Nov. 10, 2007

Final Stats

CORAOPOLIS, Pa. (AP) -Erik Cwalinski threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns, two to Alvin Hill, and Shannon Smoot returned an interception for another score as Robert Morris opened a big second-half lead then hung on to beat Sacred Heart 41-31 on Saturday.

Robert Morris (4-6, 3-3 Northeast Conference) led 21-16 at the half on Cwalinski's touchdown passes to Hill for 44 and 19 yards and a 1-yard run by Karey Murray. Sacred Heart (3-8, 0-6) stayed close early as Jason Payne scored on a 15-yard run and a 6-yard pass from Dale Fink, sandwiching a 22-yard field goal by Joe Schroeder.

But Robert Morris broke the game open when Smoot returned a Fink interception 45 yards on Sacred Heart's first possession of the second half. Fink completed 20 of 36 passes for 231 yards, but also threw three interceptions, two in the second half.

Cwalinski gave Robert Morris a 34-16 lead when he threw 6 yards to Mario Hines late in the third quarter and made it 41-16 early in the fourth when he ran 8 yards for another score.

That's when Fink settled down and led Sacred Heart on two long scoring drives.

Fink threw 10 yards to Jason Payne capping a 13-play, 76-yard drive. Fink's conversion pass to Chris Rapp made the score 41-24.

After Robert Morris turned the ball over on downs, Sacred Heart drove 62 yards in seven plays with Corey Bundy scoring on a 24-yard pass from Fink to make it 41-31.

Sacred Heart could not recover the ensuing kickoff, however, and Robert Morris ran out the final 3:13 in the game.