A version of this will also appear in the Beaver County Times. Please pick up a copy Sunday morning to support the newspaper and your favorite writer.
After spending his high school career using his speed running away from defenders, Myles Russ realized in his freshman year that he couldn’t do that at the college level. So he hit the weight room. His head coach, and opposing defenders, took notice.
“Last year he was a skinny little kid,” says Robert Morris head coach Joe Walton. “This year he’s matured, he lifted some weights in the offseason and got stronger, and I think it’s showing.”
Russ’ combination of strength and agility were on display on his first touchdown run. Taking the handoff from quarterback Erik Cwalinski, Russ cut to his left towards the far sideline. He met several Duquesne defenders, shrugged them off, and took off down the sideline with one man to beat. That man got just a hand on him, pushing Russ perilously close to the white line. But he tip-toed the final ten yards, showing off his footwork.
The footwork had to be the result of past work in dance or ballet, right?
Russ laughed and shook his head, “No ballet lessons. It’s just natural, man.”
Walton and Robert Morris fans know a few things about natural running backs. The first runner at RMU was Tim Hall, a game-changer that was drafted in the 6th round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. His NFL career was tragically cut short when he was murdered in 1998 in Kansas City. By that point, Sam Dorsett was breaking Hall’s program records in Moon Township. Dorsett is now Russ’ position coach under Walton, and those who remember the powerful “Sammy D” as a team leader may see some of Dorsett rubbing off on his protégé.
Russ has become a leader despite only being a sophomore. Walton pinned his team’s second quarter turnaround on Saturday on his running back.
“I think Myles kind of kicked some stuff into our guys,” he said.
Some of the Duquesne defenders might know how that feels.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Robert Morris 34, Duquesne 27
Game story. Article link will be added when it is posted to the Beaver County Times website.
Two years ago, Myles Russ was a tiny Florida scatback running away from defenses and piling up yardage as the South Florida Sun Sentinel 6A Player of the Year. His small stature kept the major schools away, but he found a home in Robert Morris and split time with Raphael Johnson as a freshman.
Even the most optimistic Colonials fan didn’t envision this
Russ set a school record with 37 carries, good for 246 yards and two touchdowns as Robert Morris knocked off the Duquesne Dukes 34-27 in a Northeast Conference game played in front of 3,942 fans at Joe Walton Stadium.
With an already intense rivalry now a conference battle, Russ went over 100 yards for the fourth time this season and over 200 yards for the second time.
“He’s been playing well every week,” said Colonials coach Joe Walton. “He’s making people miss, he’s busting tackles, and he’s got good speed. And the offensive line is starting to come together, which is helping him.”
Duquesne jumped out to an early 13-3 lead, but Russ reeled them back in with a highlight reel run late in the second quarter. The 5’9, 170 pound sophomore shook off several tackles as he approached the far sideline and walked a tightrope into the end zone. The referees took a moment to declare it a touchdown, much to the relief of Russ.
“I thought he was going to say I was out, but I knew I wasn’t,” Russ said. He laughed and added, “I wanted to finish it off because I was tired and I wanted to get the touchdown from there.”
Robert Morris snapped a four game losing streak with the victory, and the fact that it came in the rivalry game made it extra sweet.
“There’s been a lot of excitement generated on both campuses, and that’s good for both schools,” Walton said. Duquesne joined the Northeast Conference this year as a football only member after the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference lost several programs.
Duquesne lost some of their offensive consistency when starting quarterback Connor Dixon left the game in the first quarter with a left arm injury. Former starter Kevin Rombach, who lost the job in training camp to the Michigan State transfer, led the Dukes to their first 13 points.
With the score tied at halftime, Dukes coach Jerry Schmitt tried to juggle Rombach and Dixon throughout the second half. The two teams traded touchdowns through the beginning of the fourth quarter, but Duquesne stalled on offense and Robert Morris hammered home the win with a 12 play, 17-yard drive.
Regis Flowers capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown catch, but it was Myles Russ who ate up the clock. Russ carried the ball seven times on that drive, and five more times on the following one to run out the clock.
STATS:
Two years ago, Myles Russ was a tiny Florida scatback running away from defenses and piling up yardage as the South Florida Sun Sentinel 6A Player of the Year. His small stature kept the major schools away, but he found a home in Robert Morris and split time with Raphael Johnson as a freshman.
Even the most optimistic Colonials fan didn’t envision this
Russ set a school record with 37 carries, good for 246 yards and two touchdowns as Robert Morris knocked off the Duquesne Dukes 34-27 in a Northeast Conference game played in front of 3,942 fans at Joe Walton Stadium.
With an already intense rivalry now a conference battle, Russ went over 100 yards for the fourth time this season and over 200 yards for the second time.
“He’s been playing well every week,” said Colonials coach Joe Walton. “He’s making people miss, he’s busting tackles, and he’s got good speed. And the offensive line is starting to come together, which is helping him.”
Duquesne jumped out to an early 13-3 lead, but Russ reeled them back in with a highlight reel run late in the second quarter. The 5’9, 170 pound sophomore shook off several tackles as he approached the far sideline and walked a tightrope into the end zone. The referees took a moment to declare it a touchdown, much to the relief of Russ.
“I thought he was going to say I was out, but I knew I wasn’t,” Russ said. He laughed and added, “I wanted to finish it off because I was tired and I wanted to get the touchdown from there.”
