PITTSBURGH – A fourth down stop in overtime lifted the Dukes to a 35-28 win over Sacred Heart Saturday afternoon in a Northeast Conference (NEC) game at Rooney Field.
 
Duquesne (3-6, 2-3 NEC) went on offense first in overtime and rode running back Billy Lucas. The Erie, Pennsylvania native toted the ball four times and caught a pass during the drive, before scoring from eight yards out to make the score 35-28.

. @billy_lucas5 🆙 the middle for a TOUCHDOWN! PAT is good.

Dukes defense needs a stop to end this one.#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/jGJAotEFx7

— Duquesne Football (@DuqFB) November 5, 2022

 
Sacred Heart (4-5, 2-3 NEC) faced a 4^th-and-1 at the Dukes' 16-yard line on their possession. Pioneer quarterback Rob McCoy kept the ball on a read-option play, but Duquesne defenders Jayden Johnson and Jon Muehlbauer penetrated the backfield and dropped McCoy for a loss to seal the victory.

STUFFED! The defense gets a fourth down stop to end it!#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/LTBlHjQTBC

— Duquesne Football (@DuqFB) November 5, 2022

 
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.
 
Quarterback Joe Mischler was 18 of 28 for 209 yards passing with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also rushed for a touchdown.
 
Wide receiver Dwayne Menders, Jr. hauled in five receptions for 50 yards, while Joey Isabella finished with three catches for 61 yards. Nick Leopold made three catches for 46 yards and scored his first-career touchdown.
 
Sacred Heart took the opening kickoff and drove down the field in 11 plays, before running back Malik Grant scored on a three-yard rush five minutes into the game.
 
The Dukes answered with an 11-play drive of their own that was capped off with a Lucas one-yard touchdown that tied the score at 7-7 with 4:52 to play in the first quarter.

TOUCHDOWN! @billy_lucas5 punches it in from 1-yard out to tie up the game!#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/5zXoXH3hww

— Duquesne Football (@DuqFB) November 5, 2022

 
The Duquesne defense made a fourth-down stand on the next possession to keep the score tied. Mischler then guided the Dukes' offense down the field, before connecting with Leopold for a 20-yard touchdown pass that gave Duquesne a 14-7 lead less than a minute into the second quarter.

TOUCHDOWN!@Joemischler11 connects with @NickLeopold2 for a 20-yard TD to put the Dukes in front!#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/z3CebwgDSi

— Duquesne Football (@DuqFB) November 5, 2022

 
Both teams traded empty possessions, before the Pioneers managed to knot the score up near halftime on a 15-yard touchdown pass that sent the game into the break tied up at 14-14.
 
Neither team scored on its opening possession of the second half. The Dukes reclaimed the lead on an eight-play, 83-yard drive that was capped off with a one-yard touchdown catch by tight end Logan Lutz that made the score 21-14 with 6:48 to play in the third quarter.

You love to see it 🙌 @loganlutz223 hauls in the 1-yard TD to put the Dukes back in front!#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/FqD9eQkr9a

— Duquesne Football (@DuqFB) November 5, 2022

 
Sacred Heart's offense came up empty once again and the Pioneers made a switch at quarterback. McCoy took over and broke off a 46-yard touchdown run on a read-option play that tied the score at 21-21 with just over two minutes to play in the third quarter.
 
Duquesne answered to reclaim the lead when Mischler called his own number on a three-yard touchdown rush that capped off a 13-play drive to make the score 28-21 with 10:52 to play in regulation.

.@Joemischler11 calls his own number and takes it in from three yards out to help the Dukes reclaim the lead!#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/mHiYcEIvzn

— Duquesne Football (@DuqFB) November 5, 2022

 
Sacred Heart managed to tie the game up on a 14-yard touchdown pass by starting quarterback Marquez McCray to wide out Kenneth Womack with 1:22 left on the clock. Each team had a possession in the final minute with a chance to take the lead, but both came up short to send the contest into overtime.
 
Linebacker Todd Hill had nine tackles (six solo), including 2.5 tackles for loss. Safety Jeremiah Josephs finished with eight tackles (seven solo) with 3.0 TFL, including a sack. Linebacker Gianni Rizzo added eight tackles (five solo) with 1.5 TFL. As a team, the Dukes posted a season-best 12.0 TFL.
 
McCray was 20 of 26 for 213 yards and two touchdowns for Sacred Heart. Womack led all players with eight catches for 123 yards and a touchdown, while Grant finished with 87 yards rushing on 18 carries and one touchdown.
 
The Dukes will play their final road contest of the season next Saturday, Nov. 12 when they visit Loretto, Pennsylvania to take on Saint Francis U at DeGol Field. Kick-off is slated for 12 p.m.
 
Duquesne will look to avenge a 17-10 loss at Rooney Field from last season. In 42 total meetings, the Red Flash have only won consecutive games against the Dukes once (1991 & 1992).
 
GAME NOTES: Lucas is the first Duquesne running back since A.J. Hines in 2018 versus Towson to rush for over 150 yards … The overtime victory was the first for the Dukes since defeating Sacred Heart 30-23 in overtime on Sept. 22, 2007 … Duquesne had lost its last three overtime games … Sacred Heart out-gained the Dukes 420 to 398 in total offense … The Dukes lost two fumbles in the game after entering the game with two fumbles lost all season … Duquesne held possession for 35 minutes, 18 seconds, including over 11 minutes in the fourth quarter alone … The win snapped a two-game losing-streak versus Sacred Heart; the Dukes have never lost three-straight to the Pioneers ... It was the first time in program history that the Dukes played consecutive games that went to overtime ... The game was a meeting between the teams picked first and second in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll.