OPENING KICKOFF

• The Dukes close out the 2018 regular season with a pivotal matchup on Saturday on the road at CCSU.
• With a win over the Blue Devils, Duquesne would clinch at least a share of the NEC title and the conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.
• Saturday's matchup with the Blue Devils is a rematch of last season's de facto NEC title game at Rooney Field in which CCSU came out on top 28-27.
• The game features the top two scoring offenses in the NEC (1. CCSU - 34.1 ppg / 2. Duquesne - 30.5 ppg).
• The Dukes take a four-game winning streak into New Britain following a 28-24 victory over first-place Sacred Heart on Saturday at Rooney Field.
• DU posted a 5-1 record at home this season.
• A.J. Hines picked up his fourth straight NEC Offensive Player of the Week nod for his 213-yard output in the win over SHU. Hines, who shared the weekly honor with Wagner RB Ryan Fulse, now has a school-record five career NEC Player of the Week honors.

QUICK HITS

• The Dukes have enjoyed a great deal of success in NEC play, claiming four conference titles since 2011. Duquesne won a share of the league crown in 2011, 2013 and 2016 while capturing the outright title in 2015, earning the NEC's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
• The Dukes are 18-5 in NEC action since the beginning of the 2015 campaign, including a 10-2 mark at Rooney Field.
• DU has recorded 57 wins since 2011, at least eight more victories than any other NEC team. In addition, the Dukes' 34 conference wins in that time span are the most in the league.
• A.J. Hines picked up his fourth NEC Offensive Player of the Week award in a row after recording 213 yards with a touchdown on the ground in the win over Sacred Heart.
• Hines is fourth in the country in rushing yards per game, averaging 133.2 yards per contest.
• In five conference games this season, Hines is averaging 173.4 yards on the ground with seven rushing scores.
• Nehari Crawford paces the NEC and ranks 24th in the FCS with 847 receiving yards on the season. Crawford's 24 receiving touchdowns since the start of last season are the most at the FCS level.
• Duquesne is outscoring its non-FBS opponents 269-166 in eight games on the season, compiling a 7-1 ledger in those contests.
• With the Dukes looking for some depth at the running back position a few weeks ago against Robert Morris, defensive back Daquan Worley made his debut in the DU backfield, recording seven carries for 96 yards with two touchdowns, including a 52-yard rushing score. He added 89 yards on six carries at Wagner.
• DU linebacker Brett Zanotto is fifth in the NEC with 70 tackles on the season while cornerback Jonathant Istache leads the conference with three interceptions. His 13 passes defended also rank second in the NEC and 12th in the FCS.
• Duquesne is third in the FCS in kick return defense (14.86 ypr) and 14th in third down conversion percent (45.0 pct).
• The Dukes pace the NEC in pass efficiency (145.7), kick return average (22.1 ypr), field goal percentage (88.9 pct) and third down conversion percent (45.0 pct).
• Duquesne has three of the top seven scorers in the NEC in A.J. Hines (1st - 7.8 ppg), Nehari Crawford (4th - 6.6 ppg) and Mitch MacZura (8th - 5.6 ppg).
• The Dukes had six games at Rooney Field in 2018 (three non-conference matchups, three NEC contests) in addition to the game at Saint Francis U. This comes a year after DU played seven road games in seven different states in 2017.
• Duquesne returns 12 starters from last year's team which posted a 7-4 overall mark and a 4-2 ledger in Northeast Conference play.
• The Dukes have registered at least seven total victories in four straight seasons and six of the last eight years. In a season with two games against FBS teams, DU earned its seventh win with a victory over Sacred Heart last week.
• In a total of 20 night games (6 p.m. kick off or later) at Arthur J. Rooney Field, Duquesne now owns a 16-4 record, including a 3-1 mark against RMU.
• In the Dukes' game against Bryant, Duquesne sported new helmet decals, wearing red jersey numbers on the left side with a transparent "D" logo with blue outline on the right side. The back of the helmet featured a blue Pittsburgh city skyline silhouette.
• Duquesne returned to that helmet design against Saint Francis U after wearing Pittsburgh Steeler logo decals in last week's win over Robert Morris, as the Steelers offered their prayers and support to the family, friends and teammates of Marquis "Jaylen" Brown. The helmet paid tribute to "JB."

