Printable Game Notes

Game #7
Dukes host reigning NEC champion in conference home opener
DUQUESNE (4-2, 1-0) vs SACRED HEART (5-1, 1-0)
Saturday, Oct. 18 at 12:00 p.m.
Rooney Field (2,200/Sportexe) • Pittsburgh, Pa.
RADIO: 3WS HD2 / iHeartRadio with Alex Panormios (play-by-play) and Tad Maurey (color)
STREAMING AUDIO: RedZoneMedia.com or GoDuquesne.com
LIVE VIDEO: http://www.necfrontrow.com/webcast.php/DUQ-2088/
LIVE STATS: duqstats.com or http://www.goduquesne.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=1336879&school=duqu&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=&

DUKES AND PIONEERS: This is the 10th meeting between Duquesne and Sacred Heart ... the series, which Duquesne leads 6-3, began on Dec. 1, 2001 with an ECAC Classic match-up in Pittsburgh ... last year, SHU put a halt to DU's four-game series win streak with a 10-0 shutout of the Dukes in Fairfield ... the loss snapped a streak of 41 straight games of DU not being shut out ... most recently, Duquesne is coming off a 28-20 victory at CCSU while Sacred Heart is coming off a 52-13 win over Robert Morris.

LAST MEETING: In a battle for first place in the NEC, Duquesne traveled to Sacred Heart on Nov. 9 and fell to the host Pioneers, 10-0. In the game, the Pioneers rushed for 299 yards, including 181 and a touchdown from Keshaudas Spence. The Dukes would manage just 280 total yards in a game that was one of just two last season in which Dillon Buechel did not throw a touchdown pass. After three scoreless quarters, SHU's Chris Rogers broke the drought with a 31-yard field goal with 6:37 left in the game. On the Pioneers' next possession, quarterback R.J. Noel broke off a 49 yard run on 3rd-and-11 that gave the Pioneers the ball at the DU 19. Two plays later, Spence scored from 22 yards out to seal the win. Each team turned it over twice in the first half, with neither able to capitalize.

MORE ON DUQUESNE: Last year, DU finished 7-4 and tied for first in the Northeast Conference with a 4-2 record. Duquesne returns 16 position starters from last year's team, including nine on defense. This is Duquesne's seventh season as a scholarship-granting football program. With the move to the NEC, Duquesne offered 18 scholarships in February of 2008. That number has increased to 37 this season. Duquesne granted only need-based financial aid for football playing student-athletes as a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League from 1994 through 2007. The NEC competed as a non-scholarship member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision until 2006 when the conference adopted an athletics-based aid model. This is the fifth season the NEC regular season champion will be an automatic qualifier for the Division I Football Championship.

ON SACRED HEART: Third year head coach Mark Nofri has his Pioneers off to an early 5-1 start ... in the pre-season NEC poll, SHU was picked to defend its 2013 NEC championship ... after a 52-13 victory over Robert Morris last week, Sacred Heart is led by quartrback RJ Noel, who has passed for 1,261 yards and 11 touchdowns ... the Pioneers also have 11 touchdowns by way of the ground and are led by Keshaudas Spence who has 466 rushing yards and two scores ... the SHU defense has allowed just 91 points (15.2 ppg) and 449 yards rushing (74.8 ypg).

BIG PLAY ABILITY: Duquesne has used the big play to score in five of its six games this season. In fact, eight of its 23 touchdowns have come from over 50 yards. There was an 88-yard reception by Chris King at Buffalo, a 64-yard King reception and a 57-yard Devin Rahming reception at Youngstown State, a 75-yard Malik Shegog interception return, an 84-yard Rahming punt return and a 58-yard Noel Oduho reception vs. Dayton, a 55-yard King reception versus Monmouth and a 73-yard King reception versus West Liberty.

2014 AWARDS: Duquesne has received 10 in-season awards through its first six games. Austin Crimmins was named the NEC Special Teams Player of the Week and Chris King was named the CFPA FCS Wide Receiver of the Week after week one, Devin Rahming was named the NEC Special Teams Player of the Week, Malik Shegog was named the NEC Rookie of the week and Rahming was tabbed the CFPA FCS National Punt Returner of the Week after week three, Dillon Buechel was named the NEC Offensive Player of the Week, Austin Whalen was tabbed the NEC Defensive Player of the Week and Crimmins was named the NEC Special Teams Player of the Week following the Monmouth win and Nathan Stone was named the NEC Rookie of the Week and King was tabbed CFPA Honorable Mention National Wide Receiver of the Week after the week six win at CCSU.

