Are two quarterbacks better than one?

That's the question Duquesne coach Jerry Schmitt and Robert Morris coach Joe Walton keep asking themselves.

It's possible each team will use two quarterbacks when Robert Morris (3-4) meets Duquesne (4-2) at 1 p.m. today in a non-conference game at Rooney Field.

The teams will be in the Northeast Conference next season when Duquesne leaves the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The Dukes have won four in a row since sophomore Kevin Rombach replaced junior Scott Knapp as the starting quarterback, and Rombach has been named MAAC offensive player of the week four times.

"We have a quarterback competition, not a quarterback controversy," Schmitt said. "We have a starter, Kevin Rombach, but we have the luxury of having two very good quarterbacks who both can run our offense. I'm up front with each of them what I'm doing and I know it's never easy to sit on the bench. They know straight up where they stand and what we're thinking."

Schmitt didn't hesitate to switch quarterbacks in a 24-17 victory against Saint Francis last week. Knapp entered with Duquesne leading, 17-7, and played four series of downs in the fourth quarter. After a punt and an interception on his first two possessions, Knapp threw a touchdown pass for a 24-10 lead.

"Rombach made some mistakes so we put Scott in the game," Schmitt said. "We don't have a plan on how we're going to play the quarterbacks in a game. It depends on how the game is playing out and how the quarterback is playing."

Walton made a surprising move last week when he started seldom-used sophomore Camdin Crouse instead of junior Erik Cwalinski against Central Connecticut State.

"It was a change of pace to see if [Cwalinski] would wake up a little bit," said Walton, whose Colonials lost, 16-10, their third consecutive defeat.

"We thought he needed to sit back and take a look at things. He's still our starting quarterback. We're just trying to win games. If one isn't working out, we'll try the other."

Crouse completed 2 of 4 passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. He threw an interception. Cwalinski entered in the first quarter and was 7 of 17 for 81 yards.

He was sacked twice to boost his total to 38 for the season.

Cwalinski, who was sacked 33 times last season, has struggled behind an offensive line that has two freshman starters.

"The number of sacks are a concern," Walton said. "Some are [Cwalinski], some are the line and some are the running backs. It's a combination of things."

Cwalinski has completed just 47.3 percent of his passes for 1,239 yards and six touchdowns. He has thrown six interceptions.

Walton isn't concerned the quarterback situation will be a distraction for the rest of the players.

"They want success, too," Walton said. "They're waiting for somebody to step up and make it work."

The Robert Morris offense, which has averaged just 15 points per game, will be without standout receiver and returner Mario Hines (shoulder injury).

The loss of Hines will put even more of a burden on a lethargic running game that generates 79.9 yards per game, led by freshman Myles Russ' 433 yards

The Colonials haven't had a 100-yard rusher in 19 consecutive games, dating to Devin Wilson's 137 on 20 carries against Albany in 2005.

Other games

Edinboro (5-2, 2-1) at California (7-0, 3-0), 3 p.m. -- California, 7-0 for the first time since 1958, leads Division II in scoring defense (6.3 ppg), rushing defense (31.0 yards per game) and total defense (145.3 yards per game).

The Vulcans are ranked eighth nationally and third in the Northeast Region.

Edinboro is ninth in the region. The top six teams from the region will receive bids to the NCAA playoffs.

California leads the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in pass defense (114.3 yards per game) and Edinboro leads in passing offense (301.7 yards per game).

Edinboro's Trevor Harris completes 69.3 percent of his passes for 1,839 yards and 20 touchdowns.

His favorite receivers are Rich Cerro (33 catches, 391 yards, 3 TDs) and Ryan Rybicki (31 catches, 272 yards, 5 TDs).

Thiel (2-5, 1-3) at Waynesburg (6-0, 3-0), 1:30 p.m. -- No. 25 Waynesburg, 6-0 for the first time since 1967, is in the Division III ranking for the first time this season.

The Yellow Jackets feature running back Robert Heller, a freshman from Ringgold who leads the country in rushing yards (1,170) and scoring (18.0 points per game).

Carnegie Mellon (2-4) at Chicago (3-2), 2 p.m. -- Carnegie Mellon has lost four in a row for the first time since 1974, when the Tartans lost their final five games for a 3-5 record and their last non-winning season.