Pioneer Vision Post Game Report with Quarterback Dale
Fink
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sacred Heart r-senior
quarterback Dale
Fink (Swansea, IL) connected with
r-sophomore Sean
Kessler (Huntington, NY) on a 47-yard touchdown with
1:07 left to give the Pioneers a 31-28 lead but Robert Morris
answered back with a score in the waning seconds to steal away a
35-31 win Saturday afternoon on Campus Field. Colonial
quarterback Jeff Sinclair hooked-up with tight end Shadrae King for
the third time to cap a five-play, 60 yard drive with just 17
seconds left to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat in the
Northeast Conference opener for both clubs.
The Pioneers (1-1, 0-1 NEC) had a 24-14 lead but the Colonials
(1-1, 1-0 NEC) put 21 points on the scoreboard in the fourth
quarter en route to the comeback. SHU struggled running the
ball, gaining just 10 yards on 22 carries. SHU's Fink
completed 27-of-41 passes for 324 yards, four scores with a pick
but was sacked five times in the loss.
RMU's King hauled in eight balls for 133 yards and three scores
while Myles Russ ran the ball 24 times for 116 yards and a pair of
scores. The Colonials piled up 415 yards of total
offense. Sinclair completed 14 of 28 passes for 250 yards,
three scores and an interception.
Sacred Heart jumped up 14-0 on the Colonials thanks to a Fink to
senior Marcel
Archer (Miami, FL) connection. Fink led a
nine-play drive on the Pioneers second possession of the game,
hooking up twice with junior Rich
Rossi (Moosic, PA) on a 20-yard and 27-yard
completions to set SHU up first and goal on the three yard
line. Facing a third and goal, Fink bought himself some time
and found Archer wide open in the front right corner of the end
zone for the game's first points.
Fink and Archer made it 14-0 SHU with 10:09 left in the second
quarter as the duo hooked-up on a six-yard score. Junior
linebacker Chris
Mandas (Mission Viejo, PA) set the Pioneers up with
field position at the RMU 33 when he picked off Sinclair at
midfield and returned it 16-yards. Facing a third-and-10,
Fink found r-sophomore Jo Jo
Jamiel (West Yarmouth, MA) on a 26-yard catch and run
to the Colonial seven. Two plays later, Fink found Archer,
again in the right corner of the end zone.
The Colonials got their offense started and came right down
using a six-play drive to cut the lead in half as Russ ripped off a
17-yard scoring scamper with 7:37 on the clock. A three and
out by the Pioneers gave Robert Morris the ball back with 5:33 left
before the half and the Colonials went to work on tying the game
with a 10-play drive. Sinclair used his feet to pick up a
first down on third and seven and hit King at the front left pylon
from 12-yards out to knot the game at 14-14 with 37 ticks left
before the break.
SHU scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the
third quarter to take a 24-14 lead with 2:57 left. The
Pioneers used their opening drive to score in eight plays on a Fink
to Rossi six-yard strike on third and goal. The drive was
highlighted by a 28-yard run from Archer, the Pioneers long run of
the day. The Pioneers turned Robert Morris over on downs and
put together another eight play drive that ended with the second
longest field goal in school history. Grad student Jesper
Fredriksson (Gothenberg, Sweden) drilled a 46-yarder
with plenty of leg, his first career field goal. Former
Pioneer Lou Monaco hit a 47-yarder against Stony Brook on October
5, 1996.
The fourth quarter belonged to the Colonials as they took the
lead after scores just two and a half minutes apart. Russ cut
the SHU lead to 24-21 with 13:51 on the clock in the fourth on a
16-yard scoring run and Sinclair hit King on a 35-yard pitch and
catch for six with 11:14 left to put his team up 28-24.
SHU went three and out and then saw a 12-play drive stall out
with no points when Fink was sacked on back to back plays with 3:15
left in the game. The Pioneers got a defensive stop and by
using their timeouts got the ball back with 2:06 left and another
chance to score. Fink got the ball out to the Robert Morris
47-yard line and escaping a sack on second and seven, heaved a pass
to a wide open Kessler for the score and lead, 31-28, with 59
seconds left.
Anthony Coleman got a 20-yard return on the ensuing kickoff
setting up Robert Morris on their 40 yard line. The Colonials
needed just six plays, three-completions, to cover the 60-yards as
Sinclair found King for one last time as the junior tight end found
his way into the end zone from the eight-yard line to secure the
win.
The Pioneers got a solid defensive day from Mandas who posted
seven tackles, a sack and
an interception. Archer had a net of just 39 yards rushing
on 14 carries but saw two of his four catches go for scores.
Rossi posted his first career 100-yard receiving day, hauling in a
career-best nine passes for 108 yards and his first score of
2010.
Sacred Heart is back on the road next Saturday when they travel
to Saint Francis (PA) for a 12 noon match-up. The game will
be played live on Fox College Sports, ESPN3, ESPN Game Plan and the
Connecticut Sports Network.
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