Sept. 10, 2002

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#2 DUQUESNE (1-0, 0-0) at SIENA (0-1, 0-1)
Saturday, September 14 at 1:30 p.m.
Christian Brothers Academy Stadium - Albany, N.Y.

DUKES BEGIN MAAC PLAY AT SIENA:

Duquesne begins its quest for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League title on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Siena (kickoff at 1:30 p.m. - WBGG-AM 970, on the web at RedZoneMedia.com).

DU, who opened the season with an impressive 35-14 home win over the Patriot League's Bucknell Bison, head to Albany with a 16-game MAAC win streak. The Dukes have gone 6-1, 7-0 and 6-0 in league play over the last three seasons. DU returns 17 starters and 33 lettermen from last year's 8-3 (6-0 in the MAAC) squad. Siena is coming off a 14-7 loss at Iona last week. The Saints are looking to improve upon last year's 1-8 (1-6 in the MAAC) mark. Siena is coached by 29-year-old Jay Bateman. Bateman, in his third season, is the youngest head football coach in the nation at the collegiate level.

THE SERIES:

Duquesne, winner of the last seven match-ups, leads the overall series 8-1 ... Siena's last win over the Dukes came at home on Oct. 22, 1994 by a 21-16 count ... DU has won the last three meetings at New York (28-20 in 1996, 33-7 in 1998 and 40-14 in 2000).

NEW SITE:

Saturday's game will be played at Christian Brothers Academy in Albany, rather than Siena's usual home field of Heritage Park, due to the late-running Northern League baseball season. Heritage Park is home of the independent Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs. The kickoff has also been moved back from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m.

ON THE ROAD:

Duquesne is 33-13 on the road under head coach Greg Gattuso, including 24-4 mark in league play. DU has dropped just two MAAC road games in the last seven seasons (24-0 at Georgetown in 1997 and 62-50 at Iona in 1999 - a 34-21 loss at ineligible Fairfield in '97 didn't count in league standings).

OVER THE LAST THREE SEASONS (entering 2002):

DU has won three straight MAAC Football League titles ... posted a 26-7-0 record (19-1 in the MAAC, 15-2 at home and 11-5 on the road) ... scored 30 or more points in a game 21 times (in 33 total g.)... averaged 36.0 points per game, and gained 400 or more yards in a game 21 times.

BUCKNELL BITS:

• Duquesne has now defeated its last two Patriot League opponents at home (in its last home game vs. a Patriot League foe, DU beat Lafayette 23-14 on Nov. 11)
• Senior wide receiver Jeremy Conley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Allderdice) posted his sixth career 100-yard game (5-114-3) and tied his career high with three touchdown catches (74, 10, 18)
• Sophomore quarterback Niel Loebig (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) tied his career high with four touchdown passes (8, 74, 10, 18) ... Loebig has now thrown for two or more TDs in 10 of 11 regular-season starts
• Senior cornerback Leigh Bodden (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern) finished the game with a fumble recovery, an interception and two passes defensed ... the interception was the 22nd of his career, moving him into a tie for 11th spot on the list of most career interceptions at the I-AA level ... Bodden needs six more picks to tie the all-time mark of 28 set by Holy Cross' Dave Murphy (1986-89) ... The DU co-captain is the current Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League Defensive Player of the Week
• Senior defensive tackle John Rodgers' (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) 12 tackles were six more than his previous career high ... Rodgers posted four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the afternoon
• Junior defensive lineman Philip Polony (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) posted one sack vs. Bucknell, bringing his career total to 12.5 ... he enters the Siena game tied for 4th on DU's all-time sack list
• Duquesne, with four interceptions vs. the Bison, has now intercepted 66 passes in its last 34 regular-season games