► The DU defense posted another impressive performance in the 20-6 win at Sacred Heart. The Dukes now rank fifth in the FCS in pass defense (160.2 ypg), 11th in the country in total defense (296.6 ypg) and 13th in the nation in scoring defense (18.3 ppg).

► All-American running back A.J. Hines leads all active FCS players in career rushing yards and touchdowns. Named a preseason All-American by a number of organizations, Hines is one rushing touchdown away from becoming the program's all-time leader. He recently moved into second among the school's career leaders in rushing yards.

► The Dukes - picked to repeat as NEC champions in the conference preseason poll - are 21-5 in NEC action since the start of 2015 with an 11-2 mark at home. DU has been selected to finish first or second in the poll for nine straight years.


GAME COVERAGE
Watch: NEC Front Row
Play-by-Play: Tim Benz
Analyst: Ellis Cannon

Listen: WJAS 1320 AM / iHeart Radio
Play-by-Play: Alex Panormios
Analyst: Tad Maurey

Live Stats: GoDuquesne.com


THE SERIES
- Saturday's contest marks 15th meeting between Duquesne and Wagner. The Dukes own a 9-5 advantage in the series.

- The Dukes are 5-2 in Pittsburgh and 4-1 all-time at Rooney Field.

- Duquesne has won four in a row over the Seahawks.

All-time Meetings
11/14/92: Wagner 31, Duquesne 6
10/09/93: Wagner 27, Duquesne 24
11/18/95: Duquesne 44, Wagner 20*
11/08/08: Duquesne 14, Wagner 0+
10/31/09: Wagner 23, Duquesne 17 (2OT)+
10/23/10: Duquesne 21, Wagner 20+
10/22/11: Duquesne 37, Wagner 21+
11/17/12: Wagner 23, Wagner 17+
10/12/13: Duquesne 34, Wagner 7+
11/15/14: Wagner 23, Duquesne 13+
10/31/15: Duquesne 35, Wagner 17+
11/05/16: Duquesne 28, Wagner 20+
10/07/17: Duquesne 37, Wagner 0+
11/03/18: Duquesne 47, Wagner 30+

At Pittsburgh: DU leads 5-2
At Staten Island: DU leads 4-3
+ - NEC: DU leads 8-3
* - ECAC Classic


SCOUTING WAGNER
- Wagner enters with a 1-6 overall record and has dropped two straight entering Saturday's contest. The Seahawks' lone win came against LIU by a score of 24-14 on Sept. 28.

- All-American linebacker Cam Gill has 30 career sacks, trailing former Duquesne linebacker Christian Kuntz by just half of a sack for the NEC record set from 2012-16. Gill leads the conference with 12.0 tackles for loss

- The Seahawks rank eighth in the NEC in scoring offense (14.7 ppg) and total offense (244.6 ypg).

- FIU transfer quarterback Christian Alexander-Stevens leads the conference with 136 completions on the season. He has thrown for six touchdowns on the year.

- Linebacker Santoni Graham ranks fourth in the NEC averaging 7.7 tackles per game.

- Head coach Jason Houghtaling is in his fifth season at the helm of the Seahawk program.


LAST TIME OUT
Duquesne 20, Sacred Heart 6
- In a showdown of the 2018 NEC co-champions last Saturday, Duquesne recorded three interceptions and held possession for over 43 minutes of action en route to a 20-6 victory over host Sacred Heart at the Campus Field.

- Reid Harrison-Ducros registered a pair of interceptions on the day while Daivon Ellison picked off a pass in a second straight game.

- A.J. Hines posted his 23rd career 100-yard rushing performance, tallying 142 yards on 29 carries while Daniel Parr threw touchdowns to Kellon Taylor and Dontay Mayfield in the win.

- Mitch MacZura chipped in a pair of field goals for the Dukes, who earn their fifth straight win over Sacred Heart.

- Sacred Heart came into the game averaging over 400 yards per game, but the Dukes held the Pioneers to just 233 total yards in the contest, including 84 through the air.

- All told, the Dukes outgained Sacred Heart 379-233.

- Duquesne limited the Pioneers to convert just 4-of-14 third down attempts while the Dukes were 12-of-20 on third own.

- Brendan Thompson paced the Duquesne defense with a career-high 11 tackles (seven solo) including 1.5 of the Dukes' five tackles for loss. Ellison tallied seven solo tackles to go with a tackle for loss and interception.

- Parr finished 15-of-26 for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Taylor paced the Duquesne receiving corps with six catches for 41 yards and the touchdown.

- Hines eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive game, moving into second in program history in career rushing yards. Hines now has 4,271 rushing yards, passing Donte Small (4,260 yards / 1998-01).

- Mark Allen added 15 carries for 60 yards on the day for the Dukes.


