Oct. 31, 2009

Box Score

PITTSBURGH - Jeremy Martinez scored on a six-yard run on Wagner's second overtime possession to give the Seahawks a 23-17 win over Duquesne at Rooney Field.

Duquesne had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but Eric Duale had two field goal attempts blocked in the final 12 seconds.

Wagner quarterback Nick Doscher threw for 203 yards and ran for 132 to lead the Seahawks. Cleo Williams ran for a career-high 174 yards for Duquesne.

The loss was the fourth in a row for the Dukes who dropped to 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the Northeast Conference. The win was the fourth in five games for Wagner who moved to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in the NEC.

Duquesne got on the board first, when Williams ended a 57-yard drive with a one-yard plunge.

Wagner then drove to the Duquesne 12 before settling for a 29-yard David Lopez field goal that made it 7-3 with 1:10 left in the first quarter.

The Dukes missed a scoring opportunity midway through the second quarter when Williams fumbled at the Wagner 11 after breaking off a 64-yard run.

The Seahawks then drove deep into Duquesne territory before Aldon Sutton pounced on a Shane Smith fumble at the Dukes' 10.

Wagner pulled to within one on its first possession of the second half when Lopez capped a 37-yard drive with a 29-yard field goal.

Wagner took its first lead of the game when a Duquesne snap sailed over punter Charlie Leventry's head and into the end zone for a safety to make it 8-7 with 8:14 to go in the third quarter.

The Seahawks took advantage of the good field position from the free kick and drove 48 yards on four plays to up the lead to 14-7 on an 18-yard run by Doscher.

Duquesne battled back to tie the game when Rombach hit Connor Dixon with back-to-back passes - a 26-yarder followed by a five-yard fade for a touchdown to make it 14-14 with 12:10 left.

Dixon, a converted quarterback playing just his second game at receiver, finished with four second-half catches for 90 yards.

Wagner had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Lopez' 42-yard field goal attempt with 39 seconds left sailed wide left.

Rombach hit Dixon with a 43-yard pass to move Duquesne to the Wagner 13, but Eric Duale's 30-yard field goal was blocked by Stefen Gage. The Dukes recovered and Duale had a second attempt, this one from 35 yards out was blocked by Wagner's Frantz Placide as time expired.

Lopez kicked a 20-yard field goal on its first overtime possession and Duale matched him with a 38-yarder to force a second overtime.

Duquesne lost 19 yards on its second overtime possession.

The Dukes are idle next week before hitting the road to face Sacred Heart (1-7, 1-5) on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Noon.

Scoring by Quarters

LEADERS
Rushing (Att./Yds./TD): DU - C.Williams (27-174-1); WC - Doscher (26-132-1)
Passing (Att./Comp./Int./Yds./TD): DU - Rombach (16-7-0-113-1); WC - Doscher (33-22-0-203-0)
Receiving (Att./Yds./TD): DU - Dixon (4-90-1); WC - Woods (8-50-0)
Tackles (Tot./Solo): DU - Inda (12/4); WC - Davis (9/6)

GAME NOTES
This was Duquesne's first overtime game since a 30-23 win at Sacred Heart on Sept. 22, 2007 ... it was the fourth overtime game the Dukes have had under fifth-year head coach Jerry Schmitt (1-3) ... Wagner outgained Duquesne 374-323 ... Duquesne outgained Wagner on the ground 210-170 ... Wagner ran 78 plays to Duquesne's 56 ... senior Cleo Williams (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) finished with 27 carries for a career high 174 yards ... his previous career best was 139 yards at Central Connecticut State last season ... Williams topped the 100-yard mark on a career-long 64-yard run midway through the second quarter ... Williams had 145 yards on 18 carries at the half ... sophomore defensive lineman Alex Inda (San Fernando, Calif./St. Genevieve) led Duquesne with a career- and game-high 12 tackles ... freshmen Derrick Lakins (Upper Marlboro, Md./DeMatha) and Horvin Latimer (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) added 11 tackles each ... Latimer has 38 tackles in DU's past three games .. junior Connor Dixon (South Park, Pa./South Park), who has 11 career starts at quarterback, caught four passes for 90 yards (all in the second half) in his second game as a wide receiver ... the 6-5 junior has 11 catches for 158 yards in two games since moving to wideout ... senior quarterback Kevin Rombach (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) completed 7-of-16 passes for 113 yards ... senior wideout Michael Rasky (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) saw his streak of consecutive games with at least one catch snapped at 28.