G3 | DUQUESNE vs VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY OF LYNCHBURG
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 25  
TIME: 1:00 pm ET
LOCATION: Pittsburgh, Pa. • Arthur J. Rooney Field
TELEVISION: NEC Front Row with Tim Benz (pxp) and Ellis Cannon (analyst)
RADIO: BIG 104.7 FM HD2 / ESPN 970 AM / iHeart Radio with Josh Taylor (pxp) and Tad Maurey (analyst)

OPENING KICKOFF
- Duquesne opens the home portion of its 2021 schedule on Saturday, Sept. 25 hosting Virginia University of Lynchburg at Arthur J. Rooney Field to close out non-conference play. The Dukes are coming off a bye week after picking up the program's first-ever victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent with a 28-26 win at Ohio on Sept. 11. 

- Duquesne named the STATS Perform Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) National Team of the Week following the upset win over Ohio. The Dukes became the first team from the Northeast Conference (NEC) to top an FBS opponent and the seventh team from the FCS ranks to defeat an FBS program during the 2021 campaign. 

- Quarterback Darius Perrantes garnered NEC Offensive Player of the Week honors while kicker Brian Bruzdewicz earned NEC Special Teams Player of the Week accolades for their respective performances in the win at Ohio. Perrantes, making his first start for the Dukes, completed 23-of-34 (67.6 pct) passes for 194 yards and a passing touchdown to go with a rushing score. Bruzdewicz collected his second career conference player of the week award after connecting on a career-high four field goals and a pair of extra points on the day. 

- This marks the first meeting between Duquesne and Virginia University of Lynchburg. The Dukes seek their 14th-straight home-opening victory. Since joining the FCS in 1993, Duquesne is 25-3 in home openers. 

- Duquesne, led by 17th-year head coach Jerry Schmitt, returns all 22 starters from the spring season including 17 All- NEC selections. The Dukes have enjoyed a great deal of success in NEC play, claiming five conference titles since 2011. Duquesne won a share of the league crown in 2011, '13, '16 and '18 while capturing the outright title in 2015. Duquesne earned the NEC's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs in both 2015 and '18.

THE COACH
Duquesne: Jerry Schmitt (17th season / 103-69)  
- Head coach Jerry Schmitt is in his 17th season at the helm of the Duquesne program. He became the Dukes' all-time winningest coach in 2019 with a 30-21 victory over Saint Francis U for his 98th win as Duquesne's head coach. Schmitt passed Greg Gattuso (1993-2004) for the most wins in program history.

- Schmitt posted his 100th win at Duquesne with the Dukes' victory at Wagner last season. He became one of nine active coaches with 100 FCS wins at their current schools.

 - Schmitt currently sits 16th among active FCS head coaches with 131 career wins. 

LAST TIME OUT
Duquesne 28, Ohio 26
- Darius Perrantes recorded two total touchdowns in his first Duquesne start to lead the Dukes to their first win over a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent in program history with a 28-26 victory over Ohio at Peden Stadium.

- The Dukes (1-1) also became the first team from the NEC to defeat a team from the FBS and the seventh Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team to accomplish that feat this season. The game against Ohio was Duquesne's fifth against an FBS foe since joining the FCS ranks in 1993. 

- Perrantes, who started in place for the injured Joe Mischler, helped Duquesne control the tempo throughout the contest as the Dukes held possession for 41:02  compared to the Bobcats' 18:58 in the historic win. The Rhode Island transfer completed 23-of-34 pass attempts for 194 yards and a touchdown to go with a rushing score. Duquesne outgained the Bobcats 362-307 using a balanced attack of 194 yards through the air and 168 on the ground. 

- With the Dukes holding a 28-20 fourth quarter lead, Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke hit Ty Walton for a three-yard touchdown with nine seconds to play to cut the DU lead to 28-26. On the two-point conversion attempt, Rourke threw a fade route to the left corner of the end zone, but Duquesne cornerback Tim Lowery broke up the pass to seal the Dukes win. 

- The Duquesne defense came up with many timely stops throughout the game, forcing Ohio to convert just 1-of-7 third-down attempts in the game while the Dukes were 7-of-16 on third down and 2-of-2 on fourth down. 

- Garrett Owens rushed 23 times for 82 yards to pace the Dukes while Billy Lucas registered 14 rushes for 77 yards on the day. 

- Joey Isabella hauled in a career and team-high eight receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. Cyrus Holder tallied four receptions for a team-high 55 yards.

- Jeremiah Josephs led the Duquesne defense with eight tackles (four solo) while Lowery, Leandro DeBrito and Donovan Stanley each added five tackles for the Dukes. AJ Garson registered a fourth-quarter sack while Todd Hill chipped in four tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss.


Duquesne became the seventh team from the FCS to defeat an FBS opponent with the victory over Ohio on Sept. 11.
Date - Result        
09.02.21    UC Davis 19, Tulsa 17    
09.02.21    Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33 (2OT)
09.03.21    South Dakota State 42, Colorado State 23
09.04.21    Holy Cross 38, UConn 28
09.04.21    Montana 13, No. 20 Washington 7
09.04.21    East Tennessee State 23, Vanderbilt 3
09.11.21    Duquesne 28, Ohio 26    
09.11.21    Jacksonville State 20, Florida State 17    
09.18.21    UIW 42, Texas State 34
09.18.21    Northern Arizona 21, Arizona 19


PERRANTES, BRUZDEWICZ NAMED NEC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
- Duquesne quarterback Darius Perrantes was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Offensive Player of the Week while Brian Bruzdewicz garnered NEC Special Teams of the Week accolades for their performances in the Dukes' 28-26 upset win over Ohio on Saturday afternoon. 

