Oct. 19, 2005

Radio: WKFB-AM 770
Alex Panormios (play-by-play) & Chris Kucharski (color)
On the internet at: www.redzonemedia.com

Complete Release in PDF Format
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DUKES HEAD TO POUGHKEEPSIE FOR SHOWDOWN WITH MARIST

The Duquesne Dukes (3-3), who snapped a three-game losing streak with a 24-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League-opening win over Saint Peter's on Saturday, head north to face Marist in one of the top matchups the league will see this season (kickoff at 1:00 p.m. game will air on WKFB-AM 770, www.redzonemedia.com).

The Dukes, who have won 34 consecutive MAAC games - including the last 15 in a row on the road, are looking for their first road win of the season. Marist, which is off to a 4-2 start (1-0 in the MAAC) was idle last week.

Duquesne and Marist, who were picked to finish 1-2 in the annual preseason poll of league coaches, both enter the game ranked in The Sports Network Mid-Major Top 10, with Marist holding the No. 4 spot and Duquesne ranked No. 8. 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.

THE SERIES

Duquesne leads the overall series 10-2 - including a 4-1 edge at Poughkeepsie ... the Dukes have won the last 10 in a row, limiting the Red Foxes to 10 or fewer points in each of the last six matchups.

DUQUESNE VS. MARIST
all-time (1993-current)

1993    L       A       12-211994    L       H       7-161995    W       H       16-141996    W       H       30-171997    W       A       27-241998    W       H       39-271999    W       A       31-02000    W       H       49-72001    W       A       21-102002    W       H       36-02003    W       A       31-62004    W       H       7-3

Overall: Duquesne leads 10-2
At Poughkeepsie: DU leads 4-1
At Rooney Field: DU leads 6-1

LAST YEAR

In a showdown of conference unbeatens, Bruce Hocker's grab of a Niel Loebig pass with 12:42 left in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner as Duquesne clinched its sixth consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League title with a 7-3 win over Marist at Rooney Field. (A full game recap may be found in the complete release; link above)

DUQUESNE PLAYS UNDERDOG

This is the first time Duquesne will go into a MAAC game ranked lower than its opponent in The Sports Network Mid-Major Top 10. Idle Marist moved up one spot last week and enters the game ranked No. 4, while the Dukes dropped from No. 7 to No. 8 following last week's 24-0 win over Saint Peter's. The Sports Network Poll made its debut in 2001.

DUKES "D" RANKED No. 3

Duquesne enters the Marist game ranked third nationally in total defense, giving up an average of 228.3 yards per game. The Dukes are surrendering 88.8 ypg. on the ground (11th nationally). Last week, DU held Saint Peter's Sean Mayers - who entered the game ranked ninth in the nation with a 121.2 ypg. average - to 48 yards on 20 carries. This week they face another challenge in Marist's Obozua Ehikioya, who enters the game ranked tenth nationally in rushing at 116.2 ypg.

34-GAME CONFERENCE WIN STREAK

Duquesne's 34-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 1,365-350 margin, with just two of the 34 games decided by fewer than 10 points. Duquesne's last conference loss was at Iona on Oct. 23, 1999.

CURRENT MOST CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE WINS
NCAA Division I (IA & I-AA) - through g. of Oct. 15

No.     School          Conference        Division34      DUQUESNE        Metro Atlantic    I-AA28      Boise State     Western Athletic  I-A18      Southern Cal    Pacific-10        I-A13      Auburn          Southeastern      I-A13      Alabama St.     Southwestern      I-AA

ALL-TIME LONGEST CONFERENCE WIN DIVISIONS I-A & I-AA

44      Oklahoma        Big Eight       1952-5939      Nebraska        Big Eight/Big12 1992-9834      DUQUESNE        Metro Atlantic  1999-

BULLOCK ON A TEAR

Senior defensive end Antoine Bullock (Houston, Texas/Sugar Land Kempner) has been on a roll as of late. The 6-1, 220-pounder has 5.0 sacks in his last two games and is now just 0.5 sacks behind all-time leader John Wojciechowski (24.0 sacks between 1992-95) on DU's all-time list. Bullock ranks tied for second nationally with 8.0 sacks this season (1.33 per game). The Duquesne school record for sacks in a season is 12.5 set by All-American Ryan Tolan - Bullock's current position coach - last year. In his last two games, Bullock has topped his career single-game tackle high with 10 stops at Georgetown followed by 12 vs. Saint Peter's. Bullock has been named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season (Sept. 12 & Oct. 17).

NOTES FROM SAINT PETER'S

The shutout was Duquesne's first since a 49-0 whitewash win at Butler on Sept. 13, 2003 ... DU's conference win streak now stands at 34 games ... it is the longest active conference win streak among NCAA Division I-A and I-AA schools and ranks third all time behind Oklahoma (44 in the Big Eight from 1952-59) and Nebraska (39 in the Big Eight/Big 12 from 1992-98) on the all-time list for Division I-A and I-AA ... Antoine Bullock (Houston, Texas/Sugar Land Kempner), who entered the game tied for 15th nationally with a sack per game average, finished with three sacks to up his season total to 8.0 and career total to 23.5 ... Bullock, who is now tied for second on DU's all-time sacks list with Philip Polony (2000-03), trails all-time sacks leader John Wojciechowski (24.0 sacks from 1992-95) by 0.5 ... freshman Travis Taltoan (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) caught three passes for 38 yards (both career highs) in his first extended playing time at wide receiver ... Duquesne's 169 yards rushing easily eclipsed its previous season high of 107 set at Columbia ... DU, led by James Jacobs' (Norristown, Pa./Norristown), 70 yards on 13 carries, averaged 4.3 yards per rush on the afternoon ... redshirt freshman quarterback Scott Knapp (Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry Traditional Academy) completed passes to eight different receivers ... sophomore linebacker John Simmons (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) recorded his first career interception in the second quarter ... Duquesne was 4-of-4 in the red zone with three TDs and a field goal ... Saint Peter's deepest penetration of the game - to the Duquesne 16 mid-way through the second quarter - was ended when junior safety Michael Hill (Largo, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) picked off a Scott Bonnono pass at the eight and returned it 11 yards to the 19.