Robert Morris snapped a four game losing streak with the victory, and the fact that it came in the rivalry game made it extra sweet.
“There’s been a lot of excitement generated on both campuses, and that’s good for both schools,” Walton said. Duquesne joined the Northeast Conference this year as a football only member after the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference lost several programs.
Duquesne lost some of their offensive consistency when starting quarterback Connor Dixon left the game in the first quarter with a left arm injury. Former starter Kevin Rombach, who lost the job in training camp to the Michigan State transfer, led the Dukes to their first 13 points.
With the score tied at halftime, Dukes coach Jerry Schmitt tried to juggle Rombach and Dixon throughout the second half. The two teams traded touchdowns through the beginning of the fourth quarter, but Duquesne stalled on offense and Robert Morris hammered home the win with a 12 play, 17-yard drive.
Regis Flowers capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown catch, but it was Myles Russ who ate up the clock. Russ carried the ball seven times on that drive, and five more times on the following one to run out the clock.
STATS:
DUQUESNE-TD, A Roberson 31 YD PASS FROM K Rombach (M
Troyan KICK) 9:02 1st Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-FG, G Clawson 21 YD 11:37 1st Qtr
DUQUESNE-FG, M Troyan 20 YD 2:49 2nd Qtr
DUQUESNE-FG, M Troyan 37 YD 8:44 2nd Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-TD, M Russ 51 YD RUN (G Clawson KICK) 10:23 2nd
Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-FG, G Clawson 35 YD 14:58 2nd Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-TD, T Green 5 YD PASS FROM E Cwalinski 4:59 3rd
Qtr
DUQUESNE-TD, C Williams 2 YD RUN (M Troyan KICK) 9:36 3rd
Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-TD, M Russ 18 YD RUN (J Kastelic RUN FOR
TWO-POINT CONVERSION) 13:41 3rd Qtr
DUQUESNE-TD, C Williams 1 YD RUN (M Troyan KICK) 3:29 4th
Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-TD, R Flowers 22 YD PASS FROM E Cwalinski (G
Clawson KICK) 9:59 4th Qtr
DUQUESNE ROBERT MORRIS
First downs 20 29
Rushed-yards 25-112 51-275
Passing yards 210 165
Sacked-yards lost 1-4 2-16
Return yards 26 0
Passes 19-35-0 13-23-1
Punts 3-42 1-35
Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-yards 4-44 4-39
Time of possession 26:43 33:17
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: DUQUESNE-Cleodis Williams 18-67, Greg Hough 3-29, Connor
Dixon 2-9, Kevin Rombach 2-7. ROBERT MORRIS-Myles Russ 37-246, Raphael
Johnson 6-32, Jeff Link 2-3, - Team 1-MINUS 1, Erik Cwalinski 5-MINUS
5.
PASSING: DUQUESNE-Connor Dixon 13-23-130- 0, Kevin Rombach 6-12-80- 0.
ROBERT MORRIS-Erik Cwalinski 13-21-165- 1. - Team 0-2-0- 0.
RECEIVING: DUQUESNE-Alex Roberson 5-98, Conrad Carter 4-36, Greg Hough
3-31, Sean Bunevich 3-19, Brooks Roorback 1-11, Michael Rasky 1-7,
Tyler Scruggs 1-6, Cleodis Williams 1-2. ROBERT MORRIS-Regis Flowers
3-49, T.J. Green 3-29, Chris Kozak 2-24, Jeff Link 2-19, James O'Quinn
1-17, Shadrea King 1-16, Raphael Johnson 1-11.
Att: 3,942
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Monmouth 34, Robert Morris 26
Stats have been added at the bottom of the game story. Official Beaver County Times link is here.
With less than three minutes left on the clock in the first half, Robert Morris coach Joe Walton saw an opportunity to shift momentum back to his Colonials.
Facing a 14-13 deficit, the Colonials stopped the Monmouth Hawks on third down at the Monmouth 45-yard line. When the Hawks’ Kevin Sterling tacked on a 15-yard personal foul, Walton had a choice to make. Does he take the penalty to make it third and 25? Or does he decline the penalty and make it fourth down, forcing a Monmouth punt that likely would have pinned Robert Morris deep in their own territory?
Walton chose to play the field position game. It would’ve worked, but as Monmouth quarterback Brett Burke threw the ball away on the replayed third down, Colonials defensive end Mark Syzmanski caught him around the knees and hauled him down. Flags flew, and what should have been fourth and a mile turned into a Hawks first down.
Three plays later, Monmouth scored to stretch their lead to 21-13 on their way to a 34-26 road victory in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams.
“I was trying to get field position,” Walton said. “One of the problems we’ve had the past couple of weeks is field position. Any time we get the ball, we’ve had 80 yards to go, so I was trying to get better field position.”
One week after turnovers and mistakes helped Dayton torch the Colonials 31-14, penalties and mental errors cost Robert Morris a chance to snap a two-game slide. Robert Morris didn’t turn the ball over but committed eight penalties for 123 yards, with nearly all of them seemingly coming at crucial moments in the ball game.
“Penalties and mistakes are beating us,” Walton said. We’re beating ourselves.”
The mistakes also wiped out a tremendous performance from Myles Russ. The sophomore running back ran for 205 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown.
“I’d rather take the win,” said an exhausted Russ. “It feels good to do this, but it’s all about winning. We just have to get the whole team to have a whole game.”
