Aug. 30, 2004
#1 DUQUESNE (0-0) at HOLY CROSS (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Fitton Field (23,500) -- Worcester, Mass. Duquesne ranking listed is from The Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major Top 10 Radio: WKFB-AM 770
Alex Panormios (play-by-play) & Chris Kucharski (color)
On the internet at:
www.redzonemedia.com Television: WCTR TV-3 (Worcester local)
DUKES OPEN AT HOLY CROSS Duquesne kicks off its 77th season of football at Holy Cross on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 12:30 p.m. (WKFB-AM 770, www.redzonemedia.com). Overall, the Dukes are 45-18-3 in season openers (records available since 1902, DU fielded its first team in 1891), including an 8-3 mark under current head coach Greg Gattuso. Last year, DU was inside the Bucknell 10-yard-line before turning the ball over in the final minute of a 28-21 loss at Lewisburg, Pa.. Duquesne rebounded to finish 8-3 and win the I-AA Mid-Major National Championship. In the process, the Dukes extended their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League winning streak to 29 in winning their fifth consecutive league title. DU has now won seven MAAC championships in the last nine seasons (1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003). Duquesne returns 13 starters from last year's team. Holy Cross, in its first season under head coach Tom Gilmore, returns 18 starters and 47 lettermen from last year's 1-11 (1-6 in the Patriot League) squad. Gilmore comes to Holy Cross from Lehigh where he was the defensive coordinator for four seasons.
THE SERIES The series is tied at 2-2, with Duquesne holding a 2-1 edge in games played at Holy Cross ... this is the first time the two will meet at the NCAA Division I-AA level ... DU and HC met four times between 1931 and 1949 when both competed at the Division I-A level ... Duquesne won the last meeting between the two schools by a 40-14 count at Holy Cross on Oct. 15, 1949 ... DU discontinued the football program following the 1950 season (the Dukes returned at the Club level in 1969) ... Holy Cross won the first meeting between the two on Nov. 7, 1931 when Holy Cross head coach Captain John J. McEwen led his Crusaders to a 12-0 win over Elmer Layden's Dukes ... DU evened the series with a 25-0 win at Holy Cross in 1942 ... Duquesne's `42 team was its last until 1947, as the school suspended the program to assist with the World War II effort ... in the only Pittsburgh meeting, Holy Cross defeated Duquesne 16-13 on Nov. 6, 1948 at Forbes Field ... DU is 4-4 vs. the Patriot League since 1999 ... no current I-AA Mid-Major school has won more games vs. the Patiot League than Duquesne.
HE NEEDS ONE Twelfth-year Duquesne head coach Greg Gattuso enters the 2004 season needing one victory to tie Dan McCann (91 wins in 19 seasons at DU) as the winningest coach in school history. Gattuso, whose .756 winning percentage ranks third among active I-AA coaches (min. 5 years), is averaging 8.2 wins per season. McCann, who went 91-74-3 in two stints with the Dukes (1970-83, `88-92), led DU to the 1973 Club Football National Championship.
OFFENSIVELY Leading the way on offense is senior quarterback Niel Loebig (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette). Loebig, a three-year starter was the MAAC Offensive Player last season when he threw for 3,086 yards and 25 touchdowns. He is 27-7-0 as a starter and has thrown for at least two TDs in a game 25 times. Loebig currently holds 13 of the 15 passing records kept at Duquesne. The three-time first team All-MAAC pick is 516-of-957 (.542) for 7,883 yards and 76 TDs (49 INTs) for his career. Only two returning quarterbacks at the Division I-A or I-AA levels have thrown for more career TDs than Loebig (Bruce Eugene of Grambling, 83 and Timmy Chang of Hawaii, 79 ... Ben Roethlisberger had 84 before declaring for this year's draft). Loebig has thrown for at least 2,100 yards and 22 TDs in each of his first three seasons. Loebig's primary target will be senior receiver Michel Warfield (Oxon Hill, Md./Bishop McNamara). Warfield emerged as one of the top big play threats in I-AA last season in leading the Dukes with 1,147 yards receiving on 51 catches (an eye-popping 22.5 ypc.). He also caught a team-high 14 TDs. Warfield, who ranked seventh nationally in receiving yards per game at 104.3, had six 100-yard receiving games last season.
DEFENSIVELY Junior defensive tackle Josh Antinopoulos (Monaca, Pa./Monaca) returns to anchor the defense. Antinopoulos finished fourth on the team with 72 total tackles (29 solo) last season. He was also second on the squad with 17 tackles for loss (-38 yards) and 5.0 sacks (-25 yards). The 6-2, 265-pounder was also athletic enough to break up two passes and block a kick. Junior middle linebacker Harry Carter (Latham, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) returns as one of the top linebackers at the I-AA level. Carter, who has ranked either first or second on the team in tackles in 15 of his 20 career starts, led the Dukes with 114 stops (52 solo) last season. He also picked off four passes from his MLB spot. Senior cornerback Armar Watson (Forrestville, Md./Suitland) is back to lead the secondary. A two-year starter, Watson leads all returnees with eight career interceptions for 165 yards. He broke up a team-high nine passes last year to give him a total of 19 PBU for his career.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS Four Dukes were named to preseason I-AA Mid-Major All-America first teams in August, with three players earning consensus honors. Senior quarterback Niel Loebig, junior defensive lineman Josh Antinopoulos and junior middle linebacker Harry Carter were all named to The Sports Network, Don Hansen Football Gazette and I-AA.org first teams. Mike Daniluk, a senior offensive lineman, earned a spot on The Sports Network and I-AA.org first team and was named second team All-America by Don Hansen. Senior WR Michel Warfield, senior DB Armar Watson, junior DE Antoine Bullock and junior OL Josh Martin were all named second team by I-AA.org.