- Making his first start under center for the Dukes, Perrantes recorded a pair of touchdowns on the day, helping Duquesne control the tempo throughout the contest in holding possession for 41:02 compared to the Bobcats' 18:58 in the historic win.

- Perrantes completed 23-of-34 (67.6 pct) passes for 194 yards and a passing touchdown to go with a rushing score. He added rushes of 11 and five yards on the day, as well. The Los Angeles native helped the Dukes use a balanced attack of 194 pass yards and 168 yards on the ground. Perrantes and the Dukes were 7-of-16 on third down, 2-of-2 on fourth down, moving the sticks a total of 26 times in the win compared to the Bobcats' 15 first downs. Duquesne also scored on all six trips inside the red zone in the victory.

- Bruzdewicz collects his second career NEC Special Teams Player of the Week award of his career. He connected on a career-high 4-of-4 field goals and 2-of-2 PATs, making a career-long 38-yard field goal in the first quarter after getting Duquesne on the board on its first drive of the contest with a 23-yarder. His 21-yard attempt sailed through the uprights in the second stanza, cutting the Ohio lead to 13-11 heading into halftime.

- Bruzdewicz then made both extra points on the Dukes' two touchdowns to put the Dukes ahead 25-13. After the Bobcats countered with their first score since the first quarter, Bruzdewicz made his fourth field goal of the day from 27 yards with just 2:46 showing on the fourth quarter clock. He is the first Duquesne kicker to make four field goals in a game since Austin Crimmins connected on four field goal attempts against Monmouth on Nov. 23, 2013. The McMurray, Pa. native has now made 9-of-11 field goals for his career.

DUQUESNE NAMED STATS PERFORM FCS NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK
- Following Duquesne's 28-26 upset victory over Ohio on Saturday, the Dukes were named the STATS Perform Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Team of the Week, the organization announced on Monday afternoon. 

- Duquesne (1-1) became the first Northeast Conference (NEC) member to defeat a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent with the victory as the Dukes were previously 0-4 against FBS foes coming into the matchup in Athens. 

- Duquesne joined UC Davis (Tulsa), Eastern Washington (UNLV), South Dakota State (Colorado State), Holy Cross (UConn), Montana (Washington), East Tennessee State (Vanderbilt) and Jacksonville State (Florida State) as FCS teams to defeat FBS squads up to that point in the season.  Coming into the contests, teams from the NEC were 0-23 against the FBS.

HOME OPENER SUCCESS
- Duquesne has been very successful in home-opening contests, winning 25 of 28 games to open the home portion of the schedule since joining the FCS ranks in 1993. 

- Head coach Jerry Schmitt is 15-1 in home openers. The Dukes have captured a win in 13-straight home openers, including a 30-27 victory over Sacred Heart to kick off the 2021 spring season. 

- Duquesne owns home-opening victories over Albany, Bucknell, Butler, Dayton, Georgetown and VMI. 

- 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.

Home Openers Under Jerry Schmitt
Date - Opponent - W/L - Score
03.07.21    Sacred Heart    W    30-27
09.07.19    Walsh    W    44-3
09.01.18    Lock Haven    W    45-0
09.30.17    WV Wesleyan    W    38-13
09.10.16    Bucknell    W    30-19
09.05.15    Kentucky Christian    W    47-7
09.13.14    Dayton    W    33-13
08.31.13    Albany    W    35-24
09.08.12    Dayton    W    17-7
09.17.11    Valparaiso    W    49-14
09.04.10    Bucknell    W    17-13
09.05.09    Bucknell    W    24-19
09.20.08    Saint Francis U    W    21-7
09.01.07    Bucknell    L    19-28
09.16.06    Saint Francis U    W    41-10
09.03.05    Robert Morris    W    23-12

HOME SWEET HOME 
- Duquesne is 113-31 all-time at Rooney Field including winning streaks of 16, 14 and 10 games (twice). 

- Duquesne has won 13 straight home openers. The Dukes open the home portion of the 2021 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 25 against Virginia University of Lynchburg. DU has picked up a victory in its first home game in 21 of the last 22 seasons. 

- The Dukes own nonconference home wins over Dayton (six times), Bucknell (four times), Lafayette (twice), Albany, VMI, Monmouth, Butler, Morehead State and Fordham among others over the past 17 seasons.   

- DU is 45-12 in nonconference home games (28-3 under Jerry Schmitt) on Rooney Field. The Dukes are 21-1 in non-conference play at Rooney Field since the beginning of the 2008 season. 

- Duquesne is 15-3 in NEC action at home over the last six years. 

SCOUTING THE DRAGONS 
- Virginia University of Lynchburg enters Saturday's matchup with an 0-3 record after losses to UVA Wise, Mars Hill and Virginia Union. 

- The Dragons, led by first-year head coach Tim Newman,  are members of the National Christian College Athletic Association. 

- Running back Kalib Jennings rushed for 101 yards on 21 carries against Virginia Union last week. 

- Wide receiver Cinsere Clark hauled in three catches for 104 yards including a 76-yard touchdown reception in the Dragons' week two matchup at Mars Hill. 

- Linebacker John Templar finished with 15 tackles including 2.5 TFL in the season-opener against UVA Wise. 

NEXT UP
Duquesne opens NEC play on the road at Merrimack next Saturday, Oct. 2 at 1 p.m.