AIRING IT OUT: With his 330 yards passing over West Liberty, Dillon Buechel surpassed the 4,000 career yard mark and now sits with 4,463 following his 333-yard performance at CCSU. After his freshman record 2,569 passing yards last season and 1,894 through six games this year he needs just 222 yards to surpass Scott Knapp (2005-07) who is sitting fifth with 4,684.

STONE COLD: After losing the top two tacklers from last season to injuries, freshman Nathan Stone has stepped up to lead the team in tackles from his linebacker position this year with 48 (23 solo). He also has two sacks (18 yards), three pass break-ups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

STONE ON WATCH LIST: Freshman linebacker Nathan Stone was one of 21 players - six of whom are linebackers - named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List on Oct. 8. The award is presented annually to the top first-year player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Named for the legendary wide receiver, who played in the FCS (then Division I-AA) at Mississippi Valley State, the Rice Award will be voted on by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season. The Watch List can undergo revision during the season. The winner will be announced at The Sports Network FCS Awards Presentation Dec. 15 in Philadelphia. Stone is the second Duquesne player ever named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List following Dillon Buechel last year.

IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: Duquesne is 25-19 in non-conference games under tenth-year head coach Jerry Schmitt with wins over Dayton (four times), Robert Morris (three times prior to joining the NEC), Monmouth (twice), Bucknell (twice) and Fordham (twice). At home, the Dukes are 17-2 in non-league play under Schmitt, while on the road Schmitt's Dukes have fashioned an 8-17 mark. DU snapped a seven-game skid in non-conference road games with a 22-13 win at Dayton on Sept. 3, 2011. The win snapped Dayton's FCS-best win streak at 10. DU went 3-2 in non-conference games last season and are 3-2 so far this year.

SHARING THE CARRIES: Duquesne has had four different running backs lead the team in rushing this season - game one at Buffalo was Klartel Claridy (12-39-0), game two at Youngstown State was Marcus Hughes (8-74-1), game three versus Dayton was Rafiq Douglas (11-69-0) and game four versus Monmouth was Ryan Ho (13-43-1). Claridy (12-64-0) again took team honors in the week six win over West Liberty and Ho led the team for a second time at CCSU (7-68-0). The quartet has combined for 697 yards on 156 carries.

NATIONALLY RANKED: A couple of Dukes can be found at or near the top of the NCAA FCS National Statistics Rankings. Chris King leads the nation in receiving yards per game with 133.7, is first in the country in receiving yards with 802 and is tied for second in touchdowns with nine while Dillon Buechel is fifth in the country with 315.7 passing yards per game and is sixth in passing yards with 1,894. The Dukes as a team rank sixth nationally in passing offense with 315.7 yards per game.

NATIONAL EXPOSURE: Duquesne is slated to play three game on ESPN3 this season. The Dukes first appeared on the trey in its season opener at Buffalo on Aug. 30 and thanks to the Northeast Conference's television package, played CCSU on Oct. 11 and will host Robert Morris in the regular season finale on Nov. 22 at Rooney Field. None of those games are available on NECFrontRow.com.

DID YOU SEE THAT?: Chris King made it onto SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays for his acrobatic touchdown catch in the back of the end zone at Buffalo.

FBS INFLUENCE: Three players with FBS game experience were on the opening day 2-deep: back-up WR Wayne Capers (Arizona), starting S Chris Johnson (Florida) and projected starting OLB Armstead Williams (Purdue) had all played in a FBS game prior to this season. Back-up CB Ken Egu ran track and was on the football team at Washington, but did not see action. FB Randy Morris was a two-year walk-on at Pitt, but did not play. DB Trenton Coles (Pittsburgh), who played in 11 games last season, has since been added to the roster.

SEVEN AT HOME: The Dukes will play seven times at home and five times on the road. The seven home games are the most since 2001 when DU scheduled six home games and later added the ECAC Classic. It is the first time Duquesne has seven or more scheduled home games since 1934 (eight).

EARLY START: The August 30 game at Buffalo tied the earliest opener in school history (2001 vs. VMI & 2003 at Bucknell are the others).

