March 25, 2011
2011 Duquesne Football Schedule (as of March 25) 
PITTSBURGH - Duquesne, coming off a third place Northeast Conference finish, will host the two teams that finished ahead of it, 2010 co-champions Central Connecticut State and Robert Morris, as part of the 2011 football schedule released today.
The Dukes, who return 14 starters from a team that won four of its last five to go 7-4 (5-3 in the NEC) last year, will open the season with back-to-back road games for the first time since 2006 beginning with a night game at Bucknell on Sept. 3.
It will be the tenth time in the past 15 years Duquesne will face Bucknell in the season-opener. The Dukes, who have won two in a row versus the Bison for the first time since 1933 & 1934, have yet to win at Lewisburg, Pa. where they are 0-6.
The next week, DU will head to Ohio to face defending Pioneer Football League co-Champion Dayton. The Flyers, who finished 10-1 in 2010, will be looking to avenge their loss loss - a 35-31 setback to the Dukes on Rooney Field.
Duquesne's home opener will be against first-time foe Valparaiso on Sept. 17. Valpo, like Dayton, is a member of the Pioneer League.
The Dukes, who are beginning their fourth season as an associate member of the NEC, begin a streak of eight consecutive conference games at Saint Francis, Pa. on Sept. 24.
DU welcomes Bryant for a Homecoming matchup on October 1 prior to traveling to Albany to face the Great Danes on Oct. 8.
2010 league co-champion Central Connecticut State visits Rooney Field on Oct. 15 with Wagner following on Oct. 22. The CCSU and Wagner games are the only back-to-back home games of the season.
The Dukes head to New Jersey to face Monmouth on Oct. 29 and - following a bye week - travel to Fairfield, Conn. to take on Sacred Heart on Nov. 12.
Duquesne will complete the 2011 schedule at home against cross-town rival Robert Morris on Nov. 19. RMU, which tied for the 2010 regular-season title with CCSU, earned the NEC's first automatic Football Champion Subdivision Playoff berth last season.
DU, under sixth-year head coach Jerry Schmitt, is currently in its second week of spring practice. The 15 practice sessions will culminate with the annual spring game slated for Saturday, April 16 on Rooney Field.
For ticket information regarding the 2011 season, fans are encouraged to call 412-232-DUKE (3853).
2011 DUQUESNE FOOTBALLadditional game times to be announced
Date Opponent TimeSept. 3 at Bucknell 6:00 pmSept. 10 at Dayton TBASept. 17 VALPARAISO TBASept. 24 at Saint Francis, Pa.* TBAOct. 1 BRYANT (HC)* TBAOct. 8 at Albany* TBAOct. 15 CENTRAL CONN. STATE* TBAOct. 22 WAGNER* TBAOct. 29 at Monmouth* TBANov. 12 at Sacred Heart* TBANov. 19 ROBERT MORRIS* TBA* - indicates Northeast Conference (NEC) gamesHC - Homecoming game vs. BryantTV games to be released by the NEC at a later date
Home games are played at Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field on the Duquesne campus
2011 SCHEDULE QUICK NOTES
OPENING ON THE ROAD: This is the first time since 2006 (at Bucknell and at Robert Morris) that DU will open with back-to-back road games. The last time the Dukes opened with two games outside of the greater Pittsburgh area was in 2000 (at VMI and at La Salle).
YOU AGAIN?: This will be the tenth time in the past 15 years Duquesne will face Bucknell in the season-opener (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 are the others). The Dukes, who have won two in a row vs. the Bison for the first time since 1933 & 1934, have yet to win at Lewisburg, Pa. where they are 0-6.
FIVE AT HOME: The Dukes will play five times at home, with three of the first four games coming on the road.
NEW FOE: Duquesne will face Valparaiso for the first time in its home opener on Sept. 17. Valpo is a member of the Pioneer League.
NON-CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: DU's three non-conference games will be against a representative of the Patriot League (Bucknell) and a pair of Pioneer League schools (Dayton & Valparaiso).
