PITTSBURGH - Duquesne closes out the 2022 campaign with the home finale against Wagner on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Rooney Field. The Dukes will recognize 23 final-year student-athletes, as well as three senior student-managers, as part of their Senior Day festivities pre-game.

Duquesne holds a 12-5 advantage in the all-time series with Wagner. The Dukes have won seven-consecutive games over the Seahawks, and holds a 11-3 advantage versus Wagner in the NEC era. The all-time series between the two teams dates back to the 1992 season.

OPENING KICKOFF
- The Dukes have shutout the Seahawks in each of the last two meetings and have outscored Wagner 237-91 during the current seven-game winning-streak. The Seahawks last defeated Duquesne in 2014.

- The Dukes are coming off of a 51-14 setback at FCS Playoffs-bound Saint Francis last Saturday. Meanwhile, Wagner enters the game on the heels of a 38-28 loss to Sacred Heart on Staten Island.

- Duquesne is 59-40 all-time in NEC contests including a 33-17 mark at home. The Dukes are 18-6 in NEC action at Rooney Field over the last seven seasons.

NOTABLES
- The Dukes will post their first sub-.500 record since 2012. In 30 seasons at the FCS level, the Dukes have posted a .500 record or better in 27 of those years, including each of the past nine seasons. Duquesne has captured 207 wins and 16 conference titles during that span.

- The Dukes are 118-34 all-time at Rooney including winning streaks of 16, 14 and 10 games (twice).

- Running back Billy Lucas posted a career-high 170 yards rushing on 30 carries (5.7 per carry) with two touchdowns to lead the Dukes to the win versus Sacred Heart two weeks ago. It was the third-highest total by an NEC tailback this season.

- Lucas was the first Duquesne running back since A.J. Hines in 2018 versus Towson to rush for over 150 yards.

- Duquesne had been limited to under 100 yards rushing in each of the prior three games and six times total this season. The Dukes were held under 100 yards rushing twice all of last season. Wagner is allowing an NEC-worst 267.7 rushing yards per game.

- The overtime victory over Sacred Heart was the first for the Dukes since defeating the Pioneers 30-23 in overtime on Sept. 22, 2007. Duquesne had lost its last three overtime games entering that game.

- The Dukes have lost three fumbles in the past two games after losing two through the first eight games of the season. Their five fumbles lost is the second-fewest in the NEC and is tied for the 35th-fewest in the FCS. None of the five fumbles lost by Duquesne have come from a running back. Duquesne led the FCS with just two fumbles lost last season.

- Duquesne posted a season-best 12.0 tackles for loss (TFL) in the win over Sacred Heart. The Dukes are second in the NEC with 6.1 TFL per game.

- The Dukes are averaging 2.3 quarterback sacks per game to lead the NEC and rank 41st in the FCS.

- Linebacker Todd Hill paces the NEC in both categories. He ranks seventh in the FCS with 0.9 sacks per game and seventh with 1.6 TFL per game.

- Hill is currently tied with former Dukes Christian Kuntz (2013), Bill Arbogast (2002) and John Wojciehowski (1993) for the sixth-most in a single-season with 9.0 sacks. The single-season record of 12.5 sacks was set by Ryan Tolan in 2004. Wagner has allowed a league-high 27 sacks this season.

- Duquesne wide receiver Dwayne Menders, Jr. (80.1 ypg.) slots third in the NEC and 28th overall in the FCS in receiving yards per game. He needs 159 yards receiving to pass Wayne Capers (2016) for the 10th most receiving yards by a Duke in a single season.

- Wide receiver Abdul Janneh has been held out of the endzone in consecutive games for the first time this season. He ranks second in the NEC and 12th in the FCS with nine touchdown receptions this season.

- Duquesne is the least-penalized team in the NEC this season with league lows of 4.5 penalties per game and 38.5 penalty yards per game. The Dukes rank among the top-15 in the FCS in both categories.

- The Dukes have yielded the second-fewest yards on kickoffs to opponents in the NEC this year. Duquesne is allowing 14.66 yards per return, which slots fifth overall in the FCS.

- Duquesne committed a trio of turnovers last week and did not get any takeaways at Saint Francis. It marked the second-straight week that the defense did not register a takeaway. Duquesne forced at least one turnover in each of the first eight games of the season.

LAST MEETING
- Former Dukes 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.

- 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.

- Quarterback Darius Perrantes completed 16 of 24 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

-Duquesne had two running backs rush for over 100 yards. 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.

- A.J. Garson finished with 3.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. He was later named the NEC Defensive Player of the Week. His sack total was the most by a Duquesne player since Christian Kuntz had 3.5 sacks against Monmouth on Nov. 23, 2013.

THE COACHES
Duquesne: Jerry Schmitt (18th season / 112-78 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.

Wagner: Tom Masella (3rd season / 1-22 at Wagner)
- A member of the Wagner Athletics Hall of Fame and Staten Island native, Tom Masella was named the 12th coach in school-history in 2019.

- Masalla was the associate head coach for Wagner during the 2012 season when the Seahawks won their first NEC Football Championship in school history and became the first NEC team to post a win in the NCAA FCS Playoffs with a 31-20 victory over Colgate.

- Masella's head coaching experience includes two years at Boston University (1996 - 1997), two seasons at the helm at CCSU (2004 - 2005) and six at Fordham (2006 - 2011).

LAST TIME OUT: Saint Francis 51, Duquesne 14

- Saint Francis established series records for points scored (51) and largest margin of victory (37) in the setback on a rainy day at DeGol Field last Saturday.

- Entering the game, Saint Francis' 17-point win in 2009 was the largest margin of victory against the Dukes in the history of the series, which dates back to 1913.

- Luke Harris' punt block for a touchdown was the first by a Duke since 2005 when Steve Mougis returned a blocked punt for a touchdown versus La Salle (11/5/05)

- The Dukes were held to under 100 yards passing (92) for the first time since Week Zero at Florida State when they were limited to 71 yards through the air. It was also the first time the Dukes were held to under 200 yards of total offense (196) since the game at Florida State when they had 164 against the Seminoles

- It is the first time since 1991 & 1992 that Duquesne has lost two-straight games to Saint Francis. The Dukes, who lead the all-time series 38-10, have never lost three-straight games to the Red Flash.

NEXT WEEK

- Saint Francis has earned the NEC's automatic berth in the FCS Playoffs and will await the NCAA Selection Show to see who their opponent will be.

- Duquesne will enter the offseason and prepare for the 2023 season. The Dukes are slated to return the majority of their starting lineup and key contributors from this season.