IN THE HUNT: NEC TITLE

• Duquesne, CCSU and Sacred Heart enter the weekend tied for first place in the NEC with 4-1 record.
• The Dukes are the only team who controls their own destiny, as a win over the Blue Devils secures at least a share of their fifth NEC championship and it would clinch their second bid to the FCS Playoffs.
• With a win over CCSU and a Sacred Heart victory over Saint Francis U, Duquesne would share the championship with the Pioneers. The Dukes own the tiebreaker over SHU after last week's result at Rooney Field.
• With a triumph over SFU and a Duquesne loss to CCSU, Sacred Heart would share the title with the Blue Devils and earn the FCS Playoff bid by virtue of a tiebreaker win over CCSU earlier this season.
• CCSU can earn the conference's bid to the FCS Playoffs and the outright title with a win over Duquesne and a Sacred Heart loss to SFU.

THE SERIES

• Saturday marks the 12th meeting between the Dukes and Blue Devils, with CCSU leading the all-time series 6-5.
• The Blue Devils snapped a four-game skid with a 28-27 win at Rooney Field last season to clinch the conference championship and the league's FCS Playoff automatic bid.
• Duquesne has won two consecutive games at Arute Field. The Dukes' 52-19 win in New Britain in 2016 clinched a share of the NEC title. A.J. Hines rushed for 110 yardsand two touchdowns while Dillon Buechel threw for 300 yards and three scores in the road victory. Abner Roberts and Rob Marra, then sophomores for Duquesne, added five tackles apiece in the win.
• 14th-year head coach Jerry Schmitt is 5-5 all-time against the Blue Devils while fifth-year CCSU head coach Pete Rossomando is 1-4 vs. the Dukes.

GAME COVERAGE

► WATCH: ESPN3

Paul Dottino (PxP) / Kevin Gilbride (Analyst)

John Schmeelk (Color)

► RADIO: WJAS AM 1320 / iHeartRadio

Alex Panormios (PxP) / Tad Maurey (Analyst)

► LIVE STATS: CCSUBlueDevils.com

SCOUTING CCSU

• The Blue Devils boast the top offense in the NEC, leading the league in scoring (34.1 ppg) and yardage (440.4 ypg).
• Running back Aaron Dawson paces the NEC with 13 rushing touchdowns on the year.
• Quarterback Jacob Dolegala ranks first in the conference in pass efficiency (146.9)
• Pete Rossomando is in his fifth year as head coach. He helped the Blue Devils earn their first NCAA FCS Playoff bid in 2017 after CCSU finished with a perfect 6-0 record in NEC play.

LAST TIME OUT

Duquesne 28, Sacred Heart 24 - Nov. 10, 2018

• The Dukes celebrated senior day with their fourth straight triumph, moving into a three-way tie for first place in the NEC by knocking off previously unbeaten Sacred Heart.
• A.J. Hines rushed for 213 yards on 31 carries with a touchdown, his fourth consecutive game with over 200 yards from scrimmage.
• Kellon Taylor finished with five receptions for a career-high 86 yards and a touchdown.
• Abner Roberts paced the DU defense with eight tackles (five solo) with a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Brandon Stanback and Brett Zanotto added seven tackles apiece for Duquesne.
• Jassir Jordan totaled 127 yards on three kick returns for the Dukes, including a 76-yard return on the opening kickoff which set up DU's first touchdown of the game.
• The Pioneers rushed for 341 yards, including 174 yards from Jordan Meachum and 131 from Julius Chestnut.
• Duquesne wins its fourth straight over Sacred Heart. The Dukes improve to 10-4 all-time against the Pioneers.

