Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (2-3, 0-1 NEC) 

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Duquesne Dukes (2-3, 1-0 NEC) 

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BY THE NUMBERS


OPENING KICKOFF
- Duquesne returns to conference play after wrapping up a grueling non-conference schedule last week at No. 9/10 Delaware ... The Dukes had a pair of leads and were in front with less than a minute left in the first half, but a dominating second half by the Blue Hens moved DU to 2-3 on the season ... In the Dukes NEC opener, they defeated LIU, 31-28, on the road off a last second field goal by Brian Bruzdewicz in a game that they trailed by as many as 14 in the second quarter.

- Central Connecticut State won a high-scoring homecoming contest versus Delaware State last Saturday, 51-44 ... The Blue Devils are 0-2 on the road this season, falling at Kent State (38-10) and Brown (42-20) ... CCSU has given up 30+ points in each of its last three games, however they are scoring the most points per game in the NEC (31.0) ... The Blue Devils dropped their conference opener at home against Stonehill, 33-30, back on Sept. 9, the first NEC game of the season ... After erasing a 16-point deficit, Stonehill ended the game with a 52-yard field goal as time expired.

- Duquesne is home for the first time since Sept. 2, a dominating win over Division II Edinboro ... The four-game road trip was its longest away stretch as an FCS member and since 1990, when DU finished the season with five straight games on the road. Duquesne has had four (or more) straight road games in just five of its 96 seasons (4 in 1986, '50, '49, and '47, then 5 in 1990 and '14).

- The Dukes are 12-3 in NEC home openers since joining the league in 2008 ... This will be the third straight season and seventh time since joining the league, that the NEC home opener is the Dukes' second conference game ... DU is 4-2 the previous six times ... Last season, a 28-21 loss to Merrimack snapped a three-game NEC home-opening win streak.

- The Dukes have never scored less than 20 points in a conference home opener since joining the NEC.

THE SERIES
- The Dukes are 8-7 all-time against CCSU in a series that has been played annually since 2008. 

- DU is 4-3 at Rooney Field against CCSU, but just 1-for-3 in the last three meetings at home ... The Dukes snapped a two-game home losing skid to the Blue Devils in November of 2021 with a 31-27 win in the last matchup between the teams on Rooney Field.

- Last season, Darius Perrantes came in midway through the first half at quarterback and threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns to lead a dominating 30-6 win on the road for the Dukes ... DU led 13-0 at the break and after CCSU made it a one score game in the third quarter, the Dukes poured on 17 more points for good measure ... Brian Bruzdewicz made his career-long 40 yard field goal last season at CCSU ... Ezekiel M. Daure had a pick-six, Jayden Johnson came up with an interception in the red-zone, and Jalin Cooper hauled in his first touchdown as a Duke a year ago in New Britan ... In 2021, Perrantes led a 14-point comeback to defeat the Blue Devils at home, 31-27, with a 30-yard touchdown pass with just 29 seconds to play.

- Duquesne has won the past two matchups ... It is the first time in the history of the series, which dates back to 1993, that the Dukes have held the all-time edge.

THE COACHES
Duquesne: Jerry Schmitt (19th season / 115-81 at Duquesne)  
- Head coach Jerry Schmitt is in his 19th 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 head coach. Schmitt passed Greg Gattuso (1993-2004) for the most wins in program history. Schmitt is one of 11 active coaches with 100+ FCS wins at their current school.

- Schmitt is the longest tenured coach in the NEC. He is also the longest tenured coach amongst any of the collegiate or professional football teams in Pittsburgh. 

Central Conn. State: Adam Lechtenberg (1st season / 2-3 at CCSU)
- After serving as the co-offensive coordinator for two seasons including the 2010 NEC Championship team, Lechtenberg is back in New Britain to lead the Blue Devils in his first season. Prior to his first head coaching gig, Lechtenberg has had several stops as an assistant coach since 2005. He most recently was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Central Oklahoma for one season in 2022 and spent the previous five years at Virginia Tech on the offensive side of the ball.

