Nov. 3, 2004

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LEAGUE CHAMPION DUKES CONCLUDE MAAC SEASON AT LA SALLE

Duquesne (5-2, 3-0), which clinched its sixth consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League title - and eighth championship in the last 10 years - with a 7-3 win over Marist last weekend, completes the conference portion of the 2004 schedule with a game at La Salle (3-6, 1-2) in Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 6 (1:00 p.m. kickoff on WKFB-AM 770, www.RedZoneMedia.com).

The Dukes, who are 65-7 all-time in MAAC play, enter the La Salle game with the longest conference win streak of any NCAA I-A or I-AA school at 32. The last team to defeat the Dukes in league play was Iona, which took a 62-50 decision at New Rochelle, N.Y. on Oct. 23, 1999.

Duquesne, the defending I-AA Mid-Major national champion, begins the week ranked No. 4 in the Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major Top 10. DU entered the season ranked No. 1. Saturday's game is the final game of the season for La Salle, which is coming off a tough 42-35 loss at Iona. Duquesne, which needs one more victory to clinch its 11th-straight winning season, will have two home non-conference games left after La Salle: Nov. 13 vs. Morehead State (Poineer Football League) and Nov. 20 vs. Bucknell (Patriot League)

DUKES AND EXPLORERS

Duquesne leads the overall series 5-0, including a 2-0 edge at Philadelphia ... DU, which has never scored fewer than 30 points in a game against La Salle, is averaging 40.8 ppg. vs. the Explorers.

ABOUT THAT STREAK

Duquesne's 32-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 1,285-315 margin, with just two of the 32 games - including last week's 7-3 win over Marist - decided by fewer than 10 points.

No.     School      Conference          Division32      DUQUESNE        Metro Atlantic      I-AA23      Boise State     Western Athletic        I-A22      North Texas     Sun Belt            I-A

44      Oklahoma        Big Eight       1952-5939      Nebraska        Big Eight/Big12 1992-9831      DUQUESNE        Metro Atlantic  1999-current

SEVEN (7)

Number of touchdown passes Niel Loebig needs to reach 100 for his career ... Hawaii's Timmy Chang (94 TDs) is the only quarterback in NCAA Division I-A or I-AA with more career touchdown tosses.

TOLAN SETS RECORD

Senior defensive end Ryan Tolan, who earned MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season with seven tackles - including 3.5 sacks - and two fumbles forced in DU's 7-3 title-clinching win over Marist, has also set a new school record for sacks in a season with 10.5. Tolan, who made the move from outside linebacker to his current position prior to the season, has eclipsed the old mark of 9.5 set by John Wojciechowski in 1995. Tolan was also named national I-AA Mid-Major co-Defensive Player of the Week by Don Hansen's Football Gazette for his performance vs. Marist.

QUICK NOTES & TRENDS

• Duquesne's 15-game home win streak is the second-longest in NCAA Division I-AA (behind Colgate's 16)
• Duquesne has rushed for 596 yards in three MAAC games (198.7 ypg.)
• The Dukes have also totaled 45 tackles for loss - including 20 sacks - in league action
• Duquesne finished the Marist game with 14 tackles for loss led by junior defensive tackle Josh Antinopoulos and senior defensive end Ryan Tolan with four each
• The defensive line finished with all nine of the Dukes' sacks: Antinopoulos (4.0 for -18), Tolan (3.5 for -25), Antoine Bullock (1.0 for -4) and Ryan Esdale (0.5 for -2) ... Bullock's sack moved him into a tie for fourth on Duquesne's all-time sacks list with 15.5 ... Tolan has posted 7.5 of his team-high - and school record - 10.5 sacks in the last three games
• DU limited Marist to 24 yards on 29 second-half plays including 13 rushing yards on 25 carries
• MAAC opponents are averaging 82 yards per game rushing vs. Duquesne
• Freshman receiver Bruce Hocker was named MAAC Rookie of the Week for the second time this season for his three-catch, 28-yard effort vs. Marist ... Hocker, who has caught a TD pass in six of seven games, caught what turned out to be the game-winner from 11-yards out in the fourth quarter of the 7-3 win
• Tailback Jeremy McCullough has run for 301 yards on 65 carries in DU's last three games
• CB Armar Watson, who saw his streak of consecutive starts snapped at 28 when he missed the Saint Peter's game with a groin injury, was in uniform but did not play vs. Marist ... Watson ranks tied for fifth nationally - and tied for fourth on DU's career list - with career 12 picks ... his 233 career return yards rank fifth among active I-AA players and trail only the school record of 297 set by All-American Leigh Bodden from 1999-02
• 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 is tied for eighth among active I-AA players with 24 career TD catches
• John Harris missed his first kick of the season when his 22-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right vs. Marist ... for the season he is 24-of-24 on extra points and 2-of-3 on field goals
• Nnine of the ten players to catch a pass this season are either freshmen or sophomores (senior Warfield is the lone upperclassman with a reception)
• 21 of Duquesne's 25 turnovers forced have come in the Dukes' four wins (+7 in the TO column) ... in two losses, DU has turned it over 11 times, while forcing just two (-7).