Sept. 22, 2007
Box Score
FAIRFIELD, CONN. - For the second consecutive year, Duquesne and Sacred Heart took it down to the wire, but this time it took overtime to settle it as Aaron Strader's interception in the end zone preserved a 30-23 road win for the Dukes.
Strader, who was called for pass interference on fourth down on the previous play, stepped in front of Tyler McKeon's pass to end Sacred Heart's comeback attempt.
The win snapped DU's two-game season-opening losing streak, while Sacred Heart disappointed a Homecoming crowd to drop to 2-2. Last year, Duquesne's John Simmons broke up a pass in the end zone off a muffed field goal attempt on the game's final play to preserve a 24-21 Dukes' win in Pittsburgh.
Duquesne, which led 23-14 entering the fourth quarter, scored on its lone overtime possession when Greg Hough dragged four Sacred Heart tacklers for the final four yards of an eight-yard run to give the Dukes the lead.
DU looked to have Sacred Heart stopped when Strader and SHU's Joey Henley went up for a ball in the end zone on a fourth-and-eight play. Strader was flagged for a penalty and redeemed himself on the next play to secure the win.
Duquesne quarterback Kevin Rombach was outstanding, completing 29-of-41 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown. Rombach's 29 completions tied the second-highest single-game total in school history, trailing only teammate Scott Knapp's 35 completions at Fordham last year.
Hough led the Duquesne ground game with 107 yards on 20 carries and two scores. Bruce Hocker led all receivers with 96 yards on eight catches.
Jason Payne led Sacred Heart with 112 yards rushing on 12 carries.
Duquesne outgained Sacred Heart 457-306 and enjoyed a 33:22 to 26:38 advantage in time of possession. The Dukes, who came into the game averaging 86.5 yards per game on the ground, rushed for 141 yards.
Hough covered the final 49 yards of Duquesne's opening drive with a 45-yard run followed by a four-yard scoring carry to put the Dukes up 7-0 less than two minutes into the game.
Sacred Heart responded with a 79-yard drive that ended with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Dale Fink to Corey Bundy to tie the score.
Duquesne drove to the Sacred Heart 35 before losing possession on a fumble by a scrambling Rombach. The Pioneers took advantage of the miscue when Fink dumped a screen pass to Payne and watched him scamper 40 yards for a score to put Sacred Heart up 14-7 and end a wild first quarter which saw a combined 283 yards of total offense.
The Duquesne defense, which surrendered 154 yards in the opening 15 minutes, settled in and forced back-to-back Sacred Heart punts that the offense turned into Mark Troyan field goals of 26 and 25 yards to pull with one at 14-13 with 3:19 left in the half.
DU forced a third-straight punt that Bill Poletti returned to the Sacred Heart 35 with under two minutes to go. Rombach completed three consecutive passes, the third of which found Michael Rasky from five yards out to give the Dukes a 20-14 lead at the half.
Duquesne, which finished with 270 yards at the half, held SHU to 33 yards in the second quarter.
Troyan added a 35-yard field goal for the only points of the third quarter to put the Dukes up 23-14.
Sacred Heart answered with a 25-yard Joe Schroeder field goal after failing to score on three plays from inside the Duquesne 10.
The Pioneers tied the game when John Wilson returned a blocked punt 18 yards for a score with nine minutes left to tie the game at 23-23. SHU missed the extra point to set up the overtime.
BY QUARTER 1 2 3 4 OT FINALDUQUESNE 7 13 3 0 7 30SACRED HEART 14 0 0 9 0 23
LEADERS
Rushing (Att./Yds./TD)
DU - Hough (20-107-2), SHU - Payne (12-112-1)
Passing (Att./Comp./Int./Yds./TD)
DU - Rombach (41-29-0-316-1), SHU - McKeon (17-10-1-91-0)
Receiving (Att./Yds./TD)
DU - Hocker (8-96-0), SHU - Henley (3-74-1)
Tackles (Tot./Solo)
DU - Totino (14/8), SHU - Wilson (9/4)
GAME NOTES
Duquesne is now 8-1 against NEC teams since 2003 (12-6 all-time) ... Duquesne's last 1-2 start was in 2003 ... that year the Dukes rebounded to finish 8-3 and win the Mid-Major National Championship ... DU, which entered the game averaging 86.5 yards rushing per game, ran for 141 yards ... junior running back Greg Hough (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) led the way with a career-high 107 yards on 20 carries ... Dennis Void (Bronx, N.Y./Mt. St. Michael Academy/Chabot CC) added 29 yards on eight rushes ... redshirt sophomore Kevin Rombach (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) completed 29-of-41 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown (five yards to Michael Rasky) in his first start since the 2005 season finale at Saint Francis, Pa. ... Rombach, who sat out last year, is now 3-0 in three career starts ... his 29 completions tied the second-highest single-game total in school history ... senior All-American receiver Bruce Hocker (Upper Marlboro, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) led all receivers with eight catches for 96 yards ... freshman Nathan Totino (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) had a game-high 14 tackles (eight solo).
