Nov. 10, 2016 DUKES AND PIONEERS
The two top passers in NEC history meet Saturday when Duquesne hosts Sacred Heart in a Senior Day match-up on Rooney Field ... DU's Dillon Buechel (9,778) and SHU's R.J. Noel (8,869) enter the game ranked No. 1 and No. 2 all-time in conference passing yardage ... this is the 12th meeting between the two, with the Dukes holding a 7-4 series lead ... in NEC play, DU leads 5-3 ... in games played in Pittsburgh, the series is tied at 3-3 ... last year, Duquesne jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead behind 154 passing yards from Buechel and never looked back in a 41-14 win at Sacred Heart ... Buechel finished 22-of-37 for 320 yards and two TDs as the Dukes finished with 449 total yards ... in the last Pittsburgh meeting, SHU rallied from a 20-7 third quarter deficit to defeat the Dukes 23-20 ... the Dukes played the final three quarters with Ryan Egolf at QB ... Egolf entered the game after Buechel was injured in the first quarter ... Noel hit Tyler Dube with a 12-yard TD pass with 23 seconds left to seal the win ... DU head coach Jerry Schmitt is 7-3 vs. the Pioneers.
A CLOSER LOOK
Duquesne is 4-1 at home this season ... Sacred Heart is 3-2 on the road ... the Dukes have rallied from double-digit deficits to win their past two games (down 24-7 to Bryant in the second quarter of a 35-31 win and down 10-0 at Wagner in the first quarter of a 28-20 win) ... Sacred Heart's NEC win came at home over Robert Morris (16-10) ... the Pioneers have dropped their last two (38-17 at home to Saint Francis and 37-35 last week at CCSU) ... CCSU's Ed Groth kicked a 35-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in last weekend's game ... SHU had taken a 35-34 lead with 1:28 left on a 4 yard pass from R.J. Noel to Moses Webb ... the TD pass capped an 11 play, 73 yard drive ... Duquesne (28.9 ppg.) and Sacred Heart (27.6 ppg.) rank first and third in the NEC in scoring ... the two are also the only two NEC schools averaging 400+ yards of offense per game (425.1 for Duquesne to 412.1 for Sacred Heart) ... Sacred Heart has the top rushing offense in the NEC at 216.6 yards per game ... SHU has given up a league-low 8 sacks this season ... Sacred Heart ranks third nationally in average yards per kickoff return at 26.2 ... Jordan Meachum is averaging 38.2 yards on five returns and Nate Chavious is averaging 25.3 yards on 21 returns.
LAST GAME
For the second-straight week, Duquesne erased a double-digit deficit - this time 10-0 in the first quarter - to defeat Wagner on Staten Island, 28-20. Eight-time NEC Rookie of the Week A.J. Hines carried 22 times for 136 yards and two TDs in the win. His 60-yard TD run made it 10-7 and his 18-yard scoring run with 4:34 left was the game's final score. Blair Roberts had his second-straight 100-yard receiving day with four catches for 110 yards, including an 18-yard TD catch with 1:54 left in the third quarter that gave the Dukes a 21-20 lead. DU's defense held the Seahawks to 56 yards on their final 20 plays. Abner Roberts had 10 tackles and a game-clinching interception with 14 seconds left. Nate Stone added 10 stops including 2.0 tackles for loss. DU finished with three sacks, including the school record-tying 27.5th of Christian Kuntz's career.
TRENDING
• Freshman A.J. Hines has been named NEC Rookie of the Week a conference record eight times. Hines, who is ranks fifth nationally with a 121.7 ypg. average, enters the SHU game with 1,095 yards. He is the first DU freshman to rush for 1,000 yards in a season at the FCS level (since 1993).
• All-American LB Christian Kuntz (27.5 sacks) has tied the school career sacks record. He needs 2.5 sacks to become the NEC all-time leader.
• QB Dillon Buechel (9,778) needs 222 yards to reach 10,000 for his career. He is three TD passes shy of passing Tony Zimmerman (73 from 1998-00) to move into second place on DU's career list (Buechel has 71/school record is 103 by Niel Loebig). Buechel needs 477 yards to break Loebig's passing yardage record (10,254).
• Leading tackler Carter Henderson (69/7.7) has scored via interception return (23 yds vs. Dayton) and fumble return (16 yds vs. Kennesaw State) this season.
• Austin Crimmins' 55 career field goals currently rank tied for second-most in both NEC history and among active FCS kickers.
• Two DU receivers - Wayne Capers (9-235-4 at Jacksonville) and Blair Roberts (8-153-4 vs. Bryant) have tied the school record for TD receptions in a game this season.
• Duquesne head coach Jerry Schmitt notched his 100th career win vs. Robert Morris on Oct. 15. Schmitt is in his 17th season as a head coach and 12th at DU.
• Duquesne leads the NEC in fewest penalty yards per game (50.6). DU has led the conference in fewest penalty yards/g. four times (and been second twice) in its first eight years as an NEC member.