Russ pulled the Colonials within a single score early in the fourth quarter, capping an 86-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run. Russ picked up 65 of the yards on his own.
Despite the loss, Russ and the Colonials still see plenty of time to put things back together in the Northeast Conference.
"It was a tough one today,” Russ said, “but if we keep on working, then we’ve still got a chance to win the conference.”
With less than three minutes left on the clock in the first half, Robert Morris coach Joe Walton saw an opportunity to shift momentum back to his Colonials.
Facing a 14-13 deficit, the Colonials stopped the Monmouth Hawks on third down at the Monmouth 45-yard line. When the Hawks’ Kevin Sterling tacked on a 15-yard personal foul, Walton had a choice to make. Does he take the penalty to make it third and 25? Or does he decline the penalty and make it fourth down, forcing a Monmouth punt that likely would have pinned Robert Morris deep in their own territory?
Walton chose to play the field position game. It would’ve worked, but as Monmouth quarterback Brett Burke threw the ball away on the replayed third down, Colonials defensive end Mark Syzmanski caught him around the knees and hauled him down. Flags flew, and what should have been fourth and a mile turned into a Hawks first down.
Three plays later, Monmouth scored to stretch their lead to 21-13 on their way to a 34-26 road victory in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams.
“I was trying to get field position,” Walton said. “One of the problems we’ve had the past couple of weeks is field position. Any time we get the ball, we’ve had 80 yards to go, so I was trying to get better field position.”
One week after turnovers and mistakes helped Dayton torch the Colonials 31-14, penalties and mental errors cost Robert Morris a chance to snap a two-game slide. Robert Morris didn’t turn the ball over but committed eight penalties for 123 yards, with nearly all of them seemingly coming at crucial moments in the ball game.
“Penalties and mistakes are beating us,” Walton said. We’re beating ourselves.”
The mistakes also wiped out a tremendous performance from Myles Russ. The sophomore running back ran for 205 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown.
“I’d rather take the win,” said an exhausted Russ. “It feels good to do this, but it’s all about winning. We just have to get the whole team to have a whole game.”
Russ pulled the Colonials within a single score early in the fourth quarter, capping an 86-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run. Russ picked up 65 of the yards on his own.
Despite the loss, Russ and the Colonials still see plenty of time to put things back together in the Northeast Conference.
"It was a tough one today,” Russ said, “but if we keep on working, then we’ve still got a chance to win the conference.”
Scoring Summary:
1st 07:49 MU - NALBONE, John 10 yd pass from BURKE, Brett (WEINGART, Fred kick)
13 plays, 72 yards, TOP 7:11, MU 7 - RMU 0
2nd 13:36 RMU - FLOWERS, Regis 8 yd pass from CWALINSKI, Erik (CLAWSON,Garrett kick)
5 plays, 57 yards, TOP 1:47, MU 7 - RMU 7
11:02 MU - SALOMON, Rodney 36 yd run (WEINGART, Fred kick)
4 plays, 62 yards, TOP 2:27, MU 14 - RMU 7
03:05 RMU - O'QUINN, James 12 yd pass from CWALINSKI, Erik (CLAWSON,Garrett kick failed)
6 plays, 78 yards, TOP 2:16, MU 14 - RMU 13
01:38 MU - YUDIN, Troy 46 yd pass from BURKE, Brett (WEINGART, Fred kick)
6 plays, 72 yards, TOP 1:22, MU 21 - RMU 13
3rd 10:30 RMU - KING, Shadrae 11 yd pass from CWALINSKI, Erik (JOHNSON,Raphael rush failed)
10 plays, 76 yards, TOP 4:25, MU 21 - RMU 19
04:58 MU - SINISI, David 9 yd run (WEINGART, Fred kick)
14 plays, 76 yards, TOP 5:25, MU 28 - RMU 19
4th 14:54 MU - GILES, Bobby 1 yd run (WEINGART, Fred kick failed)
7 plays, 70 yards, TOP 3:26, MU 34 - RMU 19
13:05 RMU - RUSS, Myles 11 yd run (CLAWSON,Garrett kick)
4 plays, 86 yards, TOP 1:43, MU 34 - RMU 26
Rushing No Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg
-------------------------------------------------
RUSS, Myles 25 206 1 205 1 54 8.2
LINK, Jeff 2 6 0 6 0 4 3.0
JOHNSON,Raphael 1 1 0 1 0 1 1.0
CWALINSKI, Erik 3 0 14 -14 0 0 -4.7
Totals... 31 213 15 198 1 54 6.4
Passing Att-Cmp-Int Yds TD Long Sack
-------------------------------------------------
CWALINSKI, Erik 23-11-0 197 3 45 2
Totals... 23-11-0 197 3 45 2
Receiving No. Yds TD Long
----------------------------------------
FLOWERS, Regis 4 53 1 18
KING, Shadrae 3 65 1 45
O'QUINN, James 3 50 1 20
GREEN, T.J. 1 29 0 29
Totals... 11 197 3 45
Punting No. Yds Avg Long In20 TB
---------------------------------------------------
SCHIRTZINGER,N. 4 187 46.8 59 2 0
Totals... 4 187 46.8 59 2 0
Punts Kickoffs Intercept
All Returns No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg
--------------------------------------------------
O'QUINN, James 0 0 0 1 14 14 0 0 0
KOZAK, Chris 2 2 2 5 86 26 0 0 0
Totals... 2 2 2 6 100 26 0 0 0
Field goal attempts
----------------------------------------
Kickoffs No. Yds TB OB Avg
---------------------------------------
CLAWSON,Garrett 5 291 0 0 58.2
Kickoff time: 1:00 pm End of Game: 3:45 pm Total elapsed time: 2:45
Officials: Referee: Michael Davis; Umpire: Jim Kauffman; Linesman: Jeffrey Bower;
Line judge: Robert Hefferon; Back judge: Joseph Yochim; Field judge: Daniel Aminoff;
Side judge: Rich Donofrio;
Temperature: 72 Wind: E @ 5mph Weather: partly cloudy
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Bucknell 17, Robert Morris 14
Once again, the game recap that will appear in some format in tomorrow's Beaver County Times and online at timesonline.com. Here's the link.
What should have been a statement by Robert Morris ended up a crumbled mess tossed into a trash can. The Colonials had the game-winning touchdown called back because of an illegal shift penalty and the game-tying field goal blocked, all within the span of 15 seconds, as they lost 17-14 to the Bucknell Bison at Joe Walton Stadium.
The inaugural meeting was placed on the schedule as Robert Morris and the rest of the Northeast Conference prepares for their inclusion in the Division I FCS Playoffs beginning in 2010. But Bucknell survived the upset bid by capitalizing on several mistakes by the Colonials, much to the dismay of head coach Joe Walton.
“I can’t say it any better than to say that we beat ourselves. It was a good, hard fought football game, we had a chance to win it at the end, and we didn’t deliver,” said Walton.
It certainly started well for the Colonials. Bucknell marched down the field on their opening drive, but junior safety Michael Landers picked off a Marcello Trigg pass and Robert Morris looked to capitalize.
“He threw it underneath, but he threw it short, so I just broke on the ball and made a play,” Landers said.
Three plays later, Colonials quarterback Erik Cwalinski pitched the ball to Myles Russ, who tossed it back to Cwalinski across the field. The senior then heaved the ball downfield into the arms of Sherrod Evers for a 43-yard touchdown.
Bucknell struck back with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Trigg to Alex Lair and a 44-yard field goal by Will Carney before the half, setting up a mistake-filled final two quarters.
Myles Russ broke a 68-yard touchdown run for the Colonials to make it 14-10 Robert Morris early in the third quarter, but fumbles by Cwalinski, Evers, and fullback Jeff Link prevented Robert Morris from adding on.
After Bucknell scored on a halfback option pass from Nolan Applegate to Alex Odenbach, both teams struggled to get anywhere offensively until the final two minutes of the game. Robert Morris blocked a Bison field goal attempt, and with no timeouts remaining, used a combination of quick passes and Bison penalties to drive to the 1-yard line. With 15 seconds left on the clock, Russ dove over the top of the pile to score, only to have it called back for an illegal shift.
“It was our receivers. Sherrod knew that he was [lined up] wrong, so he tried to get James [O’Quinn], our freshman wide receiver, off of the ball and Erik snapped the ball,” Walton said. “We were in the two-minute drill and we always use split right all the time, so why they got confused, I have no idea.”
Two more passes from the six-yard line fell incomplete, and Garrett Clawson’s kick was blocked at the line with no time remaining.
What should have been a statement by Robert Morris ended up a crumbled mess tossed into a trash can. The Colonials had the game-winning touchdown called back because of an illegal shift penalty and the game-tying field goal blocked, all within the span of 15 seconds, as they lost 17-14 to the Bucknell Bison at Joe Walton Stadium.
The inaugural meeting was placed on the schedule as Robert Morris and the rest of the Northeast Conference prepares for their inclusion in the Division I FCS Playoffs beginning in 2010. But Bucknell survived the upset bid by capitalizing on several mistakes by the Colonials, much to the dismay of head coach Joe Walton.
“I can’t say it any better than to say that we beat ourselves. It was a good, hard fought football game, we had a chance to win it at the end, and we didn’t deliver,” said Walton.
It certainly started well for the Colonials. Bucknell marched down the field on their opening drive, but junior safety Michael Landers picked off a Marcello Trigg pass and Robert Morris looked to capitalize.
“He threw it underneath, but he threw it short, so I just broke on the ball and made a play,” Landers said.
Three plays later, Colonials quarterback Erik Cwalinski pitched the ball to Myles Russ, who tossed it back to Cwalinski across the field. The senior then heaved the ball downfield into the arms of Sherrod Evers for a 43-yard touchdown.
Bucknell struck back with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Trigg to Alex Lair and a 44-yard field goal by Will Carney before the half, setting up a mistake-filled final two quarters.
Myles Russ broke a 68-yard touchdown run for the Colonials to make it 14-10 Robert Morris early in the third quarter, but fumbles by Cwalinski, Evers, and fullback Jeff Link prevented Robert Morris from adding on.
After Bucknell scored on a halfback option pass from Nolan Applegate to Alex Odenbach, both teams struggled to get anywhere offensively until the final two minutes of the game. Robert Morris blocked a Bison field goal attempt, and with no timeouts remaining, used a combination of quick passes and Bison penalties to drive to the 1-yard line. With 15 seconds left on the clock, Russ dove over the top of the pile to score, only to have it called back for an illegal shift.
“It was our receivers. Sherrod knew that he was [lined up] wrong, so he tried to get James [O’Quinn], our freshman wide receiver, off of the ball and Erik snapped the ball,” Walton said. “We were in the two-minute drill and we always use split right all the time, so why they got confused, I have no idea.”
Two more passes from the six-yard line fell incomplete, and Garrett Clawson’s kick was blocked at the line with no time remaining.
ROBERT MORRIS-TD, S Evers 43 YD PASS FROM E Cwalinski (G
Clawson KICK) 6:16 1st Qtr
BUCKNELL-TD, A Lair 10 YD PASS FROM M Trigg (W Carney
KICK) 7:41 2nd Qtr
BUCKNELL-FG, W Carney 44 YD 15:00 2nd Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-TD, M Russ 68 YD RUN (G Clawson KICK) 0:31 3rd
Qtr
BUCKNELL-TD, A Odenbach 26 YD PASS FROM N Applegate (W
Carney KICK) 7:14 3rd Qtr
BUCKNELL ROBERT MORRIS
First downs 20 15
Rushed-yards 54-190 26-110
Passing yards 156 265
Sacked-yards lost 1-8 3-19
Return yards 9 37
Passes 11-17-1 15-25-0
Punts 4-42 3-44
Fumbles-lost 1-0 3-3
Penalties-yards 9-92 8-80
Time of possession 37:31 22:29
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: BUCKNELL-Ryan Smith 13-60, A.J. Kizekai 13-50, Marcello Trigg
10-26, Kevin Mullen 8-25, Andrew Lair 6-21, Josh Lee 1-5, Nolan
Applegate 2-4, - Team 1-MINUS 1. ROBERT MORRIS-Myles Russ 14-93, Jeff
Link 4-13, Erik Cwalinski 6-2, Raphael Johnson 2-2.
PASSING: BUCKNELL-Marcello Trigg 10-16-130- 1, Nolan Applegate 1-1-26-
0. ROBERT MORRIS-Erik Cwalinski 15-25-265- 0.
RECEIVING: BUCKNELL-Shaun Pasternak 3-60, A.J. Kizekai 3-54, Alex
Odenbach 2-30, Alex Lair 1-10, Cale Cadman 1-3, Ryan Smith 1-MINUS 1.
ROBERT MORRIS-Sherrod Evers 7-118, James O'Quinn 3-78, Chris Kozak
3-48, Regis Flowers 1-11, Myles Russ 1-10.
Att: 2,347
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Robert Morris 27, Morehead State 13
This is the official game story I wrote up for the Beaver County Times. You'll see it online and in your papers tomorrow morning. Stats are included at the bottom.
Coming into the 2008 season, Robert Morris coach Joe Walton wanted to key on establishing an offensive running game and stopping the run. His team did both Saturday, as the Colonials won their season opener against Morehead State 27-13 at Joe Walton Stadium in a non-conference game.
After watching his team stumble to a 99th ranked rushing defense (208 yards per game) in a 4-6 season last year, Walton installed a 3-4 defense to take advantage of depth at linebacker. It paid off immediately, as Morehead State rarely advanced the ball past the 50-yard line in the first half and the Colonials ran out to a 27-0 lead.
“We have some pretty good linebackers that can run and are good blitzers. I think this defense is more suited for a 3-4. The emergence of our linebackers is what really gave us the key,” Walton said.
While the defense stuffed the Eagles, sophomore running back Myles Russ found room behind the offensive line. Russ, who ran 19 times for 148 yards, keyed the first score of the game when he spun out of several tackles on a 21-yard gain. That set up a 1-yard plunge by sophomore fullback Jesse Kastelic.
Russ broke several long runs throughout the day, and had a lot of praise for his offensive line. “I didn’t really see their defensive line get any pressure,” he said, “And just being able to get to that second level [of the defense] was a big part of it.”
After two Garrett Clawson field goals in the second quarter, the Colonials saw further benefits of the running game when senior quarterback Erik Cwalinski hit senior wide receiver Sherrod Evers for a 31-yard touchdown strike. Evers leapt into the air to snag the ball at the one-yard line, a pass that was thrown only after a more confident Cwalinski bought time in the pocket to find his receiver.
“I feel a lot more comfortable,” Cwalinski said. “I did a lot of things today that I usually never do. I checked out of a lot of different plays today, and got Sherrod the ball a couple of times.”
After another Kastelic touchdown midway through the third, Morehead State began mounting a comeback. Michael Kearns scored from the one and quarterback Evan Sawyer hit Nick Feldman for a 51-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-13. But, on the final drive, junior linebacker Adam Lawrence teamed with senior defensive end Shannon Smoot to sack Sawyer and end the comeback bid.
“There’s not nearly as much pressure as last year or the year before, when we had an older team,” Lawrence said. “People don’t expect much, so you don’t get much pressure. That helps us out because when you’re not under pressure, you play a lot better.”
Robert Morris continues their non-conference slate with their inaugural meeting against Bucknell on September 13th at 1:00 at Joe Walton Stadium.
Coming into the 2008 season, Robert Morris coach Joe Walton wanted to key on establishing an offensive running game and stopping the run. His team did both Saturday, as the Colonials won their season opener against Morehead State 27-13 at Joe Walton Stadium in a non-conference game.
After watching his team stumble to a 99th ranked rushing defense (208 yards per game) in a 4-6 season last year, Walton installed a 3-4 defense to take advantage of depth at linebacker. It paid off immediately, as Morehead State rarely advanced the ball past the 50-yard line in the first half and the Colonials ran out to a 27-0 lead.
