Oct. 22, 2002
Duquesne University's football team has moved up in the national Division I-AA college football polls following this Saturday's overwhelming 63-7 victory over MAAC Football League foe, St. John's University.
The Dukes (7-0, 4-0 MAAC), who were 38th in last week's The Sports Network poll, have now moved into 33rd place behind Illinois State and have maintained their position at number 34 in the USA Today/ESPN poll behind Florida A&M.
In addition, Duquesne remains the unanimous choice for the fourth straight week atop TSN's Top Ten I-AA Mid-Major Poll and at the head of Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette Top 20 I-AA Mid-Major Poll.
In other football news, Duquesne University senior cornerback Leigh Bodden (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern) has been named NCAA I-AA National Mid-Major Defensive Player of the Week by Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette. click here
Duquesne currently leads all I-AA football teams in total defense. The Dukes are limiting opponents to 181.7 yards per game, more than 32 ypg. fewer than the number two team, Robert Morris. DU is also number 2 in pass defense, number 4 in scoring defense and number 10 in rush defense.
DU hits the road for a MAAC Football League clash with La Salle (1-6, 1-4) on Saturday, Oct. 26. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at the Explorers' McCarthy Stadium. The game will be brodcast by Fox Sports Radio Pittsburgh, WBGG-AM 970, and over the internet at www.RedZoneMedia.com).
I-AA National Team Report -- Total Defense| Rank | Name | Games | Plays | Yds | Avg | TDs | Ydspgm |
|---|
| 1 | Duquesne | 7 | 411 | 1272 | 3.09 | 9 | 181.71 |
| 2 | Robert Morris | 6 | 365 | 1286 | 3.52 | 12 | 214.33 |
| 3 | Bethune-Cookman | 8 | 480 | 1756 | 3.66 | 11 | 219.50 |
| 4 | Wagner | 7 | 402 | 1538 | 3.83 | 12 | 219.71 |
| 5 | Villanova | 8 | 498 | 1795 | 3.60 | 12 | 224.38 |
| 6 | Iona | 7 | 452 | 1709 | 3.78 | 16 | 244.14 |
| 7 | Maine | 8 | 502 | 1963 | 3.91 | 12 | 245.38 |
| 8 | Morehead St. | 8 | 517 | 1982 | 3.83 | 17 | 247.75 |
| 9 | Dayton | 7 | 459 | 1759 | 3.83 | 7 | 251.29 |
| 10 | St. Francis (Pa.) | 6 | 373 | 1528 | 4.10 | 19 | 254.67 |
Source: NCAA
