Oct. 4, 2011

Duquesne Game Notes | Albany Game Notes | Live Stats | Streaming Video

Game #6 - Dukes head to Albany to face Great Danes
DUQUESNE (4-1, 2-0) at ALBANY (2-2, 1-0)
Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1:00 p.m.
University Field (5,000/Grass) • Albany, N.Y.

RADIO: WMNY-AM 1360 with Alex Panormios (play-by-play) & Tad Maurey (color)
STREAMING AUDIO: RedZoneMedia.com or GoDuquesne.com
LIVE VIDEO & GAMETRACKER: UAlbanySports.com

DUQUESNE OFF TO ALBANY: Duquesne, which extended its winning streak to four in moving to 2-0 in Northeast Conference play with a 31-28 win over Bryant on Saturday, heads to upstate New York to face Albany (2-2, 1-0) on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1:00 p.m. (WMNY-AM 1360). The Dukes, who snapped a three-game series losing streak with a 28-17 win over Albany last season at Rooney Field, are looking for their first win at the state capital where they are 0-2. Connor Dixon caught three touchdown passes from Sean Patterson - the last of which, a 10-yarder with 9:22 left, proved to be the game-winner - against Bryant. Larry McCoy, the nation's third-leading rusher (139.0 ypg.) gained 153 yards on a career high-tying 34 carries against the Bulldogs. It was his fifth 100-yard game in as many outings in 2011. DU received a boost from sophomore linebacker Dorian Bell (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway/Ohio State) who made his debut in the win over Bryant. The Ohio State transfer, who was reinstated by the NCAA during the week after serving a four-game suspension, had six tackles and a quarterback pressure in his first action since Nov. 27, 2010 vs. Michigan.

DUKES AND GREAT DANES: This is the fifth meeting between Duquesne and four-time Northeast Conference champion Albany ... last year, DU snapped a three-game series losing streak with a 28-17 win at Rooney Field ... Larry McCoy ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns and Sean Patterson threw for 242 yards and a score in the win ... Dave Williams caught three passes for 106 yards and Connor Dixon added seven catches for 79 yards for the Dukes who outgained Albany 380-208 ... in the first meeting between the two, UA handed then 11-0 Duquesne a 24-0 defeat in the 2002 ECAC Classic played at Albany's University Field ... it is one of only four times a Duquesne team has been shut out since moving to the FCS level in 1993 ... three years ago, Albany turned two Duquesne fourth-quarter turnovers into 13 points to pull away for a 33-23 win over the Dukes at Rooney Field ... tailback David McCarty was the offensive star for Albany with 230 yards on 37 carries ... Duquesne's Connor Dixon was 21-of-46 for 338 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times ... Duquesne, despite being limited to 114 yards in the second half, outgained Albany 392-312 ... both teams lost a pair of fumbles ... in 2009, Albany used a quartet of big plays to jump out to a 41-7 halftime lead and cruise to a 55-10 win over Duquesne at University Field ... Albany scored on a 78-yard punt return, 56-yard fumble return, 81-yard touchdown pass and 32-yard touchdown pass all in the game's opening 30 minutes.

DU AMONG FCS LEADERS: Duquesne enters the Albany game ranked fifth in the FCS in total offense (470.8 ypg.) and second in total defense (259.6 ypg.). DU, behind the running of junior Larry McCoy (139.0 ypg. ranks 3rd nationally) ranks sixth in rushing offense at 251.8 ypg. The Dukes are surrendering just 128.4 ypg. through the air to rank 5th nationally in pass defense and fifth in pass efficiency defense (93.67). DU is 14th in both scoring offense (33.8 ppg.) and scoring defense (19.2 ppg.). The offensive line has allowed just five sacks in five games which ranks 15th nationally. A total of 120 FCS teams are ranked.

QUICK HITS

• The Dukes are 6-1 in their past seven NEC games dating back to last season.

• Duquesne, which returns 15 starters, won four of its final five games in 2010 - including road wins at Wagner and Bryant - to finish 7-4. Quarterback Sean Patterson threw for 13 touchdowns with just three interceptions in 118 pass attempts over that five-game span. Running back Larry McCoy averaged 119.0 rushing yards per game over that same span.

• Duquesne ended the nation's longest FCS win streak at 10 with its 22-13 victory at Dayton on Sept. 10. DU, which has won four of its last five meetings with the perennial Pioneer Football League power, was the last team to defeat UD before the Flyers began their 10-game streak.

