Nov. 17, 2004

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DUKES HOST BISON IN SEASON FINALE

Duquesne (7-2, 4-0), the 2004 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League champion, puts its 16-game home win streak on the line against the third-place team in the Patriot League, Bucknell (6-4, 4-2), in the 2004 season finale. The game, set for a noon kick, marks the final home appearance for 13 Duquesne seniors (WKFB-AM 770, www.RedZoneMedia.com).

Duquesne is coming off an emotional 36-33 overtime win over Pioneer Football League South champion Morehead State last Saturday. The Dukes, down 30-20 in the fourth quarter, tied the game on a 4-yard Niel Loebig to Alex Roberson touchdown pass with 3:18 left. Loebig found Roberson again, this time from 2-yards out, on DU's first possession in overtime for the win.

Loebig, who threw for 301 yards and five touchdowns, became just the fifth quarterback in NCAA Division I-AA history to top 10,000 yards passing and 100 TD passes. Loebig enters his final game with 10,015 yards and 101 touchdown passes. The senior is the MAAC, ECAC and National Football Weekly Gazette Offensive Player of the Week.

Bucknell, Duquesne's fourth Patriot League opponent of the season, is coming off an impressive 42-7 win over Colgate. The Bison lead the Patriot League - and rank 10th nationally - in rushing offense at 251.5 yards per game.

The Dukes, who completed the MAAC season with a 56-35 win at La Salle on Nov. 6, are ranked No. 3 nationally by The Sports Network. 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.

DUKES AND BISON

Bucknell leads the overall series 5-3 ... Duquesne ended a four-game series losing streak with a 35-14 win over the Bison in the last meeting in Pittsburgh on Sept. 7, 2002.

THE SERIES:  DUQUESNE VS. BUCKNELLOverall:        Bucknell leads 5-3At Lewisburg:   Bucknell leads 4-0At Pittsburgh:  Duquesne leads 3-1

1933    W       Home       6-01934    W       Home      12-01997    L       Away      16-231998    L       Home      10-381999    L       Away      20-492000    L       Away      14-352002    W       Home      35-142003    L       Away      21-28

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 league 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 12.5 in nine 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 16-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
• DU has clinched its 11th consecutive winning season
• Senior quarterback Niel Loebig was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season for his 301 yard, five touchdown performance vs. Morehead State ... Loebig is the 21st QB in NCAA history (all levels) to accumulate 10,000 yards and 100 TD passes
• Tailback Jeremy McCullough posted his second 100-yard game of the season with 107 yards on 24 carries vs. MSU
• Freshman WR Alex Roberson caught the game-tying and game-winning TDs vs. Morehead State to earn MAAC co-Rookie of the Week
• Junior middle linebacker Harry Carter finished with 12 tackles (8 solo) and a fumble recovery vs. Morehead State to earn MAAC Defensive Player of the Week
• WR Michel Warfield, the Dukes' leading receiver, caught a pair of TD passes vs. MSU, giving him 11 on the season and 28 for his career ... his career total ranks tied for fifth among active I-AA players
• 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).

COMEBACK KIDS

Duquesne has trailed at the half in each of its last three games: 3-0 to Marist (7-3 win), 28-21 at La Salle (56-35 win) and 16-14 to Morehead State (36-33 OT win).