“We have some pretty good linebackers that can run and are good blitzers. I think this defense is more suited for a 3-4. The emergence of our linebackers is what really gave us the key,” Walton said.
While the defense stuffed the Eagles, sophomore running back Myles Russ found room behind the offensive line. Russ, who ran 19 times for 148 yards, keyed the first score of the game when he spun out of several tackles on a 21-yard gain. That set up a 1-yard plunge by sophomore fullback Jesse Kastelic.
Russ broke several long runs throughout the day, and had a lot of praise for his offensive line. “I didn’t really see their defensive line get any pressure,” he said, “And just being able to get to that second level [of the defense] was a big part of it.”
After two Garrett Clawson field goals in the second quarter, the Colonials saw further benefits of the running game when senior quarterback Erik Cwalinski hit senior wide receiver Sherrod Evers for a 31-yard touchdown strike. Evers leapt into the air to snag the ball at the one-yard line, a pass that was thrown only after a more confident Cwalinski bought time in the pocket to find his receiver.
“I feel a lot more comfortable,” Cwalinski said. “I did a lot of things today that I usually never do. I checked out of a lot of different plays today, and got Sherrod the ball a couple of times.”
After another Kastelic touchdown midway through the third, Morehead State began mounting a comeback. Michael Kearns scored from the one and quarterback Evan Sawyer hit Nick Feldman for a 51-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-13. But, on the final drive, junior linebacker Adam Lawrence teamed with senior defensive end Shannon Smoot to sack Sawyer and end the comeback bid.
“There’s not nearly as much pressure as last year or the year before, when we had an older team,” Lawrence said. “People don’t expect much, so you don’t get much pressure. That helps us out because when you’re not under pressure, you play a lot better.”
Robert Morris continues their non-conference slate with their inaugural meeting against Bucknell on September 13th at 1:00 at Joe Walton Stadium.
ROBERT MORRIS-TD, J Kastelic 1 YD RUN (G Clawson KICK) 10:27
1st Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-FG, G Clawson 22 YD 4:30 2nd Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-FG, G Clawson 35 YD 14:31 2nd Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-TD, S Evers 31 YD PASS FROM E Cwalinski (G
Clawson KICK) 14:31 2nd Qtr
ROBERT MORRIS-TD, J Kastelic 1 YD RUN (G Clawson KICK) 8:03 3rd
Qtr
MOREHEAD ST-TD, M Kearns 1 YD RUN (TWO-POINT CONVERSION
FAILED) 11:44 3rd Qtr
MOREHEAD ST-TD, N Feldman 51 YD PASS FROM E Sawyer (M Webb
KICK) 0:48 4th Qtr
MOREHEAD ST ROBERT MORRIS
First downs 11 18
Rushed-yards 29-34 45-177
Passing yards 205 225
Sacked-yards lost 1-10 2-17
Return yards 26 24
Passes 14-29-2 16-27-1
Punts 7-40.7 4-41
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-47 4-31
Time of possession 22:53 37:07
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: MOREHEAD ST-Michael Kearns 8-24, Drew Morgan 2-8, Cory
Jackson 2-8, Erick Fitzpatrick 2-4, Jerrod Pendleton 2-3, Evan Sawyer
13-MINUS 13. ROBERT MORRIS-Myles Russ 19-132, Raphael Johnson 9-33,
Jeff Link 9-16, Jesse Kastelic 3-6, Karey Murray 1-1, . TEAM 1-MINUS
1, Erik Cwalinski 3-MINUS 10.
PASSING: MOREHEAD ST-Evan Sawyer 14-29-205- 2. ROBERT MORRIS-Erik
Cwalinski 16-27-225- 1.
RECEIVING: MOREHEAD ST-Nick Feldman 5-93, Michael Shannon 3-42, Erick
Fitzpatrick 1-26, Brendan McLaughlin 1-13, Andre Williams 1-13, Drew
Morgan 2-9, Cory Jackson 1-9. ROBERT MORRIS-Sherrod Evers 10-159,
James O'Quinn 1-28, Raphael Johnson 2-22, Regis Flowers 2-13, Jeff
Link 1-3.
Att: 1,763
Friday, September 5, 2008
Robert Morris vs Morehead State Preview
The time has finally come. Put away the tackling dummies, toss the red no-contact jerseys in the laundry basket, and shine up the game ball, because the season is about to begin.
Everyone remembers the bizarre ending to this one last year, a 9-8 thriller where the Colonials and Eagles used stout defenses to keep the score close. The finish - a Karey Murray touchdown, a failed 2 point conversion, and a fumble recovery on the kickoff - led to the Colonials walking out of Kentucky with a surprise win. Considering the amount of points put up by the Eagles offense in subsequent weeks, it was a game that offered hope for RMU fans. Unfortunately, it was never realized.
Hope is in the air again this week, with lots of new faces getting starts and/or significant playing time. Morehead State expects to challenge defending champion Dayton for a Pioneer League title - the Colonials get the flyers in Ohio on September 20th - while RMU hopes to put together it's young talent and make a run at the NEC title earlier than expected.
TV/RADIO - WPIT 730AM and video stream courtesy of RoMo TV on www.rmucolonials.com
INJURIES - SS Nathan Argenta (out - foot), OL Brad Rodgers (questionable - knee), SS David Pittman (probable - shoulder), OL Chris Setticase (probable - back), DB Rolf Bathold (probable - shoulder)
WHAT TO WATCH FOR - Watch to see when and if RMU slips into the 3-4. If they do, Ian Milanak will slip inside and Robert Williams will come on to be the outside linebacker, with Walton anchoring Smoot and Syzmanski.
