Oct. 5, 2002

Final Stats

FAIRFIELD, CT - Senior kicker Tim Redican (Meriden, CT) tied his own school record withfour field goals in a game, while senior defensive end Odain Mitchell (Bridgeport, CT) had four QB sacks to help Sacred Heart University to a 34-0 win over visiting Robert Morris University in a Northeast Conference football tilt Saturday afternoon. It was the first time Robert Morris had been shutout in its history since starting football in 1994, and also is the largest margin of defeat ever for the Colonials.

Sacred Heart, now 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the NEC, took advantage of six Robert Morris turnovers in the game. The first came with 6:15 left in the first quarter when sophomore running back Develand Campbell fumbled on his own nine, and Mitchell scooped it up for the Pioneers and returned it to the six. SHU tried three straight runs from the Colonial six, but managed to get just to the one. The Pioneers settled for a 17-yard field goal by Redican.

On their next possession Robert Morris started at their own 19 but a holding penalty on second down pushed them back to the ten. On the next play Mitchell hauled down Colonial QB Shawn Martin in the endzone for a safety and a 5-0 SHU lead.

The Pioneers got a 44-yard kickoff return by senior Pete Athans (Ocean, NJ) on the ensuing kick to the Robert Morris 29. They managed to get to the Robert Morris 14 before stalling and Redican made it 8-0 with a 31-yard field goal.

Early in the second quarter Mitchell again got to the Robert Morris QB, forcing him to fumble. Senior Blake Neri (Dover, NH) picked up the loose ball and ran it to the Robert Morris 20 before he was shoved out of bounds. The Pioneer offense was again unable to punch the ball in the end zone and Redican booted his third field goal of the game, this time from 25 yards out, to make it 11-0.

The longest Sacred Heart drive of the game came at the start of the third quarter. A punt return by Athans gave the Pioneers the ball at the Robert Morris 49. Eleven plays later Sacred Heart QB Joe Kroells (Burbank, CA) dove over from one yard out to make it 18-0.

The Colonials started at their own 21 on the next drive, and on Martin's second pass attempt, Neri intercepted the pass and ran it in 30 yards for a TD. The extra point attempt was blocked, but the Pioneers had a 24-0 lead with 5:41 to go in the third.

Robert Morris had its best chance to score on its next drive. Starting at their own 35, a Martin scramble for 18 yards and a 30-yard run by Campbell brought the ball to the SHU 11. Two runs by Campbell got the ball to the seven and a Martin pass on third down was incomplete. The Colonials went for it on fourth down and a handoff to Campbell was snuffed out by SHU's Shaun Hubbard (Neptune, NJ) at the four and the Pioneers took over on downs.

The Pioneers added a 27-yard field goal by Redican midway through the fourth quarter, and closed out the scoring with a seven-play, 50-yard drive with 2:12 left capped by a four-yard TD run by freshman Ed Pricolo (Johnston, RI). Pricolo would finish with a game-high 115 yards rushing.

The loss dropped Robert Morris to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the NEC. The shutout marked the first time the Pioneers have ever recorded back-to-back blankings. SHU shut out St. Francis (PA) 28-0 last week.