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
- Central Connecticut State opened their season with a Division II, blowout victory over American International (44-0), then scored the most points in a game in the NEC this season with a 51-44 win over Delaware State last week ... In between the wins, CCSU dropped a heartbreaker on a last second field goal, 33-30, to Stonehill at home in its conference opener after mounting a 16-point comeback to tie the game, then dropped an FBS matchup at Kent State (38-10) and an FCS non-conference battle at Brown, of the Ivy League, 42-20.

- CCSU is the highest scoring offense in the NEC (31.0 points per game) ... The Blue Devils lead the league in total offense (410.6 yards per game), rushing yards per game (246.2), and team passing efficiency (131.68).

- The Blue Devils own the red-zone, leading the league with an 89.5% score rate on offense and a 72.2% defensive scoring rate.

- CCSU has the most first downs in the conference (105) and convert on third downs at a league-best 38%.

- CCSU has a -2 turnover margin on the season, forcing six (3 INTs / 3 fumbles) and losing eight, five of which fumbles.

- The Blue Devils have blocked four kicks, the second-most in the entire FCS, and stuffed two punts.

- Three quarterbacks have seen time this season and all have made their first career start at a point this season ... Sophomore Ricky Ortega is the only to play in all five games, however junior CJ Duell has a team-leading 534 yards and three touchdowns ... Ortega and fellow sophomore Matt Jenner are listed as the two battling for this week's start.

- Elijah Howard is second in the NEC with 500 rushing yards and has scored three touchdowns ... His 7.25 yards per carry is the best average in the NEC ... CCSU has rushed in 12 touchdowns this season, Ricky Ortega, a quarterback is the team leader with five.

- Isiah Williams and Paul Marsh, Jr. have two receiving touchdowns apiece ... Williams is second in the NEC averaging 4.4 catches per game and has a team-high 231 receiving yards, which is good for fifth in the league.

- Four juniors lead the tackling efforts, paced by Kimal Clark, a defensive back, with a league-leading 8.8 per game / 44 total ... CCSU has the second-best rushing defense in the conference at 163.8 yards per game, but surrenders 218.2 yards per game through the air ranking sixth of eight in the NEC.

DUKES IN THE NEC
- The Dukes, led by 19th-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.

- Duquesne is the winningest program in the conference over the past 12 seasons with a league-leading 82 wins and 52 conference wins since 2011.

- Duquesne is 61-40 all-time in NEC contests including a 35-17 mark at home. The Dukes are 20-6 in NEC action at Rooney Field over the last eight seasons.

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

BACK-TO-BACK ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONORS
- Edward Robinson, a freshman running back from Maple Heights, Ohio, was named the NEC Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week after leading the team in rushing yards for the third straight game and recording the longest TD of the season for DU, a 68-yard score.

- Robinson is the first Duke to earn back-to-back ROW awards since AJ Hines won six in a row  in 2016 ... Hines went on to win a league record 10 times in his freshman campaign ... Dillon Buechel (QB - 2013) was the only other DU rookie to earn the honor multiple times in a season. 

HIGH SCORING EXPECTATIONS
- Duquesne is third in the league in scoring offense averaging 24.2 points per game, while CCSU is first at 31.0 ... The 17-points at WVU were the most ever for DU in three games against a Power-Five opponent ... DU's 49 points in the home-opening win was the second-most in the past 12 home openers (56 in win over Virginia Lynchburg in 2021).

- The 49 points and seven touchdowns scored against Edinboro in the season opener is the second most points and tied for most touchdowns in a game this season in the NEC (CCSU - 51 pts / 7 TDs vs. Delaware State last week).

TOUCHDOWNS THROUGH THE AIR
- 10 of the 16 offensive touchdowns this season have come through the air (Perrantes - 8 and Robinson - 2), which is the most passing TDs by any NEC team this season ... The three passing TDs vs. Edinboro and at LIU are tied for the most in a game this season by an NEC program ... DU is the only team in the NEC that has recorded three passing TDs in multiple games ... The Dukes have had at least one passing touchdown in every game this season.

- Graduate transfer DJ Powell is the first receiver in the NEC to catch four touchdowns this season, after snagging the longest TD grab of the season for DU (52 yards) on the first drive last week.

- Redshirt sophomore Keshawn Brown, and junior transfer Tedy Afful are in a four-way tie for second in the conference with three touchdown receptions each.