RMU STARTERS and (backups)
WR - Sherrod Evers/James O'Quinn (Chris Kozak/TJ Green)
LT - Joe Setticase (Chris Setticase)
LG - Ian Margerum (Brad Rodgers)
C - Sam Miller (Justin Keller)
RG - Corey Konycki (Logan Miles)
RT - Carlos Andrade (Ian Margerum)
TE - Chris Molnar (Regis Flowers)
FB - Jeff Link (Jesse Kastelic)
RB - Myles Russ (Raphael Johnson)
QB - Erik Cwalinski (Camdin Crouse)
DE - Shannon Smoot (Ryan Catley)
DT - Andy Walton (Mike Burkett)
DT - Chris Roberts (Gavin Marshall)
DE - Mark Syzmanski (James Murphy)
LB - Adam Lawrence (Ryan Nearhoof)
MLB - Alex DiMichele (Elias Navarro)
LB - Ian Milanak (Robert Williams)
CB - James Snider (Michael Richards)
SS - Troy Cree (David Pittman)
FS - Michael Landers (Joey Wines)
CB - Rolf Bathold (Barry Nowell)
K - Garrett Clawson
P - Nick Schirtzinger
KR - James O'Quinn and Chris Kozak
Everyone remembers the bizarre ending to this one last year, a 9-8 thriller where the Colonials and Eagles used stout defenses to keep the score close. The finish - a Karey Murray touchdown, a failed 2 point conversion, and a fumble recovery on the kickoff - led to the Colonials walking out of Kentucky with a surprise win. Considering the amount of points put up by the Eagles offense in subsequent weeks, it was a game that offered hope for RMU fans. Unfortunately, it was never realized.
Hope is in the air again this week, with lots of new faces getting starts and/or significant playing time. Morehead State expects to challenge defending champion Dayton for a Pioneer League title - the Colonials get the flyers in Ohio on September 20th - while RMU hopes to put together it's young talent and make a run at the NEC title earlier than expected.
TV/RADIO - WPIT 730AM and video stream courtesy of RoMo TV on www.rmucolonials.com
INJURIES - SS Nathan Argenta (out - foot), OL Brad Rodgers (questionable - knee), SS David Pittman (probable - shoulder), OL Chris Setticase (probable - back), DB Rolf Bathold (probable - shoulder)
WHAT TO WATCH FOR - Watch to see when and if RMU slips into the 3-4. If they do, Ian Milanak will slip inside and Robert Williams will come on to be the outside linebacker, with Walton anchoring Smoot and Syzmanski.
RMU STARTERS and (backups)
WR - Sherrod Evers/James O'Quinn (Chris Kozak/TJ Green)
LT - Joe Setticase (Chris Setticase)
LG - Ian Margerum (Brad Rodgers)
C - Sam Miller (Justin Keller)
RG - Corey Konycki (Logan Miles)
RT - Carlos Andrade (Ian Margerum)
TE - Chris Molnar (Regis Flowers)
FB - Jeff Link (Jesse Kastelic)
RB - Myles Russ (Raphael Johnson)
QB - Erik Cwalinski (Camdin Crouse)
DE - Shannon Smoot (Ryan Catley)
DT - Andy Walton (Mike Burkett)
DT - Chris Roberts (Gavin Marshall)
DE - Mark Syzmanski (James Murphy)
LB - Adam Lawrence (Ryan Nearhoof)
MLB - Alex DiMichele (Elias Navarro)
LB - Ian Milanak (Robert Williams)
CB - James Snider (Michael Richards)
SS - Troy Cree (David Pittman)
FS - Michael Landers (Joey Wines)
CB - Rolf Bathold (Barry Nowell)
K - Garrett Clawson
P - Nick Schirtzinger
KR - James O'Quinn and Chris Kozak
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Scrimmage Notes 8/29
Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was just the natural sluggishness at the end of camp, but this was not a quality showing from your Robert Morris Colonials. Hopefully they're just tired of facing each other and are ready for new competition, and Joe Walton's short temper today isn't indicative of things to come.
THE WEATHER
High 80s, very warm, very sunny.
WHAT'S THAT?
They haven't unveiled it much, but it was enough to give you pause. And they didn't use it much today, but it was at least more recognizable. Not only is the 3-4 being used on defense (with still a healthy dose of 4-3, so as to keep things interesting), but the shotgun formation is now a part of the Robert Morris offense. Fans have wanted more diversity, and they're going to get that. Lots of new looks besides just lining the QB up further behind the center. The offense overall is about equally effective no matter what formation is used.
NOTES
- Shadrae King earned a return or two on kick coverage along with Leonard Dexter and the usual combination of Michael Blanchard and Chris Kozak.
- Lots of bad throws, lots of drops today. If I had to rank the QBs on order of performance, I'd go with Crouse-Smetanka-Cwalinski-Brentley. But none were outstanding. They all had multiple rough patches.
- Myles Russ was the only back that brought anything of substance. Karey Murray showed some physicality, but didn't break anything.
- Garrett Clawson was the only kicker used today. He was 1/1 on FG chances and 2/4 on PATs.