• DU amassed 628 yards of total offense in its 49-14 win over Valparaiso on Sept. 17. The total yards were the most since 647 in a 36-14 win over Siena in 2003. Duquesne's 427 rushing yards were its most since 457 vs. La Salle in 2003. Larry McCoy (21-164) and Bill Bair (16-154) both topped 100 yards marking the first time since Oct. 26, 2002 that two Dukes ran for 100 yards in the same game (Kyle Postell: 17-130 & Mike Hilliard: 20-122 at La Salle). It was the first time since a 55-0 win over Siena on Oct. 27, 2001 that two Duquesne players rushed for over 150 yards in the same game (Donte Small 27-186 & Josh Rue 16-158)

• Sixteen of DU's 20 touchdown drives this season have covered 60 or more yards.

• QB Sean Patterson, who ranks 13th nationally in pass efficiency (153.51), is 8-2 in his past 10 starts. The junior lefty has thrown for 26 touchdowns with seven interceptions over that span.

• Receiver Connor Dixon has caught five touchdown passes in DU's past two games.

• DU's 5-3 conference record and third place finish in 2010 were its best in its first three seasons of Northeast Conference play. The Dukes' five wins were one more than they had in their first two NEC seasons combined: DU went 2-5 (6th) in the NEC in 2008 and 2-6 (t7th) in 2009.

• DU's first scholarship class, signed in February of 2008, makes up the majority of this year's junior and senior classes. Duquesne offered 18 scholarships to the first class. That number has been increased to the current number of 28.

• A major renovation of the home locker room as well as coaches offices located in the fieldhouse located off the east end of Rooney Field was completed over the summer. The newly named Keller Fieldhouse project comes on the heels of a renovation of Rooney Field which was completed in 2009.

• Duquesne returned 98.5 percent of its rushing yards mainly in the legs of junior running back Larry McCoy. McCoy carried 252 times for 1,291 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore (ranked 11th nationally). McCoy topped 100 yards six times in 2010 with all six coming in an eight-game span of NEC play. He has five 100-yard games in five starts this season.

• DU had to find a replacement for kicker Eric Duale who chose not to return in 2011. Duale was one of the most improved players in the NEC last year with a team-high 73 points. The junior-to-be converted 14-of-18 field goal attempts and 31-of-32 extra points last season. Charlie Leventry, who has handled punting duties for the past two seasons, is 8-of-11 on field goal attempts (including a pair of 40-yarders) with 42 points through five games. Leventry ranks tied for 10th nationally with an average of 1.60 field goals per game. He is averaging 36.3 yards per punt.

• The Dukes return four of five members of the 2010 offensive line: left tackle Ron Dunn, left guard Eric Warning, center Cameron Downey and left guard Jamaal Thomas. The fifth starter, Brian Layhue has moved from right tackle to tight end - a position he played in his first two seasons at DU. Jeremy Summers (6-2, 293), a JC transfer from Laney College in Oakland, Calif. has taken over Layhue's vacated spot. Summers is the brother of San Diego Chargers fullback Frank Summers. The O-line, which has given up just five sacks in five games, has helped the Dukes produce 470.8 yards per game - good for 5th nationally.

• Pittsburgh native Gary Dunn, who spent the previous 14 years at Morehead State, is in his first season as DU's offensive coordinator. Dunn replaces former DU quarterback Niel Loebig who moved with his wife to Florida. Loebig was on the staff for five seasons including the last two as offensive coordinator. Dunn, who was the OC at Morehead for his final 11 seasons, regularly recruited the western Pennsylvania area for the Eagles.

• DU's first two games were both decided in the final minute. In week one, Bucknell ended an 82 yard drive with a one yard run on fourth-and-goal with 57 seconds left and tacked on the extra point for a 27-26 win. DU led 16-3 with possession with two minutes to go in first half. On Sept. 10 at Dayton, Duquesne scored nine points in the final 30 seconds to secure a 22-13 win. Charlie Leventry capped a 52 yard drive with a 24 yard field with 30 seconds left and cornerback Jared Williams blocked a 50 yard field goal attempt, scooped up the ball an ran 48 yards for a score as time expired. The win snapped Dayton's FCS-best win streak at 10.

• The Dukes have lost three starters/key reserves for the season: WR Akeem Moore (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brentwood) torn ACL at practice on Sept. 21; RB/Return Specialist Ryan Ho (Pearl City, Hawaii/Kamehameha Schools) dislocated ankle in the opener at Bucknell and WR/Return Specialist David Thomas (Ocala, Fla./Trinity Catholic) broken foot vs. Valparaiso; two others are out indefinitely with ankle injuries: DE Reggie Eiland (Accokeek, Md./Gwynn Park) and LB Tyler Zimmer (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford).

