March 21, 2007
PITTSBURGH - Third-year head coach Jerry Schmitt will get his first look at the 2007 Duquesne football team when the Dukes open spring practice on Thursday, March 22 on Rooney Field. Duquesne, which is coming off a 7-3-0 season and eighth consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League title, will practice 14 times over the next month culminating with the annual spring game on Saturday, April 21 at 12:15 pm.
Schmitt, the two-time MAAC Coach of the Year, welcomes back 18 starters from last year's team (nine offensive and seven defensive in addition to the starting punter and placekicker) which finished the season ranked No. 6 in The Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major Top 10.
Among the priorities this spring is the retooling of a Duquesne defensive backfield which lost three veteran starters from a unit that ranked No. 19 in total defense, 11th in scoring defense, 13th in pass defense, and 11th in pass efficiency defense in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Gone are three first team All-MAAC performers in cornerback Kyle Postell and safeties Todd Mills, and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Michael Hill. In addition, Schmitt must find a replacement for starting defensive end Ryan Esdale.
Returning are seven first and second team All-MAAC performers from last year, including all three linebackers, first teamers senior John Simmons (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) and junior Greg Hough (Gibosnia, Pa./Pine-Richland), and second team junior Eric Halberstadt (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn). Also returning is first team All-MAAC defensive end senior Travis Decker (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) who will be joined by second team sophomores Ronnie Garvin (Aiken, S.C./Aiken), and Mykol Gardiner (Cleveland, Oh./Benedictine) along the defensive line.
Junior Aaron Strader (Pittsburgh, Pa./Westinghouse) the 2005 MAAC Defensive Rookie of the Year and first team All-MAAC pick last season will anchor the defensive backfield along with senior returnee Paul Mulbah (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt).
Offensively, the Dukes will be led by consensus All-American senior Bruce Hocker (Upper Marlboro, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) who caught 61 passes for 1,070 yards which ranks as the fifth most yards in school history. His 61 catches tied for the fourth most in DU history. Getting Hocker the ball will be junior quarterback Scott Knapp (Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry Traditional Academy) who finished last year with the second most passing yards (2,853) in school history. His 209 completions and .595 completion percentage, (209-351), broke the previous school records. Knapp's 26 touchdown passes - 16 to Hocker alone - were good enough for fourth on DU's all-time single-season list and Hocker's 16 TD grabs tied the school record. Both Knapp and Hocker were named First Team All-MAAC.
Redhshirt sophomore Kevin Rombach (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), who saw substantial playing time as a freshman in 2005, will provide experienced depth at the quarterback spot.
Last year DU had to find five new starters on the offensive line. They included two juniors, center Matt Stansfield (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) and guard Hatim Chafi (Rockville, Md./ Richard Montgomery), one sophomore, tackle J.T. Stefanik (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands), and two freshmen, guard Steve Kuhns (Lafayette, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) and tackle Matt Kikta (Upper St. Clair, Pa./Upper St. Clair). All five are back with a year of experience under their belt.
Stansfield was named first team All-MAAC and Stefanik and Kuhns were named to the second team. The Dukes will also welcome back 2005 first team All-MAAC tackle junior Zach Wolfe (Ford City, Pa./Ford City) who missed last season with a back injury.
DU must find a replacement for departing first team All-MAAC wide receiver Dan Spriggs, who accounted for 61 receptions and 778 yards. Waiting in the wings is sophomore Conrad Carter (Clinton, Md./Archbishop Carroll) who had 19 catches for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns. Also returning is sophomore Josh Kurz (Delmont, Pa./Franklin Regional), who had 6 catches for 78 yards (13.0 ypc.). DU is also hoping for a return from junior Alex Roberson (Waynesboro Ga., Curtis Baptist Upper School) who went down last year with a season-ending knee injury. Before the injury, Roberson had career totals of 52 catches for 712 yards and seven touchdowns.
Calvin Gitter (Jamison, Pa./Central Bucks East), the starting tight end last season, is also back. Gitter was named First Team All-MAAC in 2006.
DU must also find a replacement for the productive combo of Jeremy McCullough and James Jacobs at running back. Looking to fill the void will be junior Dennis Void (Bronx, N.Y. Mt. St. Michael Academy/Chabot CC) who gained 170 yards on 49 carries and one touchdown and added four catches for 39 yards last season.
The kicking game looks to be solid with second team All-MAAC senior punter David Kovalcik (Chantilly, Va./Chantilly) and junior placekicker Mark Troyan (Ford City, Pa./Ford City) both back.
Duquesne has won 10 of the past 12 MAAC titles, including the past eight in a row. Duquesne enters their final year in the MAAC before they move to the Northeast Conference (NEC) in the fall of 2008. DU, which previously provided need-based aid only, will begin granting scholarships next February.
