G2 | DUQUESNE at OHIO
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 11  
TIME: 2:00 pm ET
LOCATION: Athens, Ohio • Peden Stadium
TELEVISION: ESPN3 with Doug Sherman (pxp) and Jay Richardson (analyst)

OPENING KICKOFF
- Duquesne hits the road for another matchup with an FBS opponent on Saturday when the Dukes head to Athens, Ohio to face Ohio at 2 p.m. at Peden Stadium. DU opened the season last Saturday at TCU, dropping a 45-3 decision. The Bobcats fell by a score of 29-9 to visiting Syracuse. 

- Following a shortened offseason after playing an unprecedented five-game spring schedule, the five-time Northeast Conference (NEC) champion Duquesne Dukes returned to action this fall just under five months after posting perfect 4-0 record during the 2020-21 spring regular season. The Dukes earned the right to host the first-ever NEC Championship game at Rooney Field. Sacred Heart escaped with a 34-27 overtime victory to claim the conference title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs. 

- This marks the second meeting between the Dukes and Ohio, as the Bobcats claimed a 14-13 victory over Duquesne on Oct. 30, 1948. 

- The Dukes will take on two FBS opponents in the same season for the second time in the last four years at TCU followed by the matchup with Ohio in week two. Duquesne battled UMass and Hawaii to start the 2018 season. Duquesne is scheduled to travel to Florida State to open the 2022 campaign with a return trip to Hawaii also scheduled for next season. 

- 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 COACHES
Duquesne: Jerry Schmitt (17th season / 102-69)  
- 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 130 career wins. 

Ohio: Tim Albin (1st season / 0-1) 
- Tim Albin enters his first season at the helm of the Bobcat program in 2021 after serving as Ohio's offensive coordinator for the past 16 years under Frank Solich.

- Albin joined the Ohio staff as offensive coordinator in 2005, reuniting with Frank Solich after four years together at Nebraska. 

- Prior to his stint at Nebraska, Albin was the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State for three seasons, winning the NAIA national championship in 1999 with a 13-0 record. He was named NAIA Football Coach of the Year by Rawlings and American Football Coach Magazine as the Rangers recorded their first undefeated season in history.

LAST TIME OUT
TCU 45, Duquesne 3
- Playing its fourth game against an FBS opponent since moving to the FCS ranks in 1993, Duquesne fell by a score of 45-3 at TCU in the 2021 season opener on Saturday night at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

- With the Horned Frogs holding a 35-0 lead and driving deep into Dukes territory in the second quarter, Leandro DeBrito recorded his third career interception for Duquesne off TCU quarterback Max Duggan, stopping the scoring threat. 

- On Duquesne's first drive of the second half, Darius Perrantes hit Cyrus Holder down the sideline for a 37-yard gain, setting up a Brian Bruzdewicz 26-yard field goal to put the Dukes on the board.

- Garrett Kell's 18-yard field goal made it 38-3 TCU late in the third quarter, before Chandler Morris' 20-yard touchdown pass to Blake Nowell put the Horned Frogs ahead 45-3.

- Garrett Owens paced the Dukes with 35 yards on 14 carries while Billy Lucas added 23 yards on seven rushes. Holder hauled in a pair of receptions for 64 yards.

- Spencer DeMedal matched his career high with 11 tackles on the night. DeBrito finished with eight tackles (six solo) and the interception while Connor Barrett added five stops for Duquesne. 

SCOUTING THE DUKES
- Duquesne welcomes back all 22 starters from the spring 2021 season including 17 All-NEC selections. 

- First Team All-NEC quarterback Joe Mischler returns for his second season as the Dukes' signal caller. The Ohio University transfer paced the NEC and ranked 18th in the country at 239.0 passing yards per game. He closed the season ranked fifth in the FCS in passing efficiency at 159.3. Mischler is Duquesne's third consecutive starting quarterback to transfer from the FBS level following Tommy Stuart (2017, Boise State) and Daniel Parr (2018-19, FAU). 

- Darius Perrantes entered the TCU game when Mischler left the contest in the first quarter with an injury. Perrantes - a Rhode Island transfer in his second season with the Dukes - made his Duquesne debut last Saturday, completing three passes. He started two games as a freshman at Rhode Island and appeared in three games total, completing 25-of-47 passes for 287 yards with a pair of touchdown passes. 

- In the backfield, the Dukes return their top two rushers from the spring in Second Team All-NEC selection Garrett Owens and NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year Billy Lucas. Owens averaged 102.8 yards from scrimmage last season with six total touchdowns, finishing with three 100-yard rushing performances during the five-game season. Lucas closed the year with consecutive 110-yard rushing showings for Duquesne, finding the end zone in both of those contests. 

- Duquesne welcomes back its top five receivers from the spring led by First Team All-NEC selection Cyrus Holder, who paced the conference with 23 receptions for 491 yards and five touchdowns last season. Second Team All-NEC honoree Davie Henderson registered 22 catches for 282 yards while Joey Isabella recorded 17 receptions for 194 yards and a pair of scores. Freshman Abdul Janneh posted eight catches for 92 yards and a touchdown for the Dukes while veteran Dominic Thieman also returns for the Duquesne wideouts after his spring season was cut short due to injury. 