BRYANT LEFTOVERS: The victory extended Duquesne's win streak to four ... it is the Dukes' longest streak since five consecutive wins in 2007 (DU's last season in the MAAC) ... DU has also won four in a row at Rooney Field ... Duquesne is 6-1 in its past seven NEC games dating back to last year ... Duquesne wore bright red throwback jerseys with "Iron Dukes" on the front in honor of DU's 1970s teams for Homecoming ... junior running back Larry McCoy (Wytheville, Va./George Wythe) topped the 100 yard mark for the fifth time in as many games with a career high-tying 34 carries for 153 yards ... McCoy topped the century mark on his second carry of the second half ... it was his 11th 100-yard game in his past 13 outings and 15th of his career ... McCoy, who ranks fourth on DU's all-time rushing list (2,793 yards), needs 207 to reach 3,000 ... sophomore Ohio State transfer Dorian Bell (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) made his Duquesne debut ... the 6-1, 228-pound linebacker finished with six tackles (three solo) and a quarterback pressure in his first game action since Nov. 27, 2010 vs. Michigan ... Bell who was reinstated by the NCAA during the week after serving a four-game suspension, has been practicing with the team since his transfer in late August ... he saw his first action on Bryant's second series and made a tackle on the Bulldogs first running play of the series ... Connor Dixon (South Park, Pa./South Park) caught five passes for 71 yards including touchdown passes of 33, 15 and 10 yards ... the 6-5, 212-pound graduate student has caught a pass in 20 consecutive games ... he has caught at least one pass in every game since moving from quarterback to receiver eight games into the 2009 season ... Dixon has caught at least one touchdown pass in all five games this season ... junior quarterback Sean Patterson (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) completed 13-of-25 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns (33, 15, 10) ... it was the 11th multiple-touchdown pass game of his career and fourth in fifth starts in 2011 ... Patterson has 13 TD passes in five games ... safety Serge Kona (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg), who finished with five tackles, added his second career interception in the second quarter ... defensive tackle Mike Passodelis (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny) finished with seven tackles (four solo) including a tackle for loss ... quarterback-turned-safety Richie Piekarski (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) sealed the win with his first career interception at the Bryant 48 with just over two minutes left ... the Dukes finished with six tackles for losses, including three sacks totaling 27 yards.

IN THE POLLS: DU, which appeared in the "others receiving votes" category of the Sept. 12 Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll with an NEC-best 10 points following its win at Dayton, disappeared from the poll for two weeks following a 49-14 win over Valpo & 41-14 victory at Saint Francis, Pa. The Dukes are back this week with an NEC-best 17 points. Other NEC schools receiving votes include: Albany (8) and Robert Morris (2). The team that handed DU its lone loss, Bucknell, received seven points. The Dukes are also tied for 36th in the FCS Coaches Poll with six points. The FCS Coaches Poll is based exclusively on a voting panel of head coaches in the FCS under the cooperation of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is administered by the Southern Conference.

A WELCOME ADDITION: Duquesne was informed roughly 30 hours before the season opener that receiver Connor Dixon (South Park, Pa./South Park) was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. The appeal request was based on an illness and injury Dixon suffered in 2006 and 2007 respectively at while Michigan State, which limited his participation during his first two college seasons. A second team All-NEC pick in 2010 who had not practiced with the team since last November, Dixon jumped in a car with his father and met the team in Williamsport, Pa. in time for dinner the night before the opener at Bucknell. The offensive coaches quizzed him on the playbook and Dixon, a former quarterback, passed with flying colors. He entered the game in the second quarter and caught a 14-yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-goal on his first play to give DU a 13-3 lead. The 6-5 Dixon, who had 43 catches for 602 yards and five TDs last season, went on to add a second catch of seven yards in limited action. With a week of practice under his belt, Dixon added a 10 yard TD catch at Dayton. He posted his third TD (a 66 yard catch-and-run) against Valparaiso before exploding for four catches for 175 yards and two scores (87 & 40 yards) at Saint Francis. Dixon, who caught a 41 yard pass on the first play of the game, had three catches for 168 yards and the two scores in the first quarter alone. He was named NEC co-Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 26) for his effort. Dixon, who has caught a pass in 19 consecutive games since moving from quarterback to receiver, is averaging 29.2 yards per catch (12-351-5) this season.

AND ANOTHER: A second former Big Ten player was added to the active roster when linebacker Dorian Bell (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) made his Duquesne debut against Bryant. Bell, a sophomore transfer from Ohio State, was suspended for the Dukes' first four games before having his eligibility reinstated by the NCAA on Sept. 27. Bell was ineligible for violation of an NCAA regulation that occurred while he was a student-athlete at Ohio State. Bell, rated as a five-star recruit by rivals.com as a senior at nearby Gateway High School, redshirted for OSU's 2009 Rose Bowl and Big Ten championship team. He had nine tackles in eight games as a back-up linebacker last season. Bell, who has been practicing with the team since late August, entered the Bryant game in the first quarter. He finished with six stops including a tackle for loss and added a quarterback pressure in his first game action since Nov. 27, 2010 vs. Michigan. Bell is the highest profile player to transfer to DU since quarterback Tony Zimmerman came to the Bluff from the University of Pittsburgh in 1998. Zimmerman, who was rated as one of the top prep quarterbacks in the nation following his senior season at Penn-Trafford High School, went on to throw for 7,313 yards and 73 touchdowns while breaking 14 school records in three seasons as a starter for the Dukes from 1998-01.