LAST MEETING

CCSU 28, Duquesne 27 - Nov. 11, 2017

• After falling behind 14-0 in the first half, Duquesne gained the momentum and responded with 27 straight points, building a 13-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
• However, the Blue Devils would answer with a pair of scores to regain the lead at 28-27 with just over two minutes remaining in the contest.
• Following a touchback, the Dukes used 11 plays to march 74 yards to the CCSU one-yard line. With five seconds to play and a chance to take the lead, an 18-yard field goal attempt went wide left as the Blue Devils held on for the triumph.
• Nehari Crawford finished with 10 catches for 167 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while A.J. Hines added 25 carries for 126 yards and two scores for Duquesne.
• The Duquesne defense came up with three turnovers in the game which led to 14 Dukes points.

HINES IS 4X NEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• A.J. Hines earned his fourth Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Week nod this season following the Sacred Heart game.
• Hines collects his fourth Player of the Week accolade in as many games, registering 213 yards with a touchdown on 31 carries. He went over 200 yards from scrimmage for the fourth consecutive week, helping Duquesne win its fourth consecutive contest to move to 4-1 in NEC play.
• This marks Hines' fifth career NEC Player of the Week nod which represents a new Duquesne record. He passes quarterback Sean Patterson (2009-12) for the most in school history.
• His also passes running back Rafiq Douglas (three in 2015) for the most NEC Offensive Player of the Week awards in a single season in program history.

HINES CLIMBS RECORD BOOKS; AMONG FCS CAREER LEADERS

• Running back A.J. Hines (Wilson, N.C./Fike) returns for his junior campaign at Duquesne having compiled 3,528 career rushing yards with 35 touchdowns.
• Hines ranks third in school history in career rushing touchdowns and fourth in career rushing yards.
• Eclipsing the 1,000-mark for the season in last week's game vs. Sacred Heart, Hines becomes just the second player in program history to post three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He and Duquesne's all-time leading rusher Larry McCoy (2009-12) are the only two players in school history to do so.
• As a sophomore, the former Jerry Rice Award winner finished with 1,038 yards with 10 rushing touchdowns in 10 games played.
• In his last four games, Hines has rushed for 792 yards with six touchdowns. His four consecutive 100-yard rushing performances are tied for third in program history. He and Larry McCoy each have posted five straight 100-yard games.
• The Wilson, N.C. has tallied 18 100-yard rushing games in his career, good for third in school history.
• Hines is second among active FCS leaders in career rushing yards per game, averaging 121.7 yards per contest in his career. In addition, he is fifth among active FCS leaders in total rushing yards, including first among underclassmen.

CRAWFORD CONTINUES TO PACE RECEIVING CORPS

• Senior wide receiver Nehari Crawford (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Central) enjoyed a breakout year in 2017 in which he led the FCS in receiving touchdowns at the end of the regular season with 15. The Florida native has led the Duquesne receivers again in 2018.
• Crawford has recorded 53 catches for 847 yards and nine touchdowns through the first 10 contests of 2018.
• He leads the NEC and ranks 24th in the FCS in receiving yards on the season.
• He turned in a career performance in the Dukes' win over Dayton, tallying 11 catches for 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns. For his showing, he was named the NEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
• The Fort Pierce, Fla. native has nine career 100-yard games and nine career games with multiple receiving touchdowns. He ranks among the program's all-time leaders in several receiving categories.
• Crawford recorded 65 catches for 1,026 yards, averaging a league-high 93.3 receiving yards per contest last season. He registered five 100-yard receiving games and six games with multiple touchdowns.

NEC FEATURES THREE OF THE TOP SIX RUNNING BACKS IN THE FCS

• Three players from the NEC rank in the top six in the country in yards per game this season in Wagner's Ryan Fulse (3rd - 148.1 ypg), A.J. Hines (4th - 123.3 ypg) and Sacred Heart's Jordan Meachum (6th - 127.7 ypg).
• Hines leads the trio with 12 rushing touchdowns, while CCSU sophomore running back Aaron Dawson leads all NEC players with 13 rushing scores, good for fifth in the FCS.