DRIVE BY DRIVE SCRIMMAGE RECAP
Drive 1 (first team offense vs first team defense) - The offense didn't really get anywhere, as the defense stepped and stopped the O before it could gain much yardage.
Drive 2 (first vs first) - Myles Russ took matters into his own hands and ripped off a 65 yard run before running out of steam and being caught by the speedy secondary. James O'Quinn made a nice, spinning, juggling catch in the endzone for the TD pass from Cwalinski.
Drive 3 (first vs first) - Three and out for the offense, with LB Robert Williams shutting things down with a sack.
Drive 4 (second team offense vs second team defense) - Yet another defensive stop, with absolutely nothing doing on offense.
Drive 5 (first vs first) - Cwalinski and company get a long drive going this time around, with Sherrod Evers making a great diving catch. Ended with a Clawson FG.
Drive 6 (first vs second) - The second long drive in a row ended with Evers charging into the end zone after catching a short pass.
Drive 7 (third vs third) - A horrible display of football, with both sides running into mistakes and disorganization. So awful that the offense was removed after this series.
Drive 8 (second vs third) - Crouse gets things in gear and engineers a nice drive, ending with a lob into the back of the endzone to Shadrae King.
Drive 9 (mix vs mix) - Elements of all sides of the depth chart get used on both sides of the ball, ending in a defensive stop.
Drive 10 (mix vs mix) - Continued mixing and matching, getting additional players some PT. With Crouse at QB, the drive ends when a pass is tipped and almost intercepted.
Drive 11 (3rd vs 3rd) - Brentley comes in at QB instead of Smetanka. With the play breaking down, he completes an air mail to new TE Cody Godding (a former DE), and then tosses a touchdown to King.
Drive 12/13 (mix vs mix) - Another defensive stop and lots of confusion ends with time running out and the scrimmage ending.
Overall, I'd give the "victory" to the defense, mostly because the offense couldn't get out of its own way. Multiple timeouts, multiple periods of confusion, and a generally frustrated coaching staff.
OVERHEARD
"You're lollygagging! You're not going to play if you're lollygagging!" - Joe Walton to freshman WR James O'Quinn
STARTERS
Click here for the full depth chart.
THE WEATHER
High 80s, very warm, very sunny.
WHAT'S THAT?
They haven't unveiled it much, but it was enough to give you pause. And they didn't use it much today, but it was at least more recognizable. Not only is the 3-4 being used on defense (with still a healthy dose of 4-3, so as to keep things interesting), but the shotgun formation is now a part of the Robert Morris offense. Fans have wanted more diversity, and they're going to get that. Lots of new looks besides just lining the QB up further behind the center. The offense overall is about equally effective no matter what formation is used.
NOTES
- Shadrae King earned a return or two on kick coverage along with Leonard Dexter and the usual combination of Michael Blanchard and Chris Kozak.
- Lots of bad throws, lots of drops today. If I had to rank the QBs on order of performance, I'd go with Crouse-Smetanka-Cwalinski-Brentley. But none were outstanding. They all had multiple rough patches.
- Myles Russ was the only back that brought anything of substance. Karey Murray showed some physicality, but didn't break anything.
- Garrett Clawson was the only kicker used today. He was 1/1 on FG chances and 2/4 on PATs.
DRIVE BY DRIVE SCRIMMAGE RECAP
Drive 1 (first team offense vs first team defense) - The offense didn't really get anywhere, as the defense stepped and stopped the O before it could gain much yardage.
Drive 2 (first vs first) - Myles Russ took matters into his own hands and ripped off a 65 yard run before running out of steam and being caught by the speedy secondary. James O'Quinn made a nice, spinning, juggling catch in the endzone for the TD pass from Cwalinski.
Drive 3 (first vs first) - Three and out for the offense, with LB Robert Williams shutting things down with a sack.
Drive 4 (second team offense vs second team defense) - Yet another defensive stop, with absolutely nothing doing on offense.
Drive 5 (first vs first) - Cwalinski and company get a long drive going this time around, with Sherrod Evers making a great diving catch. Ended with a Clawson FG.
Drive 6 (first vs second) - The second long drive in a row ended with Evers charging into the end zone after catching a short pass.
Drive 7 (third vs third) - A horrible display of football, with both sides running into mistakes and disorganization. So awful that the offense was removed after this series.
Drive 8 (second vs third) - Crouse gets things in gear and engineers a nice drive, ending with a lob into the back of the endzone to Shadrae King.
Drive 9 (mix vs mix) - Elements of all sides of the depth chart get used on both sides of the ball, ending in a defensive stop.
Drive 10 (mix vs mix) - Continued mixing and matching, getting additional players some PT. With Crouse at QB, the drive ends when a pass is tipped and almost intercepted.
Drive 11 (3rd vs 3rd) - Brentley comes in at QB instead of Smetanka. With the play breaking down, he completes an air mail to new TE Cody Godding (a former DE), and then tosses a touchdown to King.
Drive 12/13 (mix vs mix) - Another defensive stop and lots of confusion ends with time running out and the scrimmage ending.
Overall, I'd give the "victory" to the defense, mostly because the offense couldn't get out of its own way. Multiple timeouts, multiple periods of confusion, and a generally frustrated coaching staff.
OVERHEARD
"You're lollygagging! You're not going to play if you're lollygagging!" - Joe Walton to freshman WR James O'Quinn
STARTERS
Click here for the full depth chart.
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