Aug. 26, 2003
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#2 DUQUESNE (0-0) at BUCKNELL (0-0) Saturday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium (13,100) - Lewisburg, Pa.
Ranking listed is from The Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major Top 10 Radio: (Fox Sports Pittsburgh - WBGG-AM 970)
Alex Panormios (play-by-play) & Chris Kucharski (color)
On the internet at: www.RedZoneMedia.com
DUKES OPEN AT BUCKNELL
Duquesne kicks off its 76th season of football at Bucknell on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 7:00 p.m. (WBGG-AM 970, www.RedZoneMedia.com). Overall, the Dukes are 45-17-3 in season openers (records available since 1902, DU fielded its first team in 1891), including an 8-2 mark under current head coach Greg Gattuso.
Last year, DU opened the season with a 35-14 win over Bucknell at Rooney Field. The victory - in addition to ending a four-game losing streak to the Bison - propelled the Dukes to an 11-1 record and their four consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League title.
DU has now won six MAAC championships in the last eight seasons (1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002). Duquesne returns 13 starters from last year's team. Bucknell, in its first season under head coach Tim Landis, returns 12 starters and 40 lettermen from last year's 2-9 (0-7 in the Patriot League) squad.
THE SERIES
Bucknell leads the overall series 4-3 ... Duquesne snapped a four-game series losing streak with a 35-14 win at Rooney Field last season ... the victory was DU's first since the resumption of the series in 1997 ... Duquesne has yet to win in three tries at Lewisburg ... in the last meeting at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Bucknell defeated the Dukes 35-14 on Sept. 30, 2000 ... this is the fourth time in the last seven seasons that Duquesne has opened with Bucknell (1997, 1998 and 2002 are the others).
WINNING FOOTBALL
Duquesne enters 2003 looking to extend its streak of consecutive winning seasons to 10. Only three other NCAA I-AA programs have had more consecutive winning seasons than DU's nine: Dayton (26), Eastern Kentucky (25) and Montana (17). Three other schools enter the '03 season with nine-straight winning seasons: Appalachian State, Florida A&M and Jackson State.
PLAYING "UP"
Duquesne will once again take on one of the most challenging non-conference schedules among the I-AA Mid-Majors. In addition to traveling to Lewisburg to face Bucknell of the Patriot League, the Dukes will also take on defending Ivy League champion Penn at Philadelphia's Franklin Field on Sept. 20 and head to Morehead, Ky. to play Pioneer Football League defending South Division champion Morehead State on Nov. 1. DU's home non-conference opponents include Butler (Pioneer League North) on Sept. 13 and intra-city rival Robert Morris of the NEC in the regular-season finale on Nov. 15. Over the last four years, the Dukes have notched some impressive non-conference wins: (1999) 28-17 at Lafayette; (2000) 57-31 at VMI, 44-20 vs. Georgetown and 23-14 vs. Lafayette; (2001) 41-18 vs. VMI and 33-23 at Butler and (2002) 35-14 vs. Bucknell, 35-28 at Dayton and 23-22 vs. Lafayette.
NIEL'S TURN?
Junior quarterback Niel Loebig was chosen MAAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year by the league's coaches on Aug. 11. Loebig, who threw for a school record 2,685 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, is a two-time First Team All-MAAC pick. The McDonald, Pa. native, who has thrown for 51 TDs and amassed a 19-4-0 record as a starter in the last two seasons, was named the I-AA Mid-Major First Team Preseason All-America QB by the Sports Network. If history is any indicator, Loebig stands a good chance of winning the MAAC's post-season honor as well, as Duquesne has produced the last four MAAC Offensive Players of the Year:
MAAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(last four seasons)
2002 Jeremy Conley, Duquesne WR2001 Donte Small, Duquesne RB2000 Tony Zimmerman, Duquesne QB1999 Gerald Foster (co-), Duquesne WR
OVER THE LAST 4 SEASONS
Duquesne has won four-straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League titles with a 27-1 league record ... scored 30 or more points in a game 28 times (in 45 total games)... averaged 35.2 points per game, and gained 400 or more yards in a game 29 times ... the Dukes bring a 24-game MAAC win streak into the 2003 season.
NATION'S TOP "D"
The Dukes return five starters from a defense that finished last season ranked No. 1 in total (188 ypg.) and scoring (9.6 ppg.) defense. A sixth starter, safety Joe Pavlick, was lost for the season with an injury suffered in fall practice. The returning starters include senior DE Ben Bailey, senior DT Philip Polony, sophomore MLB Harry Carter, junior CB Armar Watson and senior S Tim Pichette. Last year's defensive unit posted four shutouts and allowed just 27 points in eight MAAC games. DU's secondary, which ranked second nationally in both pass and pass efficiency defense, allowed just five touchdown passes in 12 games. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 40.6 percent of their passes against the Dukes.
TOUGH BREAK
Joe Pavlick, a two-year starter at safety was lost for the season due to an injury in fall practice. Pavlick, who suffered a season-ending injury in the second-to-last game of last season vs. Fairfield, worked hard over the summer to rehab and prepare for his senior season. The Canton, Ohio native was the Dukes' sixth-leading returning tackler. He had five interceptions for 106 yards in his DU career.
OFFENSIVE LINE OVERHAUL
The offensive line, which looked to be an area of strength entering this season, will enter the Bucknell game without two prominent players. Senior center Robert Bowser, a Second Team All-MAAC pick last year, and guard Hakim Carroll, who started every game for the Dukes two years ago before missing last season due to medical reasons, will both not be available for the Bucknell game due to injury. Bowser, who has 23 career starts under his belt, started every game at center last season. In addition, Bill Chester, who had started 16 games in a row at left guard, was an academic casualty in the spring and has since transferred to West Virginia Tech. The retooled offensive front features just one returnee with meaningful playing time last year in senior left tackle Ken Chambon:
OFFENSIVE LINE CAREER STARTSPROJECTED STARTERS VS. BUCKNELL POS TOT '02Ken Chambon Sr. LT 12 12Michael Daniluk Jr. LG 1 0Matt Bovich So. C 0 0Robert Healy Jr. RG 0 0Josh Martin So. RT 0 0
TOTAL 13 12
OUT VS. BUCKNELL POS TOT '02Robert Bowser Sr. C 23 12Hakim Carroll Jr.* G 10 0
TOTAL 33 12
* - Carroll started all 10 games in 2001 TRANSFERS OF NOTE
The Dukes added a number of transfers during the off-season, four of whom are expected to see playing time at Bucknell. Matt Mefford, a 6-3, 270-pound senior transfer from the University of Pittsburgh is expected to start at tight end. In addition, Ryan Tolan, a 6-1, 230-pound junior linebacker who last played at Chaffey CC (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) was on the roster but did not play last year at UNLV. Tolan is the projected starter at outside linebacker.
Also joining the 2003 Dukes are a pair of Fairfield transfers: 6-5, 280-pound sophomore OT Brad Salvatore and 6-5, 240-pound sophomore DE Christopher Minogue are listed as second team on the depth chart.
Note: Fairfield, along with Canisius and St. John's, discontinued intercollegiate football following the 2002 MAAC FL season.
