Oct. 16, 2004

The University of Dayton Flyer football team extended three streaks en route to their 29-12 win at Robert Morris on Saturday. UD scored for the 318th straight game, won its 12th straight road game, and biggest of all, the win assured the Flyers of their 28th straight winning season. That is the longest such streak in Division I. Only Florida State, who at 4-1 (going into Saturday night's game with Virginia ) is a virtual lock to also have 28 straight winners, can match UD.

Dayton, who is ranked #1 in both the Sports Network and Football Gazette NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major rankings, improved its record to 6-1. Robert Morris, who was fifth in the Sports Network poll, falls to 4-3.

The game looked to be a contest between a great rushing defense (RMU came into the game fourth in NCAA I-AA, allowing 71.5 yards a game) and a great rushing offense (UD was fifth in I-AA, averaging 261.8). In the end, the Flyers won that tug-of-war by gaining 203 yards. In fact, Dayton gained more rushing yards in one drive (76 yards in its second TD drive) than the Colonials allowed per game (71.5) coming into the day.

UD jumped out to 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, and looked to be in control. But Robert Morris took advantage of two Flyer miscues to get back in the game. A roughing the passer penalty on a third-down incomplete pass kept alive a drive that resulted in an RMU field goal. Then a muffed punt was recovered by the Colonials at the Dayton 22. Five plays later, RMU had pulled to within 17-10, and that's the way the half ended.

The Dayton defense took over in the third quarter. The Flyers allowed just 30 yards in the quarter, and stuffed the Colonials on consecutive third-and-one and fourth-and-one plays at midfield. The only points of the quarter were scored when Doug Jones came off the right edge and blocked a Robert Morris punt. The ball caromed into the end zone, where the RMU punter wisely slapped it out of the end zone for a safety.

Jason Resch's second field goal of the game, on the first play of the fourth quarter, put UD ahead 22-10, but another mistake, this one on offense, gave a little life back to the Colonials. After Flyer safety Chris Cowan almost singlehandedly stopped a drive with consecutive plays of a sack, a pass batted down and an interception at the five-yard line, Dayton gave up a safety when Kevin Hoyng's sweep toss to the tailback hit the fullback in the back and rolled into the end zone. Hoyng was first to the ball and picked it up, but he was swarmed on in the end zone, making the score 22-12 with 6:20 to go.

But just as the offense's early-game prowess gave UD the 17-0 lead that cushioned the harm from the defensive and special teams mistakes, the kicking game and the Dayton defense picked up the slack after the safety that made it a ten-point game.

Robert Morris was down a TD and a field goal with just over six minutes to go, but would have the ball in what figured to be good field position after a free kick from Dayton. The Flyers chose to kick (rather than punt) the free kick, and UD kickoff specialist Josh Heyne blasted the ball over the Colonial kick return team. After the ball rolled through the end zone, RMU had the ball on its own 20.

Robert Morris' first pass of the possession was almost intercepted by Jones, and the next one was. But Jones wasn't done as he returned the interception 30 yards for the TD that made the score 29-12.

Dayton's defense held Robert Morris to a three-and-out, and then used up all but three seconds of the game's last 4:52. The Colonials gained a meaningless 35 yards on the game's final play, but prior to that, the Flyers had allowed just 68 yards in total offense in the second half (after allowing 205 yards in the first half).

Jones led the Dayton defense across the board. The senior safety was UD's co-leader in tackles (seven, with corner Casey Klaus), blocked the punt, returned the interception for a touchdown and batted down two more passes. He also had a sack and two quarterback pressures on blitzes.

Cornerback Bill Groetsema added an interception to go with Jones' and Cowan's. Linebacker Pat Weale recovered a fumble that was caused by middle guard Trent Warren. Klaus and Groetsema led UD in solo hits with five, and defensive tackle Jared McQuiston added a sack.

Offensively, tailback Steve Verhoff was the game's leading ground gainer with 79 yards on 22 carries. He scored Dayton's first TD from eight yards out. Fullback Matt Marshall had 60 yards on just eight carries, including a 17-yard TD. Flyer quarterbacks Brandon Staley and Kevin Hoyng combined to go six-for-twelve for 78 yards, with three of the completions going to wideout Ryan Wrobleski for 55 yards.

UD returns home next week to face Butler on Parent's Weekend. Game time is 1:00 p.m. EDT. The Flyers close out the regular season with three straight Pioneer Football League games. After Butler, UD hosts Drake, who currently leads the PFL North Division with a 2-0 record, on October 30. Then Dayton is at San Diego on November 6.