LAST MEETING (11.03.18)
Duquesne 47, Wagner 30
- A.J. Hines rushed for a season-high 232 yards as Duquesne outscored Wagner 26-7 in second half to earn a 47-30 NEC road win over the Seahawks at Hameline Field.

- Hines tallied a career-high 33 carries in the contest, finishing with over 200 yards from scrimmage for the third consecutive game to lead Duquesne.

- Hines' 232 yards represent the second-highest total of his career. All told, Duquesne recorded a season-high 372 yards on the ground, the most since finishing with 373 rushing yards in a 47-7 triumph over Kentucky Christian on Sept. 15, 2015.

- Daquan Worley added six carries for 89 yards in the win.

- Duquesne outgained Wagner 497-305.

- The Dukes held Ryan Fulse - the leading rusher in the FCS with over 1,200 yards coming into the contest - to 54 yards on the ground, his lowest output against an FCS team on the season.

- Leandro DeBrito and Brett Zanotto led the Duquesne defense with nine tackles apiece. DeBrito had six solo stops including a tackle for loss to go with the 68-yard interception return for a touchdown and a pass breakup.

- Mike O'Malley had five tackles on the day, including a sack and a team-high 3.5 tackles for loss to go with two hurries. The Dukes registered a total of 10 tackles for loss for a combined 45 yards, 20 of those yards coming on plays by O'Malley.

- Daniel Parr threw for two touchdowns to Nehari Crawford as well as Stew Allen in the victory.


QUICK HITS
- The Dukes are 21-5 in NEC action since the beginning of the 2015 campaign, including an 11-2 mark at Rooney Field. Duquesne has won three out of the last four NEC titles in that span with a pair of NCAA Playoff appearances.

- DU has recorded 63 wins since 2011, at least eight more victories than any other NEC team. In addition, the Dukes' 37 conference wins in that time span are the most in the league.

- Duquesne was just seven points away from making four straight FCS Playoff appearances after a 14-10 loss at eventual NEC champion Saint Francis U in 2016 and dropping a 28-27 decision to CCSU at Rooney Field in 2017.

- Duquesne is fifth in the FCS in pass defense (160.2 ypg), 11th in the country in total defense (296.6 ypg) and 13th in the nation in scoring defense (18.3 ppg).

- The Dukes are the top third-down conversion team in the NEC, converting on 46.3 pct of attempts (38-of-81). Duquesne also averages just 44.5 penalty yards per game, the top figure in the league.

- Mark Allen is second in the NEC and ranks 18th in the FCS in all-purpose yardage at 136.8 yards per game.

- Daivon Ellison and Reid Harrison-Ducros are tied for third in the country in interceptions per game (0.6).

- Brendan Thompson leads the Duquesne defense with 41 tackles, including a team-high 6.0 TFL. Spencer DeMedal is second on the team with 34 tackles with 23 solo stops while Chris Favoroso has 26 tackles and a team-high 4.5 sacks on the season.

- The Dukes have had six different players lead them in tackles through the first five games of the year:
    Walsh: Brendan Thompson (8 tkl, 8 solo, 2 TFL)
    YSU: Chris Favoroso (10 tkl, 6 solo, sack)
    Dayton: Spencer DeMedal (10 tkl, 4 solo, TFL)
    UNH: Brendan Thompson (8 tkl, 3 solo, TFL)
    LIU: Spencer DeMedal (7 tkl, 6 solo, .5 TFL)
    Todd Hill (7 tkl, 4 solo, 1.5 sacks)
    Brendan Thompson (7 tkl, 4 solo 1.5 TFL)
    Mason Williams (7 tkl, 3 solo, .5 TFL)
    SHU: Brendan Thompson (11 tkl, 7 solo, 1.5 TFL)

- Head coach Jerry Schmitt returns for his 15th season at the helm of the DU program and 20th overall as a head coach. He has tallied 96 wins at Duquesne, just one victory away from tying Greg Gattuso, the school's all-time winningest coach.

Schmitt served as offensive coordinator under Gattuso for seven seasons, helping the Dukes post a record of 53-21 before accepting the head coaching position at his alma mater Westminster in March of 2000.


50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE RETURN OF FOOTBALL ON THE BLUFF

- The 2019 season marks the 50th anniversary of the return of Duquesne football. Duquesne competed at the major college level from its inception in 1891 through 1950 before disbanding. The program returned at the club level prior to the 1969 season.

- DU has enjoyed a great deal of success over the last 50 years, including a Club Football National Championship (1973), a I-AA Mid-Major National title (2003), 11 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) crowns and most recently five Northeast Conference (NEC) Championships as well as a pair of Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoff appearances.

- Duquesne will celebrate 50 years of the return of football this weekend during the homecoming festivities on Oct. 25-26, highlighted by the Dukes taking on Wagner.