VETERANS LEAD DUQUESNE O-LINE

• A big part of Duquesne's success running the ball this season is due to the experienced offensive line led by left tackle Alex Conley and left guard Matt Fitzpatrick. who are each in their third year starting for the Dukes.
• The pair helped the Dukes pace the NEC in rushing in each of the last two seasons. This season, Duquesne has rushed for over 200 yards four times, three of those coming in conference games. In addition, DU has allowed two-or-fewer sacks in six contests on the year.
• Conley and Fitzpatrick has blocked for 18 100-yard rushing performances for running back A.J. Hines, including a three touchdown, 232-yard performance in the win over Wagner.
• Right tackle Nick Jordan and center Gabe Spurlock are in their second season starting for the Dukes, while right guards Collin Wittig and Lyle Petrosky have seen a great deal of playing time for Duquesne up front.
• Also playing key roles in the run and pass block game for the Dukes are tight ends Stew Allen, Bill O'Malley and Jake Dixon.

PARR TAKES OVER UNDER CENTER

• For the second straight season, the Dukes entered the year looking to replace their signal-caller from the previous campaign. Head coach Jerry Schmitt and offensive coordinator Anthony Doria looked to Florida Atlantic junior transfer Daniel Parr to fill the void.
• Parr was 58-of-111 with four touchdowns in two seasons at FAU. He started the first three games of the 2017 season against Navy, Wisconsin and Bethune-Cookman while appearing in eight games total.
• Through 10 games with the Dukes, Parr is 145-of-235 for 1866 yards with 17 touchdowns.
• He ranks second in the conference in pass efficiency (145.5).
• Parr threw for a career-high 333 yards with three touchdowns, completing 21-of-27 pass attempts in Duquesne's 31-26 victory over Dayton.

ZANOTTO ANCHORS DUKES DEFENSE

• Middle linebacker Brett Zanotto has paced the Duquesne defense so far this season, as Zanotto has registered a 70 tackles (team-high 46 solo)
• Zanotto is in his second season with the Dukes after transferring from Maryland. He ranked second on the team in 2017 with 59 stops (41 solo).
• Zanotto, a Franklin Regional graduate and DU captain was tied for fifth in the NEC in 2017 with 11 tackles for loss. He moved from outside linebacker to the mike position for the 2018 season.
• He finished with a career-high 11 tackles (eight solo) at Hawaii following a 10-tackle performance in the win over Dayton.

FBS INFLUENCE

• Duquesne has 13 Football Bowl Subdivision players on the roster heading into the 2018 campaign. This includes: Brandon Stanback (Buffalo), Daquan Worley (Penn State), Dominic Thieman (Illinois), Harvey Clayton Jr. (Illinois), Daniel Parr (FAU), Kareem Coles Jr. (Idaho), Brett Zanotto (Maryland), Reid Harrison-Ducros (Boise State), Bryan Glover (Eastern Michigan), Logan DeBoer (NC State), Wyatt Santos (Louisiana Tech), Kam Carter (Pittsburgh), Daivon Ellison (Syracuse).

SCHMITT MOVING UP THE DUKES' ALL-TIME WINS LIST

• 14th-year head coach Jerry Schmitt enters the 2018 campaign third all-time among the Duquesne football head coach wins list. Since 2005, Schmitt has posted an 90-61 record with four NEC titles and three MAAC championships in addition to leading the program to its first FCS playoff appearance in 2015.
• In his 200th career game as a head coach (49 games at Westminster, 151 at Duquesne), he earned his 90th win with the Dukes with a 28-24 victory over Sacred Heart.
• Schmitt took over for Greg Gattuso, the school's all-time winningest coach who posted 97 wins in 12 seasons from 1993-2004.
• In his final season at the helm, Gattuso passed Dan McCann, who finished with 91 wins in 19 seasons with two stints as head coach, first from 1970-83 and then from 1988-92.
• Elmer Layden, who went on to coach at his alma mater Notre Dame, registered 48 wins while at Duquesne from 1927-33. In his final game with the Dukes, he helped DU earn a 33-7 win over the University of Miami in the Festival of Palms Bowl in Miami, Fla.
• With 118 total wins, Schmitt ranks 20th among active FCS head coaches in career wins, right behind Greg Gattuso in 19th with 120 wins.