Duquesne Game Notes Versus Bryant

GAME DAY INFORMATION
Game 7	Duquesne (4-2, 1-0) at Bryant (2-3, 0-1)
Date | Time	Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 | 12:00 p.m. ET
Location	Bulldog Stadium (4,400) | Smithfield, R.I.
Live Statistics	Live Stats
Live Video	ESPN3
Live Audio/Radio	WJAS 1320 AM
Streaming Audio	RedZoneMedia.com or GoDuquesne.com
Series History	Bryant leads 4-3
Social Media	@DUQFB

DUKES AND BULLDOGS: This is the eighth meeting between Duquesne and Bryant with the Bulldogs holding a 4-3 series advantage. The Dukes won three straight games from 2010-12 sandwiched between two losses to open the series and the last two contests.

LAST MEETING: Last year, the Dukes missed a 28-yard field goal attempt with 58 seconds remaining in regulation in a 20-17 loss to visiting Bryant at Rooney Field. Wayne Capers and Chris King caught touchdown passes for the Dukes.

LAST WEEK FOR DU: The Dukes are coming off a 53-18 victory over Alderson Broaddus. Dillon Buechel threw for a career high five touchdown passes in the win, three of which went to Chris King. The Red and Blue put up 551 yards of toal offense, 324 through the air and 227 on the ground.

ABOUT BRYANT: Bryant has started the season 2-3 under 12th-year head coach Marty Fine. The Bulldogs, who were picked as preseason favorites to win the NEC, have lost three straight, including last week's NEC opening 35-33 loss at Central Connecticut. BU is led by quarterback Dalton Easton who has thrown for 1,206 yards and eight touchdown passes. On the ground, Ricardo McCray leads the way with 64 rushes for 498 yards and four scores.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE: Duquesne is currently leading the nation in red zone defense with a .462 percentage. The Dukes are also fifth in the country in points allowed at 13.8. Sam Martello leads the Red and Blue with 43 tackles (26 solo).

NATIONAL EXPOSURE: Duquesne is slated to play twice on ESPN3 this season. Thanks to the Northeast Conference's television package, Duquesne's game at Bryant on Oct. 17 will be aired on the trey as will its season finale on Nov. 21 as the Dukes host Saint Francis at Rooney Field. Neither of these games will be available on NECFrontRow.com.

CAPTAINS: Duquesne's captains for the 2015 season are senior OL Dan Buchholz (Malvern Pa./Great Valley), junior QB Dillon Buechel (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour), senior WR Chris King (Crofton, Md. DeMatha Catholic), junior linebacker Christian Kuntz (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley), senior linebacker Sam Martello (Westlake, Ohio/St. Edward) and senior DL Zach Zidian (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman).

SURPASSING A LEGEND: In 2013, head coach Jerry Schmitt surpassed the legendary Elmer Layden on Duquesne's all-time coaching victories list. Layden - one of Notre Dame's famed "Four Horsemen" - coached at Duquesne for seven seasons from 1927-33. It was under Layden that the Dukes first became recognized as a national football power. After leading DU to a 10-1-0 record and an appearance in the 1934 Festival of Palms Bowl, Layden left Duquesne to take over head coaching duties at Notre Dame. Duquesne's all-time wins leader is Greg Gattuso, who preceded Schmitt at DU. Gattuso, who led the Dukes to eight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League titles and a I-AA Mid-Major National Championship in 2003, is currently the head coach at Albany.

DU'S EIGHTH SEASON IN THE NEC: Duquesne, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League from 1994 to 2007, is beginning its eighth season as an associate member of the Northeast Conference Football League. With the move to the NEC, Duquesne offered 18 scholarships beginning in February of 2008. That number currently rests at 36. Duquesne granted only need-based financial aid for football playing student-athletes as a member of the MAAC. 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. Duquesne started its program in 1902 and competed at the highest level - winning a pair of New Year's Day Bowl games (1934 Festival of Palms and 1937 Orange) - before disbanding following the 1950 season. DU returned at the Club level prior to the 1969 season and won a National Club Championship in 1973. The Dukes competed at the NCAA Division III level from 1979-92 before moving up to the non-scholarship Football Championship Subdivision in 1993. The NEC Football League, which was established in 1996, includes full-time conference members Bryant University, Central Connecticut State University, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Francis (Pa.) University and Wagner College along with associate member Duquesne University.

IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: Duquesne is 29-21 in non-conference games under 11th-year head coach Jerry Schmitt with wins over Dayton (four times), Robert Morris (three times prior to joining the NEC), Bucknell (three), Monmouth (twice) and Fordham (twice). At home, the Dukes are 19-2 in non-league play under Schmitt, while on the road Schmitt's Dukes have fashioned an 8-19 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 in 2013 and finished 4-2 last year.

2015 AWARDS: In addition to the 2015 NEC Pre-season All-Conference accolades listed to the right, senior wide receiver Chris King was also named a 2015 STATS FCS Preseason Second Team All-American. The 2014 Sports Network Third Team All-American and NEC First Team All-Conference honoree led the NEC and was 7th in the country in receiving yards per game with 102.5. He also led the Dukes last season with 14 touchdown receptions. Freshman running back P.J. Fulmore was named the NEC Rookie of the Week on Sept. 14. He led the Dukes in rushing for a second straight week in a 26-7 victory at Bucknell, carrying the ball 11 times for 87 yards (7.9 ypc) and rushing for four first downs. On Oct. 5, senior running back Klartel Claridy was named the NEC Player of the Week. This accolade came after a career-best 123-yard outing with two first quarter touchdowns in a 27-10 win over CCSU.

QUICK START WHEN IT COUNTS: Duquesne's football team, which joined the Northeast Conference in 2008, is 7-1 in NEC openers. The Dukes won its initial NEC game at home versus Saint Francis, 21-7 in 2008 before falling at Monmouth in year two, 17-10. Since then, DU has won its last six NEC openers dating back to its 2010, 28-17 win over Albany.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLUFF: In addition to the 17 incoming freshmen, Duquesne added Virginia transfer Dominique Terrell and Penn State transfer Carter Henderson to its roster for the 2015 season. Terrell is a fifth year wide receiver who will also be a part of DU's return game. He played in 37 games for Virginia from 2011-13 before redshirting in 2014. Henderson, a redshirt sophomore linebacker and 2013 graduate of Franklin Regional High School, was on the Penn State roster for two seasons, but did not see any game action.

NEW FACES ON THE SIDELINE: Head coach Jerry Schmitt added two new staff members for 2015, both of which have previous ties to the program. Terry Russell (`75), who has been affiliated with Duquesne football for over 30 years as a player, assistant and head coach, returns to the DU sidelines in 2015. Russell, who had been away from the program for six-years prior to re-joining Jerry Schmitt's staff, will coach the running backs this year. Russell, who was an integral part of DU's 1973 Club Championship team, played for the Dukes from 1971-74. He also served as Duquesne's head coach from 1984-87 - taking the reins for Dan McCann who was on a medical leave of absence. This is Russell's 24th season as an assistant at Duquesne. Khiry Carter (`11) makes his collegiate coaching debut as a defensive backs coach for his alma mater. Carter, who played for the Dukes as a defensive back from 2008-2011, brings a wealth of DB experience and knowledge to the Red and Blue in 2015. Carter played in 42 career games for the Dukes, making 27 starts. He accumulated 168 tackles (93 solo) and had three interceptions and nine pass break-ups.

FBS INFLUENCE: Six players who were previously on FBS rosters are on the Duquesne roster in 2015, including four who saw FBS playing time during their careers and were on the Dukes' opening day 2-deep: senior WR Wayne Capers, Jr. (Arizona), junior DB Trenton Coles (Pittsburgh), senior WR Dominique Terrell (Virginia) and senior ILB Armstead Williams (Purdue) had all played in a FBS game prior to coming to Duquesne. Redshirt sophomore Matt Barone OL (Temple) and redshirt sophomore LB Carter Henderson (Penn State) were also previously on FBS rosters.

NATIONALLY RANKED: Duquesne is listed among the FCS top 20 in several team statistical categories. Among those are being first in the nation in red zone defense (.462), 5th in scoring defense (13.8 ppg), 9th in first down offense (135), 13th in 3rd down defense (.315) 15th in red zone offense (.909) and 18th in sacks allowed (1.00). All of these rank either first or second in the NEC. Individually, the Dukes have several players ranked among the top 20, including Dillon Buechel who is 14th in passing TD's with 11 and 18th in passing yards with 1,361. Chris King is 9th in receiving yards with 563 and 15th in receptions per game at 6.8. In addition, Austin Crimmins is 11th in field goal percentage at .875 and and Christian Kuntz is 17th in tackles for loss with 1.5 per game.