- On the offensive line, AFCA Second Team All-American Jake Dixon highlights a group of four all-conference returners including Michael Dorundo, Vincent Lumia and Roman Macek. The DU o-line paved the way for five 100-yard individual rushing performances in the five-game season in addition to a pair of 300-yard passing games. They limited opponents to one-or-fewer sacks in three contests on the year while helping Duquesne scored at least 17 points in each game during spring season, including a pair of 30-point performances. Eric Neill also returns for the Dukes while Duquesne added Lehigh transfer Matt Fest to the offensive front, as well. 

- On the defensive side, the Dukes return five All-NEC selections, keyed in the defensive backfield by a pair of veterans in Spencer DeMedal and Leandro DeBrito. The two safeties both garnered First Team All-NEC accolades in the spring, as DeBrito tallied a team-high 37 tackles with an interception and a pair of pass breakups while DeMedal recorded 32 tackles with 3.5 TFL, two interceptions and two pass breakups for the Dukes. Temitope Agoro (21 tackles), Ezekiel Daure (16 tackles) and Ryan Webb (four pass breakups, interception) also return at defensive back for Duquesne. 

- The Dukes also have a pair of All-NEC honorees returning at linebacker in Jahan Worth and Todd Hill. Worth finished third on the team with 27 tackles with two TFL while Hill posted 25 tackles with two TFL including a sack. Anthony Dellovade returns for Duquesne after his spring season was shortened due to injury. 

- Up front, First Team All-NEC defensive lineman Maxi Hradecny returns for Duquesne after registering 15 tackles and two TFL during the spring season. The Dukes also welcome back AJ Garson (17 tackles, 5.5 TFL) and Nathan Proctor Jr. (11 tackles) to the defensive line. 

- All-NEC kicker Brian Bruzdewicz (placekicker) is back for Duquesne, as well. Bruzdewicz led all kickers in the conference in scoring with 27 points on the season.

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
- Ohio opened the 2021 campaign last Saturday with a home matchup against Syracuse at Peden Stadium, falling by a score of 29-9 to the Orange. 

- Quarterback Kurtis Rourke went 21-of-28 with 142 yards and an interception against Syracuse. 

- Wide receiver Jerome Buckner hauled in a career-high seven receptions for 102 yards to pace the Bobcats. 

- Ohio safeties Alvin Floyd and Jarren Hampton each recorded 10 total and four solo tackles.

- Tim Albin enters his first season as head coach in 2021 after 16-year head coach Frank Solich stepped down as the Bobcats head coach on July 14. 

- Ohio has reached a bowl game in five of the last six seasons, with wins over Nevada, San Diego State and UAB in those games. 

- The Bobcats were picked to finish third in the MAC East Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving a pair of first-place votes. Kent State was selected as the divisional favorite. 

SCHMITT NAMES DUQUESNE CAPTAINS
- Head coach Jerry Schmitt named the Dukes' 2021 team captains prior to the season opener at TCU: 

#7 Leandro DeBrito - DB 
#11 Joe Mischler - QB 
#28 Spencer DeMedal - DB
#74 Jake Dixon - OL
#84 Bill O'Malley - TE

KUNTZ NAMED TO STEELERS' REGULAR SEASON ROSTER
- Former Duquesne standout Christian Kuntz (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Chartiers Valley) was named to the Pittsburgh Steelers' 53-man roster as a long snapper, the organization announced last week. 

- Kuntz is the first player from Duquesne to be named to an active NFL roster since nine-year veteran Leigh Bodden took the field with the New England Patriots in 2011. Kuntz can join Bodden as just the second former Duquesne player to appear in an NFL game in 68 seasons. 

- A two-time Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the Dukes, he is in his third stint with the six-time Super Bowl champions. He was signed to Pittsburgh's practice squad in Nov. 2020 after spending the 2019 and '20 preseasons with the team.

- Forty-four Dukes have played in the NFL, with a total of 35 suiting up for the Pittsburgh Steelers between 1937 and 1951. The last Duke to play for the Steelers was Chick Mehelich in 1951. Mehelich suited up for the black & gold for six seasons. 

NEC PRESEASON COACHES POLL / ALL-NEC TEAMS
- Duquesne was picked to finish second in a tie with Central Connecticut in the 2021 NEC Preseason Coaches Poll while seven Dukes garnered Preseason All-NEC honors as announced during the NEC's Virtual Media Day event in early August. 

- This marks the 11th-straight year in which Duquesne was selected first or second in the conference preseason coaches poll. Sacred Heart was selected as the conference's preseason favorite. 

- Dukes quarterback Joe Mischler, wide receiver Cyrus Holder, tight end Bill O'Malley, offensive linemen Jake Dixon and Vincent Lumia, defensive back Leandro DeBrito as well as kicker Brian Bruzdewicz garnered preseason all-league honors for the Dukes.

THIS DAY IN DUQUESNE FOOTBALL HISTORY
9.11.10: Dukes 35, Dayton 31
9.11.04: Robert Morris 34, Dukes 14
9.11.99: Dukes 32, La Salle 3
9.11.93: Dukes 16, Canisius 12
9.11.82: Carnegie Mellon 19, Dukes 0
9.11.76: Dukes 16, St. John Fisher 0

Dukes 35, Dayton 31: Sean Patterson (27-of-40, 326 yds, 3 TD) hit Sean Bunevich with an eight-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left to give Duquesne a dramatic 35-31 win over Dayton at Rooney Field.

NEXT UP
The Dukes have a week off before their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 25 hosting Virginia University of Lynchburg at 1 p.m. at Arthur J. Rooney Field.