Nov. 10, 2004

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Radio: (Fox Sports Pittsburgh - WBGG-AM 970)
Alex Panormios (play-by-play) & Chris Kucharski (color)
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BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS

Duquesne (6-2, 4-0), the 2004 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League champion, begins a stretch of back-to-back nonconference home games to complete the season by hosting Pioneer Football League South champion Morehead State (6-4, 2-1) at noon on Saturday (WKFB-AM 770, www.RedZoneMedia.com).

The Dukes, which completed the MAAC season with a 56-35 win at La Salle last weekend, are ranked No. 3 nationally by The Sports Network. Morehead State, which clinched the PFL South title with a 28-14 win over Jacksnoville on Oct. 23, is ranked No. 8 by TSN. Duquesne clinched its sixth straight MAAC championship - and eighth title in 10 years - with a 7-3 win over Marist on Oct. 30. The La Salle win extended Duquesne's conference win streak to 33 games, which is the longest active league streak in NCAA Division I-A and I-AA.

Duquesne, the defending I-AA Mid-Major national champion, will be looking to avenge a 15-10 loss at Morehead State last year. MSU was the only Mid-Major to defeat the 8-3 Dukes last season (DU's other two losses were to Penn of the Ivy League and Bucknell of the Patriot League). Duquesne, which clinched its 11th-straight winning season last weekend, will conclude the year on Nov. 20 vs. Bucknell.

Morehead State finishes its season at home next Saturday vs. #2 Drake in the PFL championship game. Drake (8-2, 4-0) is the PFL North champ.

286 & 4

Number of passing yards and TD passes Duquesne's Niel Loebig needs to become the fifth QB in NCAA Division I-AA history - and 21st player in NCAA history (all levels) - to reach 10,000 yards and 100 TD passes for his career ... here are the I-A and I-AA quarterbacks in the 10,000/100 club:

I-A & I-AA 10,000 / 100 CLUB

Quarterback, School                     Yards   TDsTy Detmer, BYU (I-A)            15,031  121Steve McNair, Alcorn St. (I-AA)     14,496  119Tim Rattay, Louisiana Tech (I-A)        12,746  115Willie Totten, Miss. Valley St. (I-AA)  12,711  139Marcus Brady, Cal St. Northridge (I-AA) 12,479  109Chad Pennington, Marshall (I-A)         12,348  110Robert Kent, Jackson St. (I-AA)     11,784  104Danny Wuerffel, Florida (I-A)       10,875  114*Timmy Chang, Hawaii (I-A)          15,303   98*Niel Loebig, Duquesne (I-AA)    9,714    96* - indicates active player

DUKES AND EAGLES

Morehead State won the lone meeting between the two by a 15-10 score at Morehead, Ky. last year.

ABOUT THAT STREAK

Duquesne's 33-game MAAC win streak is the longest active conference streak in NCAA Division's I-A and I-AA ... during the streak, the Dukes have outscored their opponents by a 1,341-350 margin, with just two of the 32 games decided by fewer than 10 points.

TOLAN SETS RECORD

Senior defensive end Ryan Tolan, who made the move from outside linebacker to defensive end prior to the season, has broken the school mark for sacks in a season with 11.5 in eight games. Tolan, a two-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Week, eclipsed the old mark of 9.5 set by John Wojciechowski in 1995.

QUICK NOTES & TRENDS

• Duquesne's 15-game home win streak is the second-longest in NCAA Division I-AA (behind Colgate's 17) ... Duquesne finished league play with a 33-game MAAC winning streak ... it is the longest current streak by any team at the Division I-A or I-AA levels
• Kicker John Harris tied a school record with eight PAT at La Salle ... Harris is 32-32 on points after touchdown this season
• Freshman receiver Bruce Hocker was named MAAC Rookie of the Week for the third time this season and second consecutive week for his four-catch, 89-yard effort at La Salle ... Hocker, who has caught a TD pass in seven of eight games, leads the team with a 17.0 ypc. average
• Tailback James Jacobs posted his third 100-yard game of the season with 157 yards on 15 carries at La Salle (10.5 ypc.) ... Jacobs added three scores to give him nine rushing TDs on the season
• CB Michael Ford broke a 28-28 tie with a 70-yard interception return for a score in the third quarter at La Salle ... two series' later, Ford stripped a La Salle receiver to set up the Dukes' next touchdown ... Ford has now returned two of his four interceptions for TDs this season (4-128-2)
• Sophomore linebacker Michael Hill finished with a career high 16 tackles (10 solo) at La Salle ... he also recovered a fumble and was credited with 0.5 sacks
• DU limited La Salle to seven points and 171 yards in the second half ... La Salle scored 28 points and gained 321 yards in the first half
• WR Michel Warfield, the Dukes' leading receiver, suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder in the third quarter of the Iona game ... the injury also kept him out of the win at Saint Peter's ... he made his return with three catches for 46 yards vs. Marist ... Warfield ranks tied for sixth among active I-AA players with 26 career TD catches
• Nine of the ten players to catch a pass this season are either freshmen or sophomores (senior Warfield is the lone upperclassman with a reception)
• 25 of Duquesne's 29 turnovers forced have come in the Dukes' six wins ... in two losses, DU has turned it over 11 times, while forcing just four opponent miscues (-7 turnover ratio).