Oct. 22, 2005
Box Score | Quotes | Notes
Pougkeepsie, N.Y. -- In a battle for first place in the MAAC, Duquesne's defense took center stage limiting Marist to 113 yards of total offense in a 22-14 Dukes win at muddy Leonidoff Field in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
The victory, Duquesne's 11th in a row over the Red Foxes, upped DU's MAAC win streak to 34 games and left the Dukes alone atop the MAAC with a 2-0 record (4-3 overall). The loss dropped Marist to 4-3 and 1-1 in the MAAC.
Duquesne struck first when Jeremy McCullough scored on a 13-yard run to cap a 37-yard drive on DU's first possession. Scott Knapp set up McCullough's run by completing a 14-yard pass to Alex Roberson on 4th-and-11 to keep the drive alive.
Marist, which was held to 33 yards on 24 first half plays, took a 7-6 lead when Daniel Diaz stepped in front of a Knapp pass an took it 43 yards for a score with 5:40 left in the first quarter.
Michael Ford picked off a James Luft pass and returned it to the Marist 27 to set up the Dukes second score, a 16-yard Knapp to Greg Hough touchdown pass to make it 13-7 early in the second quarter. The Hough score was preceded by another fourth down conversion, this one a four-yard pass from Knapp to tight end Calvin Gitter on 4th-and-3.
On the first play of the second half, Knapp found Philip Hayes over the middle and watched the six-foot-six freshman carry the ball 55 yards to the Marist 19. The catch-and-run, which was the first of Hayes' career, set up a 12-yard Knapp-to-Travis Taltoan scoring pass to make the score 19-7.
On Marist's next possession, Javonn Bradley sacked Luft, forcing a fumble that was returned 11 yards by Josh Antinopoulos to the Red Foxes' 28. The Dukes marched to the Marist four, before settling for a 20-yard Mark Troyan field goal to take a 22-7 lead.
The DU defense, which hadn't given up a touchdown in nine previous quarters, was dented by a 12-yard Luft to Prince Primpeh touchdown pass on the first play following a 62 yard punt return by Guy Smith with 2:29 left in the game.
Alex Roberson made a fair catch on Marist's ensuing short kickoff and the Dukes ran out the clock to seal the win.
Duquesne made things difficult for Luft, limiting the senior signal-caller to nine completions on 32 attempts for 74 yards. Michael Hill, Aaron Strader and Michael Ford each picked off a pass as the Dukes forced a total of five Marist turnovers.
Obozu Ehikioya, who entered the game ranked tenth in the nation with a 116 yards per game rushing average, also found the going tough in finishing with 37 yards on 16 carries.
Duquesne's Jeremy McCullough led all rushers with 80 yards on 25 carries.
Knapp finished 19-of-31 for 202 yards with two TDs and three interceptions as the Dukes finished with 326 yards of total offense. Knapp completed passes to nine different receivers, including four each to Dan Spriggs (4-45-0) and Taltoan (4-30-1).
Spriggs, who also completed a 40-yard pass to Roberson in the third quarter, added two punt returns for 24 yards.
John Simmons and Antoine Bullock led the defense with eight tackles each.
Bullock recorded his ninth sack of the season and in the process passed John Wojciechowski (1992-95) to become DU's all-time sacks leader with 24.5 for his career.
1 2 3 4 FINALDUQUESNE 6 7 9 0 22MARIST 7 0 0 7 14
LEADERS
Rushing (Att./Yds./TD)
DU - McCullough (25-80-1)
MC - Ehikioya (16-37-0)
Passing (Att./Comp./Int./Yds./TD)
DU - Knapp (31-19-3-202-2)
MC - Luft (32-9-3-74-1)
Receiving (Att./Yds./TD)
DU - Spriggs (4-45-0), Taltoan (4-30-1)
MC - Smith (4-38-0)
Tackles (Tot./Solo)
DU - Simmons (8/7), Bullock (8/1)
MC - Giumo (12/4)
POST-GAME QUOTES --
Duquesne Head Coach Jerry Schmitt: "This was a big win. Its always tough to come up here at win at Marist. They are well coached, they came into the game ranked higher than us and it was an emotional game for them. For us to come in and play poised was a big thing. We had some big plays and were efficient offensively. But the story of the game was our defense. They played great."
Duquesne outside linebacker John Simmons: "We treated this as a MAAC championship-type game and approached it that way."
Duquesne quarterback Scott Knapp: "Weather like this [steady drizzle] changes things a little bit. You still have to come out and execute, and we did that. At the half we always talk about moving the football and putting it in the end zone. The first play of the second half [a 55-yard pass to Philip Hayes] really motivated us. Phil's big catch-and-run really picked us up."
GAME NOTES --
DU's conference win streak now stands at 35 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 ... the Dukes also extended their series win streak to 11 in a row over Marist ... Marist converted just one of 14 third downs and turned it over five times (three interceptions and two fumbles) ... Duquesne was penalized 10 times for 126 yards to four for 21 for Marist ... freshman receiver Philip Hayes (Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock) made his first career catch a memorable one, taking in a pass from Scott Knapp and racing 55 yards to the Marist 19 on the first play of the second half ... the reception set-up freshman Travis Taltoan's (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) first career touchdown - a 12-yarder from Knapp ... Taltoan finished with a career-high four catches for 30 yards, giving him seven grabs for 68 yards in the Dukes' last two games ... Antoine Bullock (Houston, Texas/Sugar Land Kempner) recorded his ninth sack of the season with just under seven minutes left in the third quarter ... with that sack, Bullock passed John Wojciechowski (24.0 sacks from 1992-95) to become DU's career sacks leader with 24.5 ... redshirt freshman quarterback Scott Knapp (Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry Traditional Academy), who was 19-of-31 for 202 yards and two TDs, completed passes to nine different receivers ... junior receiver Dan Spriggs (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall College) caught four passes for 45 yards, returned two punts 24 yards and completed a 40 yard pass to Alex Roberson ... sophomore linebacker John Simmons (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) tied Bullock for team high with eight tackles (7 solo) ... freshman Aaron Strader (Pittsburgh, Pa./Allderdice), who was making his first career start at cornerback, picked off pass and returned it 23 yards mid-way through the fourth quarter ... Michael Hill (Largo, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) recorded his second interception in as many games ... Michael Ford (Clinton, Md./Oxon Hill) added his second interception of the season - and 10th of his career - to set up DU's second score of the game ... the Dukes were 3-of-3 on fourth down in the first half on conversions covering 11, 7 and 4 yards.
