Robert Morris football coach Joe Walton is having flashbacks to 15 years ago when he helped start the football program.

"I haven't had this many young players since the early years," said Walton, who is building the foundation of this year's team with freshmen and sophomores as the Colonials hope to move up in the Northeast Conference.

"You never forget how to coach young guys, but sometimes it gets a little frustrating when they don't get it as fast as you'd like."

The Colonials will have only five senior starters, led by quarterback Erik Cwalinski who completed 49.6 percent of his passes for 1,838 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

"I'm hoping some of his experience rubs off on the young kids," Walton said. "He's worked hard and wants to have a good senior year. The people around him have to step up and get better."

Walton's two biggest concerns are running the football and stopping the run. The Colonials averaged only 81.4 yards rushing per game but allowed 208.8, which goes a long way to explain why they were 4-6.

"If we're going to have any kind of success we have to improve greatly in those two areas," he said. "We started two freshmen running backs [Myles Russ and Raphael Johnson] last season and they're sophomores now. They should be better because they know what's going on around them on the field."

Russ led the Colonials with 594 yards and three touchdowns and Johnson had 222 yards.

"A consistent running game certainly will help our passing game," said Walton, whose receiving corps will be brand new. "I know Cwalinski is excited about the new receivers."

The leader of the untested pack will be Sherrod Evers, who has come back from a broken arm that kept him out last year to have what Walton called "a great camp." Evers will be joined by T.J. Green; Lance Patterson, a sophomore from Woodland Hills; and James O'Quinn, a freshman from Kiski Area.

Walton said the defense is solid, anchored by linebacker Adam Lawrence, linemen Mark Szymanski, Shannon Smoot and Andy Walton and safeties Michael Landers and Nathan Argenta.

This has been a fall camp designed to mix and match the players to go with a lot of instruction.

"It's a lot more repetition and a lot more teaching loaded with a lot more drills [because we're young]," Walton said. "You do the same things over and over. The kids are working hard, trying hard. Probably the thing I like best is their enthusiasm and willingness to learn. I think they have talent. If they reach some of their potential early, we could be pretty good late in the season."

After a pause, Walton added: "We all have to be patient. It's going to take time."