A LITTLE EXPERIENCE: For the first time in recent memory, the Dukes entered a season with an upperclass-laden roster. Of the 88 players on the roster (as of Sept. 3) the class breakdown is as follows: seniors (19) (including grad students), juniors (16), sophomores (13) and freshmen (40) (freshman numbers are skewed due to the inclusion of redshirts). Of the 2011 returnees, 31 started at least once last season. Of the 45 position players listed on the opening-day 2-deep, 16 were seniors and 13 were juniors. Three true freshmen have seen action so far: back-up cornerback Devin Williams (Concord, Calif./De La Salle), kick returner David Thomas (Ocala, Fla./Trinity Catholic) and long snapper Brent Calvin (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland). Thomas was lost for the season with a broken foot suffered in week three vs. Valparaiso.

IN THE TRENCHES: DU's experience is best reflected in the offensive line, where four starters return from last season (the fifth starter, Brian Layhue, moved from offensive tackle to tight end). The o-line started intact for all 11 games last season. Here are the returning starters with number of consecutive starts in parentheses: 6-5, 305, LT Ron Dunn (36), 6-3, 274 LG Eric Warning (16), 6-2, 307 C Cameron Downey (27) and 6-2, 268 LG Jamaal Thomas (35). The experience has posted dividends early as DU quarterbacks have been sacked just five times, RB Larry McCoy has ripped off five consecutive 100-yard games and the Dukes are averaging 470.8 yards of total offense per game (5th nationally).

THE REAL McCOY: Junior Larry McCoy (Wytheville, Va./George Wythe), the nation's 11th-leading rusher last season (117.4 ypg.), posted all six of his 100-yard games in DU's final eight outings of 2010. The 5-10, 220-pound Virginia native was a model of consistency last season, rushing for between 74 and 246 yards on no fewer than 18 carries in any game. McCoy is the top returning junior career rusher (95.4 ypg.) in the FCS. He picked up where he left off with 112 yards on 30 carries in the season-opening loss at Bucknell. He added 113 yards in the win at Dayton and 164 on 21 totes vs. Valpo. McCoy made it four-straight 100-yard games with 23-153-1 at Saint Francis. He added 153 more yards on a career high-tying 34 totes vs. Bryant McCoy, who only played three quarters vs. both Valpo and SFU ranks third nationally - and first in the NEC - with a 139.0 yards per game average.

POWER SERGE: Junior Serge Kona (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg), the Dukes' leading returning tackler (64 stops, 36 solo) made the move from linebacker to safety in the spring. The 5-10, 215-pounder - who has established himself as one of the NEC's hardest hitters, has shown a nose for the football in his first two seasons on the Bluff. In his first two seasons, the Maryland native amassed 17 tackles for loss, broke up four passes, forced three fumbles and recovered two. Kona, who is also returning kickoffs and punts in 2011, was named to the preseason All-NEC team. With Kona at safety, DU enters the Albany game ranked 5th nationally in both pass defense (128.4 ypg.) & pass efficiency defense (93.67).

A PAT ON THE BACK: Junior Sean Patterson (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit), who threw for 2,050 yards in 20 touchdowns in his first season as a starter, is back under center for the Dukes. The 6-2, 210-pounder is the fifth player in school history to throw for over 2,000 yards in a season. Patterson, a two-time NEC Offensive Player of the Week last season, has completed 54.2 percent of his career passes. Patterson, who earned NEC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12 after amassing 310 yards of total offense in the win at Dayton, added 365 yards of total offense (290 yards passing and a career-best 75 rushing) to go along with four first-half TD passes in DU's 41-14 win at Saint Francis. Patterson's 135.58 career pass efficiency rating ranks 8th among active FCS quarterbacks.

SOMETHING TO SPRAGG ABOUT: Senior receiver Isaac Spragg (Westfield, Va./Valley Forge Military Academy), who entered the season with eight catches for 67 yards in 22 career games, exploded for nine catches for 100 yards and at TD (22 yds.) in the season opener at Bucknell. The catches, yards, touchdowns and long catch (the 22-yard TD) were all career bests. He added six receptions for 93 yards at Dayton (including a new career-long 42-yarder). Spragg leads the team with 28 catches for 345 yards and three scores. He has caught at least four balls in every game this season.