STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Cyrus Holder and Garrett Owens scored two touchdowns apiece while Duquesne held Wagner scoreless for the second-straight meeting in a 44-0 victory over the Seahawks on Saturday afternoon at Hameline Field.
The Dukes win their third-consecutive game to close the season with a 7-3 overall record and a 5-2 ledger in Northeast Conference (NEC) play.
Duquesne outgained the Seahawks 551-171 including a 310-79 advantage on the ground, as the Dukes eclipsed 300 rushing yards for the first time since a 47-30 win at Wagner on Nov. 3, 2018.
Darius Perrantes completed 16-of-24 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Duquesne had two running backs rush for at least 100 yards, as Owens toted the ball 12 times for a season-high 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Billy Lucas tallied 16 carries for 105 yards and a score. This marks the second time Owens and Lucas each registered 100 yards in the same game after Lucas had 110 yards and Owens ran for 105 yards in a 20-10 triumph at Bryant on March 28.
Holder hauled in six receptions for 125 yards and two scores, marking his third 100-yard receiving performance as well as his second multiple-touchdown showing this season.
AJ Garson and Jahan Worth had 11 tackles each to pace the Duquesne defense, as Garson finished with 3.5 sacks and three tackles for loss while Worth tallied eight solo stops and a tackle for loss.
The Dukes got on the board when Perrantes hit Holder in the back right corner of the end zone on a 14-yard scoring strike on the first play of the second quarter.
After Duquesne forced a turnover on downs, Perrantes again found Holder on a touchdown connection, this time from 43 yards out to extend the Dukes' lead to 13-0. A 16-yard reception by Wykeen Gill on the second play of the drive set up the Duquesne score.
The Dukes again stopped the Seahawks on a fourth-down play on their next march, before Lucas broke off a 28-yard rushing touchdown to push the Duquesne edge to 20-0.
On the ensuing Wagner drive, the Seahawks lined up for a punt when the snap went over punter Joshua Brown's head and he was brought down by Trey King at the Wagner two-yard line.
On the very next play, Bill O'Malley hauled in his first career touchdown from Perrantes, putting the Dukes ahead 27-0 with 3:40 to play in the first half.
Duquesne forced another Wagner turnover on downs before Brian Bruzdewicz extended the Dukes' lead to 30-0 with a 26-yard field goal late in the second quarter. A 24-yard rush by Owens and a 34-yard reception by Davie Henderson highlighted the Duquesne scoring drive.
A 36-yard pass from Perrantes to Holder followed by another eight-yard reception by Henderson would set up a 10-yard rushing score by Owens, putting the Dukes on top 37-0 with just over five minutes to go in the third stanza.
Following another Wagner turnover on downs when Nathan Proctor Jr. sacked Seahawk quarterback Guenson Alexis on fourth down, Owens found the end zone for the second time of the day on a five-yard touchdown rush for the final margin of 44-0. Owens ran three times for 44 yards on the scoring drive for the Dukes.
Duquesne finished with 30 first downs while limiting Wagner to move the sticks just seven times on the day. The Dukes recorded 30 first downs for the first time since registered 32 first downs in a 54-35 win at Jacksonville on Oct. 1, 2016. Duquesne's 551 yards of total offense were its most in a game since posting 619 yards against the Dolphins.
The Dukes held a 36:00-24:00 advantage in time of possession and converted 6-of-9 third down attempts while the Seahawks were just 2-of-14 on third down. Wagner was also 1-f-7 on fourth down tries.
JaMario Clements posted eight carries for 44 yards while DaMon Macklin added four carries for 36 yards.
Thieman tallied four receptions for 44 yards while Henderson had two catches for 42 yards and Gill finished with three receptions for 28 yards.
Leandro DeBrito recorded five solo tackles while A.J. Ackerman had four tackles and a sack for the Dukes. Todd Hill and Kevin Kurzinger each registered four tackles with a tackle for loss.
Duquesne did not allow a sack on Saturday, representing the eighth time this season the Dukes have limited opponents to a sack-or-fewer.
GAME NOTES
- The Dukes finish the season in second place in the NEC, tying with Bryant with a 5-2 conference mark. Sacred Heart wins an outright league title with a 6-1 record in NEC play. Central Connecticut and Saint Francis U tied for fourth place with 4-3 ledgers in conference action.
- Duquesne posts its seventh-straight win over Wagner with the triumph on Saturday. The Dukes have recorded three shutout victories over the Seahawks in the teams' last five meetings. DU now owns a 12-5 advantage in the all-time series including a 6-3 mark on Grymes Hill.
- Perrantes threw for three touchdowns for the third consecutive week. He recorded at least three touchdown passes in five of eight starts this season. The Los Angeles native also threw for at least 200 passing yards in four of his last five games.
- Lucas rushed for over 100 yards for the second time in the last three games and found the end zone for the third-straight week. He finished with 699 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the season.
- Owens ran for a Duquesne career-best 119 yards with two touchdowns in the win. It marked his 17th career 100-yard game including his sixth 100-yard rushing performance at Duquesne. It was Owens' first two-touchdown effort of the season and fourth of his Duquesne career. In three seasons at Mercyhurst and two at Duquesne, Owens totaled 3,756 rushing yards and 41 rushing touchdowns to go with 1,050 receiving yards and 10 receiving scores.
- Holder eclipsed 100 receiving yards for the second-straight week and third time this season. He tallied a pair of touchdowns for the second time this season and fifth time in his career. Between Saint Francis U and Duquesne, Holder registered 122 receptions for 2,270 yards with 22 touchdowns, 13 of those scores coming in two seasons with the Dukes.
- AJ Garson's 3.5 sacks in the win were the most by a Duquesne player since Christian Kuntz had 3.5 sacks against Monmouth on Nov. 23, 2013.
