FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Battling heavy winds and rain most of the day, the Sacred Heart football team won its second straight game Saturday with a 16-10 victory over the Robert Morris Colonials at Campus Field. 

For the second straight week, Nate Chavious rushed for two touchdowns. The senior running back had 66 rushing yards on 16 carries. Ose Imeokparia had a career-high 21 carries for a game-high 77 yards. RJ Noel was 8-for-16 passing for 160 yards. Moses Webb caught four passes for a season-high 94 yards. Defensively, James Rentz led the Pioneers with nine tackles and also blocked a field goal. CJ Parvelus had eight tackles and a pass breakup.

Sacred Heart (6-1, 1-1 NEC) took a 6-0 lead with 6:06 to play in the first quarter. After forcing two fumbles on Robert Morris punt returns to get back possession, Chavious punched in a one-yard run for the first score of the game. However, the point after was missed. Robert Morris responded on its next drive as a Blake Skuratowicz one-yard touchdown run gave the Colonials a 7-6 lead. The Pioneers took the lead back with 0:39 left in the second quarter. Alec Finney made an 18-yard field goal to give SHU a 9-7 halftime lead.

Robert Morris (1-7, 0-3 NEC) had a chance to take the lead back on its first drive of the second half. The Colonials drove all the way down to the SHU 14 yardline, but had to settle for the field goal. Rentz blocked the kick to give SHU the ball its own 20 with 12:36 to play in the third quarter. The Pioneers extended their lead with 6:23 to play in the quarter. With 1^st-and-10 at the SHU 18, Noel connected with Webb on a 68-yard pass to the RMU 14. Three plays later, Chavious scored his second one-yard touchdown run to make the score 16-7.

The Colonials got within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. After recovering a Chavious fumble, Robert Morris drove 44 yards in eight plays before a 26-yard Connor Shennan field goal made the score 16-10 with 9:30 to play. That would be as close as the Colonials would get. RMU's last possession stalled at the SHU 37 yardline with 6:35 to play. SHU then drove 50 yards in the next 6:30, going all the way down to the Robert Morris 13 to all but run out the clock.

SHU had 373 yards of total offense Saturday, holding the Colonials to 172 yards. The Pioneers' defense held Robert Morris to 2-of-13 on third down. RMU quarterback Joe Carroll was 14-for-28 for 98 yards. Malik Wells had 36 rushing yards and 31 receiving yards.

The Pioneers host Saint Francis U next Saturday at 12 p.m. at Campus Field.

First Quarter

• Warren Robinson fumbled a punt return for the Colonials at 7:08 in the first, freshman RJ Trimble-Edwards picked up the fumble recovery. Chavious capped the drive with his one run score. SHU went up 6-0 after a failed extra point attempt.
• RMU responded on the next drive with a one run score by Skuratowicz, to take the lead 7-6.

Second Quarter

• A 36-yard pass from Noel to Andrew O'Neill set up Alec Finney for an 18-yard field goal to give the Pioneers a 9-7 edge into halftime. 

Third Quarter

• Rentz got a hand up to block the 20-yard field goal attempt by Connor Sheenan with 12:36 to go in the third.
• Noel connected to Moses Webb on a short flat route, Webb did the rest to get into Colonial territory for the 68-yard completion. Chavious closed the five play, 82 yard drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game. SHU with the 16-7 lead.
• Ryan Cottrell grabbed the Pioneers third fumble recovery of the game, on the rush by Joe Carroll.  

Fourth Quarter

• JR Richards secured a fumble by Chavious as the Pioneers were driving into Colonials territory with 13:27 to go in the fourth quarter.
• Trey Edwards drews a pass interference call to keep the RMU drive alive. Shennan capped the eight play 44-yard drive with a field goal to bring the Colonials within a score.
• Sean Ramcheran nearly picked off a pass attempt by Carroll with 7:20 to go in the fourth quarter.
• Noel and Webb connected again for a 17-yard strike to keep the final Pioneers possession running. 

NOTES

- The Pioneers have now won four straight games against RMU.

- Saturday's win guaranteed a fourth consecutive winning season for SHU. The Pioneers had five straight winning seasons from 2000 to 2004.

- RJ Noel had his 13-game touchdown pass streak snapped Saturday.

- Rentz's nine tackles were a season high. His blocked field goal in the third quarter was his third career blocked kick.

- Chavious had his third two-touchdown game of the season Saturday. He had two multi-touchdown games in 2015.