Subdivison (FCS). Both of those marks are also Robert Morris school records. The current school record for punts is held by Chris Longo, who finished with 183 from 1995 to 1998.
Alex The Great - At the heart of the 2010 Robert Morris defense is linebacker Alex DiMichele, and the senior opened his final season of eligibility in typical fashion in the season opener @ Dayton (9/4), posting a game-high 13 tackles. The performance marked the 15th time in 22 career games DiMichele has reached double figures in stops. Should DiMichele post double figures in tackles in each of RMU's final nine regular-season games, he would tie the school record for double-digit tackle games. The current mark of 24 is held by former linebacker and all-time leading tackler James Noel (2002-05).
Moving On Up - Thanks to 13 stops in the 2010 season opener @ Dayton (9/4), senior linebacker Alex DiMichele pushed his career total in takedowns to 238. He jumped into ninth place all-time at Robert Morris in career tackles with his performance against the Flyers and is three stops shy of moving into eighth place entering Saturday's game @ Sacred Heart. DiMichele's career average of 10.8 tackles per game that ranks second for active players in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), behind only Scott Lewis of Saint Francis, who averages 12.2 stops per contest.
Pick Pockets - Serving as the veteran presence in the RMU secondary in 2010 are redshirt senior Michael Landers at safety and senior Rolf Bathold at cornerback, and the pair each came up with their first interceptions of the season @ Dayton (9/4). For Landers, it marked the eighth pick of his career, while Bathold recorded his seventh. The duo are looking to become just the sixth and seventh players in school history, respectively, to record at least 10 career interceptions.
The Colonel - While redshirt senior safety Michael Landers notched his first interception of the 2010 campaign in the season opener @ Dayton (9/4), he also contributed seven tackles. One of three Colonials to eclipse 200 career tackles last season, Landers pushed his career total in stops to 216 with his performance against the Flyers, which ranks just outside the top 10 all-time at Robert Morris. Landers is 18 tackles shy of moving into the top 10 all-time entering Saturday's game @ Sacred Heart and has a chance to post the most career tackles by a defensive back in school history. The top mark of tackles by a defensive back is currently held by former safety Brian Dunn, who posted 267 takedowns from 1994 to 1997.
Making Your Mark - A total of four Colonials made their first career start in RMU's 2010 season opener @ Dayton (9/4), and a pair of those student-athletes made their presence felt on the very first play from scrimmage on the year. On Dayton's first offensive play of the game, junior linebacker Jon Krepps flushed quarterback Steve Valentino out of the pocket before stripping the ball and forcing a fumble. Sophomore defensive lineman Steve Mitchell pounced on the loose ball for the fumble recovery, giving the Colonials their first possession of the year. Mitchell finished with three tackles on the afternoon to go along with his fumble recovery, while Krepps contributed a pair of stops.
