Sept. 10, 2005

Box Score | Quotes | Notes

Pittsburgh, Pa. -- Kyle Postell returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown with four seconds left in the first half, and the defense road the momentum from that big play to pitch a second-half shutout in a 30-13 win over Fordham.

The victory, Duquesne's ninth over a Patriot League team since 1999, upped the Dukes' record to 2-0 under first-year coach Jerry Schmitt. Fordham dropped to 0-2.

Redshirt freshman Scott Knapp put together another solid performance in his second career start, throwing for 265 yards including touchdown passes of 65 yards to Bruce Hocker and 66 yards to Conrad Carter.

Duquesne's defense, which was out to avenge a 41-34 loss at Fordham last year, held the Rams to 250 yards while sacking FU quarterback Derric Daniels six times.

Fordham got on the board first when Micah Cluckey kicked a 31-yard field goal set up by a Jeremy McCullough fumble at the Duquesne 21. On the next play, Knapp found Hocker on a post pattern for a 65-yard score to put the Dukes up 7-3.

Fordham opened the second half with a 49-yard drive capped by a four-yard scoring run by Jamaal Hunte to take a 10-7 lead. Knapp then hit back-to-back 28-yard passes to Alex Roberson and Hocker to set up a 21-yard Mark Troyan field goal. The completion to Hocker proved costly as the sophomore, who had three catches for 98 yards at the time, was forced to leave the game with a shoulder injury.

After a David Kovalcik punt pinned the Rams at their own 12 yard line, Duquesne's Antoine Bullock forced a fumble that was recovered by Harry Carter at the Fordham four-yard line. Jeremy McCullough, who led Duquesne with 54 yards on 19 carries, scored from two-yards out two plays later to give DU a 17-10 lead.

Fordham answered with a 36-yard Cluckey field goal with 40 seconds left in the half to cut the lead to four. The Rams then held the Dukes and took over on the Duquesne 41 after an 11-yard punt by Kovalcik. On the next play, Postell stepped in front of a Daniels pass and raced 62 yards untouched down the right sideline for a touchdown to put Duquesne up 23-13.

The Knapp-to-Carter 66-yard connection at the 8:51 mark of the third quarter provided the only points of the second half.

Bullock, who finished with a pair of sacks and a forced fumble, tied teammate Harry Carter for game-high tackle honors with 11. Josh Antinopoulos added a pair of sacks and seven tackles and sophomore Travis Decker, making his first career start at defensive end, added two sacks and also forced a fumble. Daniels, who threw for five touchdowns in Fordham's win last year, finished the game 19-of-39 for 205 yards.

BY QUARTER      1       2       3       4       OT      FINALFORDHAM         3       10      0       0               13DUQUESNE        7       16      7       0               30
LEADERSRushing (Att./Yds./TD):  DU - McCullough (19-54-1);  FU - Prydatko (22-61-0)Passing (Att./Comp./Int./Yds./TD):  DU - Knapp (23-12-0-265-2);  FU - Daniels (39-19-1-205-0)Receiving (Att./Yds./TD):  DU - Hocker (3-98-1);  FU - Melvin (6-70-0)Tackles (Tot./Solo):  DU - Bullock (11/7), Carter (11/7);  FU - Jenrette (8/6)