PITTSBURGH - A pair of road contests at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents TCU and Ohio as well as a seven-game Northeast Conference (NEC) slate highlight Duquesne's 2021 fall football schedule released on Wednesday afternoon. 

The Dukes, led by 17th-season head coach Jerry Schmitt, return all 22 starters from the spring 2021 campaign in which Duquesne posted a 4-1 record and hosted the first-ever NEC Championship Game. 

The Dukes are scheduled to play two games against FBS opponents for the the third time in the last four years. Duquesne is set to travel to Forth Worth, Texas to take on TCU on Sept. 4 to open the fall season. This will be the first meeting between the Dukes and Horned Frogs, who have achieved bowl eligibility in 17 of the last 20 seasons and posted a 6-4 record in 2020 under head coach Gary Patterson. 

Duquesne then heads to Athens, Ohio to battle Ohio University on Sept. 11. The Bobcats have made 11 bowl appearances under 17th-year head coach Frank Solich. This will be the second meeting between Duquesne and Ohio and the first game between the two schools in 73 years, as the Bobcats claimed a 14-13 victory on Oct. 30, 1948. 

Following a bye week, the Dukes will open a four-game home slate and round out non-conference action on Sept. 25 hosting Virginia University of Lynchburg for homecoming weekend at Arthur J. Rooney Field. Duquesne and the Dragons have never met on the gridiron. 

The five-time NEC champion Dukes will then commence the conference portion of their schedule on the road at Merrimack on Oct. 2 in North Andover, Mass. This will be the first meeting between Duquesne and the Warriors, who moved to the NCAA Division I ranks and joined the NEC prior to the 2019 season. 

The Dukes return to Pittsburgh to host Bryant on Oct. 9 at Rooney Field. Duquesne topped the Bulldogs by a score of 20-10 in Smithfield, R.I. in the regular season finale this past spring. 

The Dukes will then travel to Sacred Heart to face the Pioneers in a rematch of this spring's NEC Championship Game in Pittsburgh. Duquesne dropped a 34-27 decision in overtime to Sacred Heart in that contest after opening the spring season with a 30-27 victory over the Pioneers at Rooney Field. Sacred Heart earned the conference's bid to the FCS Playoffs last season, falling to No. 5 Delaware in the first round by a score of 19-10. The Dukes have won six of the last seven meetings with the Pioneers. 

Duquesne will welcome intrastate foe Saint Francis U to Rooney Field on Oct. 30. The Dukes own a 35-6 advantage in the all-time series and have won three straight over the Red Flash, including a 30-21 win over SFU in 2019. Saint Francis returns to action this fall after opting out of the 2021 spring season. 

Following the matchup with the Red Flash, Duquesne makes the trek to LIU for the first time in program history. The Dukes and Sharks have played twice since LIU joined the conference in football in 2019, with Duquesne picking up a win in both games at Rooney Field. 

The Dukes cap the home portion of their slate hosting Central Connecticut on Nov. 13. The Blue Devils, who will compete for the first time since 2019 after opting out of the 2021 spring season, are coming off a conference championship and FCS Playoff appearance in 2019. Duquesne has won five of the last seven games against CCSU. 

The Dukes will return to Staten Island, N.Y. for the second time this calendar year on Nov. 20 for the regular season finale at Wagner. Duquesne holds an 11-5 advantage in the all-time series with the Seahawks. The Dukes have won six consecutive games against Wagner, including a 17-0 triumph at Hameline Field on March 14. 

Jerry Schmitt enters his 17th season at the helm of the Duquesne program, helping the Dukes to five NEC championships and a pair of FCS Playoff appearances during his tenure. Duquesne landed a league-high 16 players on the All-NEC Teams following the spring 2021 season in addition to running back Billy Lucas garnering NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year accolades. Quarterback Joe Mischler, wide receiver Cyrus Holder, tight end Bill O'Malley, offensive linemen Jake Dixon and Vincent Lumia, defensive lineman Maxi Hradecny, defensive backs Leandro DeBrito and Spencer DeMedal along with kicker Brian Bruzdewicz garnered First Team All-NEC accolades while running back Garrett Owens, wide receiver Davie Henderson, offensive linemen Michael Dorundo and Roman Macek, linebackers Todd Hill and Jahan Worth as well as punter Mike Smigley were named to the All-NEC Second Team. 

Game times and TV/streaming details will be released at a later date. 

Season tickets for the 2021 football season can be purchased by clicking HERE. Returning season ticket holders can keep their same seats from the 2019 football season by contacting the ticket office. The ticket office can be reached by phone at 412-232-DUKE (3853) or through email at ticketservices@duq.edu.


2021 Duquesne Football Schedule
Sept. 4 - at TCU
Sept. 11 - at Ohio
Sept. 25 - vs. Virginia University of Lynchburg+
Oct. 2 - at Merrimack*
Oct. 9 - vs. Bryant*
Oct. 23 - at Sacred Heart*
Oct. 30 - vs. Saint Francis U*
Nov. 6 - at LIU*
Nov. 13 - vs. Central Connecticut*
Nov. 20 - at Wagner*


2021 Duquesne Football Schedule Quick Facts

• The Dukes are a combined 71-32 all-time against their 2021 opponents.
• Duquesne will face three first-time opponents in 2021: TCU, Virginia University of Lynchburg and Merrimack.
• The Dukes are scheduled to take on two FBS opponents in the same season for the third time in the last four years. Duquesne took on UMass and Hawaii to start the 2018 season before the Dukes were slated to travel to Air Force and Coastal Carolina in 2020, but the fall season was postponed to this past spring with a conference-only slate. 
• The Dukes are 113-31 all-time at Rooney Field including winning streaks of 16, 14 and 10 games (twice). 
• DU is 45-12 in nonconference home games (28-3 under Jerry Schmitt) at Rooney Field. The Dukes are 21-1 in non-conference play at Rooney Field since the beginning of the 2008 season.
• Duquesne is 52-34 all-time in NEC contests including a 30-14 mark at home. The Dukes are 15-3 in NEC action at Rooney Field over the last six seasons.
• Duquesne is 7-7-1 all-time against current members of the Big 12. The Dukes are 3-4-1 against West Virginia (1914, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935), 2-0 against Oklahoma State (1934, 1935), 1-2 against Texas Tech (1937, 1938, 1939) and 1-1 against Kansas State (1935, 1942). 
• The Dukes will play in the state of Texas for the third time in program history and the first time since 1937 when Duquesne faced Texas Tech in Lubbock. The Dukes also battled Rice in 1935 in Houston. 
• DU has only faced one current member of the MAC in Buffalo. The Bulls are 2-0 all-time against the Dukes (1991, 2014). 
• Duquesne has won 13 straight home openers. The Dukes opened the home portion of their spring 2021 schedule on March 7 with a win vs. Sacred Heart. DU has picked up a victory in its first home game in 21 of the last 22 seasons.
• DU has recorded 69 wins since 2011, at least 10 more victories than any other NEC team. In addition, the Dukes' 43 conference wins in that time span are the most in the league. The closest teams to either of those figures are Sacred Heart with 59 overall wins and Bryant with 34 conference victories.