BALANCED ATTACK: The Dukes entered the season with 17 seniors (including graduate students), 23 juniors, 19 sophomores, which includes 14 redshirt sophomores, 11 redshirt freshmen and 27 true freshmen. The 27 newcomers is Duquesne's largest class of newbies in the school's six-year involvement in the Northeast Conference.

NEW KID ON THE BLUFF: Trenton Coles (Clairton, Pa/Clairton/Pittsburgh) transferred to Duquesne after week one and saw action in his first contest at Youngstown State ... the 6-3, 169-pound defensive back played in 11 games on special teams and as a reserve cornerback last season as a redshirt freshman at Pitt ... he is again slated to start for the Dukes this week.

CAPTAINS: Captains for the 2014 season are: junior OL Dan Buchholz (Malvern Pa./Great Valley), sophomore QB Dillon Buechel (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour), senior DB Rich Piekarski (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) and junior DL Zach Zidian (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman).

QUICK HITS

• Duquesne, which returns 16 position starters, won three of its last four in 2013 to tie Sacred Heart for the regular-season Northeast Conference title. The lone loss, which came at SHU on Nov. 9 (10-0), prevented the Dukes from earning the NEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Football Championship.

• Twenty-three position returnees started at least once last season.

• Twelve freshmen saw action in 2103: QB Dillon Buechel (RS), WR Chavas Rawlins, CB Sterling Parks, spec teams Xavier Nelson (RS), spec teams Anthony Alimenti (RS), LB Aaron Reed (RS), OL Larson Graham (RS), PK Austin Crimmins (RS), PR Bobby Gustine, TE Kevin Enright (RS), DL Jake Radziukinas (RS) & RB Zach DeNardo (RS). Buechel, Reed, Graham and Crimmins started every game. All but Parks (transfer) are back.

• In addition, nine first-year players saw action in 2013, with four starting at least once: SS Chris Johnson, DB Nick Floyd, OL Ezek Suivaaia & LB Austin Whalen.

• DU, which is 20-11 in NEC play over the past five seasons (5-3 in 2010, 7-1 in 2011, 3-5 in 2012 & 4-2 in 2013, 1-0 in 2014), won a share of the conference title for the second time in three years in 2013. The Dukes went 4-11 in their first two seasons in the conference (2-5 in 2008 and 2-6 in 2009).

• DU has defeated every NEC team - both home and away - under current head coach Jerry Schmitt. On Oct. 11, the Dukes defeated CCSU at Arute Field for the first time under Schmitt.

• Dillon Buechel completed 58.2 percent of his passes for a freshman record 2,569 yards and 14 touchdowns (120.37 efficiency rating) in earning NEC Rookie of the Week honors three times last season. Buechel was the first freshman to open the season under center since Scott Knapp in 2005. Buechel replaced Sean Patterson, who started 33 consecutive games from 2010-12.

• Junior LB Christian Kuntz, who tied for the team lead in tackles (74) and led the Dukes in TFL (19.5) and sacks (9.0) in 2013, is doubtful for the 2014 season after suffering an off-the-field knee injury in the spring. Kuntz, a Sports Network Third Team All-American, ranked 1st nationally in tackles for loss per game at 1.8. First-year Purdue transfer Armstead Williams has taken over at outside linebacker in place of Kuntz.

• 315-pound junior tackle Zach Zidian was a big reason linebackers ranked first, second and fourth on the team in total tackles. The Youngstown, Ohio native - when he wasn't occupying multiple offensive linemen - had 44 stops of his own (including 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks). In addition, Zidian - a second team All-NEC pick, showed a nose for the football with a team-high four fumble recoveries.

• Returning linebackers sophomore Aaron Reed (74 tackles) and junior Sam Martello (65 tackles) both started all 11 games last season.

• Senior safety Rich Piekarski, who finished third on the team with 70 tackles in 2013, led the team with two interceptions and seven passes broken up.

• Duquesne is 25-19 in non-conference games under head coach Jerry Schmitt with wins over Dayton (four times), Robert Morris (three times prior to joining the NEC), Monmouth (twice), Bucknell (twice), Fordham (twice) and Albany (once as a CAA member). At home, the Dukes are 17-2 in non-league play under Schmitt. DU played its most ambitious non-conference game in recent history when it traveled to Buffalo (Mid-American Conference) for the 2014 season opener. It was DU's first game against a FBS school.