PITTSBURGH - The Dukes will look to get back on track in the Steel City when they host Merrimack on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. for their annual homecoming game at Arthur J. Rooney Field. It is also Family Weekend on The Bluff.

Duquesne is 9-2 since 2009 when playing during Homecoming weekend on The Bluff. The last time an opponent left Rooney Field with a victory on Homecoming was Bryant in 2018, 21-20. A blocked extra-point in the second quarter proved to be the difference in that contest.

G6 | DUQUESNE (1-4, 0-1 NEC) vs Merrimack (3-2, 1-0 NEC)

DATE: Saturday, Oct. 8
TIME: 1:00 p.m. ET
LOCATION: Pittsburgh, Pa. - Arthur J. Rooney Field
TELEVISION: ESPN3 with Paul Dottino (pxp) and Rasheed Marshall (analyst)
RADIO: BIG 104.7 FM HD2 / ESPN 970 AM / iHeart Radio with Alex Panormios (pxp) and Tad Maurey (analyst)

OPENING KICKOFF
- After opening the year on the road in four of the first five games, the Dukes will close out the season with four home games in their final six contests of the regular season.

- The Dukes are off to an uncharacteristically slow start. The last time Duquesne opened the season with four losses in its first five games was 1991 when the team played at the Division III level and started the season 0-5.  

- Duquesne is 117-32 all-time at Rooney Field including winning streaks of 16, 14 and 10 games (twice). 

- Duquesne is 57-37 all-time in NEC contests including a 32-15 mark at home. The Dukes are 17-4 in NEC action at Rooney Field over the last seven seasons. 

NOTABLES
- Of the 114 FCS teams, the Dukes are one of 13 to not lose a fumble this season. Duquesne led the FCS with just two fumbles lost last season.

- Despite protecting the ball, the Dukes are last in the NEC with a negative-three (-3) turnover margin. Merrimack leads the league with a plus-four (+4) turnover margin.

- The Dukes lead the NEC with an average time of possession of 32 minutes and eight seconds per game. DU held the ball for over 37 minutes at Hawai'i and nearly 34 minutes at Stonehill. 

- The Dukes are holding opponents to 151.6 passing yards per game, which ranks third in the NEC and seventh in the FCS. Duquesne has allowed a touchdown pass in just two of its five games. Merrimack ranks second in the NEC with 208.8 passing yards per game.

- The Dukes are averaging three quarterback sacks per game to lead the NEC and rank 17th in the FCS. Linebacker Todd Hill paces the team and slots fourth nationally with 6.5 sacks.

- The Dukes are the least penalized team in the NEC with just four flags drawn per game. That total ranks fifth in the FCS, while their 28.60 penalty yards per game slots third nationally. 

- Wide receiver Abdul Janneh and linebacker Todd Hill were both named NEC Primetime Performers on Monday for their efforts in the loss at Stonehill. Janneh led the Dukes with six catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns, while Hill paced the defense with six tackles (all solo), three tackles for loss, including two sacks, and one quarterback hurry.

- Janneh was named the NEC Offensive Player of the Week following the team's loss at Youngstown State on Sept. 3. He led the Dukes with eight catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns in that setback.


HOLDER HEADING TO TORONTO
- Former Duquesne wide receiver Cyrus Holder signed a contract with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) it was last week.

- Holder signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears in May but was released shortly thereafter. He earned All-Northeast Conference honors in each of his two seasons at Duquesne following his transfer from Saint Francis University.

DUKES IN THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
- The Dukes, led by 18th-year head coach Jerry Schmitt, 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, 2013, 2016 and 2018 while capturing the outright title in 2015. Duquesne earned the NEC's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs in both 2015 and 2018. 

- The Dukes are 32-11 in NEC action since the beginning of the 2015 season, including a 15-4 ledger at Rooney Field.

- DU has recorded 77 wins since 2011, at least eight more victories than any other NEC team. In addition, the Dukes' 48 conference wins in that time span are the most in the league.

- Duquesne is one of two schools that have won five NEC titles since 2011 (Sacred Heart).

THE SERIES
- This is Duquesne's second meeting with Merrimack, who began their transition from NCAA Division II to Division I FCS last year. The Dukes won the first-ever meeting against Merrimack last season, 37-14, in North Andover, Massachusetts.

- Duquesne recorded four interceptions and former running back Garrett Owens hauled in a pair of touchdown receptions to lead the Dukes. 

- Safety Jeremiah Josephs picked off Merrimack quarterback Westin Elliott twice in the game and was later named the NEC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

- Elliott, who came into the game averaging 319.5 passing yards per game, was held to 203 yards by the Dukes' defense.
 
THE COACHES
Duquesne: Jerry Schmitt (18th season / 110-75 at Duquesne)  
- Head coach Jerry Schmitt is in his 18th 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 during the spring 2021 season. He is one of 10 active coaches with 100 FCS wins at their current school.

Merrimack: Dan Curran (9th season / 43-51 at Merrimack)  
- Dan Curran became the fifth head coach of the Merrimack College football program in February of 2013 after spending three seasons as the Warriors' offensive coordinator, replacing John Perry, who had spent the five previous seasons as head coach.

- Curran came to Merrimack after playing eight years of professional football which included time spent with the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League as well as the New Orleans Voodoo and Georgia Force of the Arena Football League.

- As a player in the Arena Football League, Curran earned First Team All-League Honors and was named to the All-Ironman Team after leading the league in rushing and becoming just the third player in league history at the time to rush for over 20 touchdowns in a season.

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
- Merrimack is coming off of a 24-23 come-from-behind win over LIU this past Saturday. The Warriors scored 14-unanswered points in the fourth quarter to knock off the Sharks.

- Victor Dawson's four-yard touchdown run with three minutes left in the game tied the score up, before the Lliam Davis extra point put Merrimack ahead for good.

- Jacari Carter posted four receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. He ranks third in the NEC with 72.3 yards per game and has a league-best 19.27 yards per catch.

NEXT WEEK
- The Dukes will head into their second and final bye week of the season following the contest against Merrimack.

- Duquesne will return to play on Saturday, Oct. 22 when they make the long trek out to New Britain, Connecticut and Arute Field to take on Central Connecticut State. Kick-off of the game is set for 12 p.m. and the contest will broadcast on NEC Front Row.

- Last season, Darius Perrantes found former Duke Cyrus Holder for a 30-yard touchdown connection with just 29 seconds to play in the fourth quarter to lift Duquesne to a 31-27 win over the Blue Devils at Rooney Field.