- Afful (at LIU) and Powell (vs. Edinboro) are the only two receivers in the NEC to record multiple touchdown catches in a game this season.

- Junior quarterback Darius Perrantes leads the NEC with eight touchdown passes ... Perrantes threw for two scores in the first two games of 2023 and tied for the most passing TDs in a game this season in the NEC with three in the NEC-opening win at LIU ... He has 10 career games with multiple passing TDs and has thrown at least one TD in 4-of-5 games this season.

LONGBALL IS WORKING
- The Dukes have connected on 21 passes for 15-plus yards this season with multiple in every game so far including a season-high six at WVU and LIU ... Eight of the 21 have gone for touchdowns ... The Perrantes to Powell connection on the first offensive drive of the game last week for 52 yards was the longest catch and score for the Dukes.

- DU ranks 10th in the FCS and paces the NEC in passing yards per completion (14.52) ... The Dukes average the most passing yards per game in the NEC (185.8) ... The 254 passing yards at LIU were tied for the third-most by an NEC team this season ... Duquesne and CCSU are the only two teams in the NEC with multiple 200+ yard passing games.

- Darius Perrantes is seventh in the FCS and leads the NEC in passing yards per completion at 15.13 ... He also leads the NEC in yards per pass attempt (7.56) and is second in the conference in passing yards (832 / 166.4 per game).

- Duquesne has three of the top four receivers on the NEC's yards per reception leaderboard ...  DJ Powell (21.21) is 13th in the FCS and first in the NEC, Keshawn Brown (18.12) is second in the conference, and Tedy Afful (15.08) is fourth.

- Brown leads the conference in receiving yards (308) and Powell is right behind at 297.

BRING OUT THE TURNOVER CHAIN
- Duquesne's defense has created the most turnovers in the conference and is tied for 14th in the nation with 11 turnovers gained.

- DU dominated in the season opener with five takeaways (3 INTs and 2 fumbles), four of which in the first quarter ... The Dukes had back-to-back special team recoveries jumping on a loose ball after a punt at WVU and CCU, while adding a fumble through the endzone for a touchback in Week Two at WVU.

- DU forced two turnovers in the NEC opener at LIU, both inside the red-zone (a first quarter fumble recovery and a fourth quarter interception), then added an INT in the endzone last week at Delaware by Ayden Garnes.

- The DU offense has scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive after each of the Dukes' two special teams fumble recoveries this season (at WVU and CCU).

- The season opener was the first time in recorded program history that the Dukes defense charted five takeaways in a single game.

- DU's even turnover margin is second in the conference.

- Duquesne has had 10 different players involved on forcing/recovering its 11 turnovers.

- Garnes (2), Tim Lowery, Ezekiel M. Daure, and Dayvia Gbor have the interceptions ... Ty Howard and Ryan Lopez recovered the Edinboro fumbles, Nick Leopold jumped on the special teams fumble at WVU, Gbor recovered the muffed punt at CCU, and Garnes corralled the fumble at LIU ... Gianni Rizzo and Kevin Kurzinger forced the fumbles versus Edinboro, Jaelen Carson stripped the quarterback at LIU, and the WVU and CCU cough-ups were unforced.

FUMBLE FRONT-RUNNERS
- Duquesne leads the conference and is fifth in the FCS in fumbles recovered with six.

- On the offensive side of the ball, the Dukes are atop the NEC and tied for seventh in the FCS with just one fumble lost. 

SACK PARTY
- Duquesne has had 13 different players account for its 12 sacks this season.

- In the season opener, Nick Curci, Kevin Kurzinger, Jack Dunkley, Gianni Rizzo, Ty Howard, and Dayvia Gbor all recorded sacks ... A.J. Ackerman was the seventh player to get on the sack sheet with the lone for the DU defense at WVU ... Ryan Lopez, Noah Palmer, Jaelen Carson, CJ Barnes (0.5), and Jayden Johnson (0.5) all were in on the action in the backfield at LIU ... Matt Brooks and Barnes accounted for a sack each at Delaware.

- 12 sacks for an average of 2.60 per game ranks second in the NEC and 20th in the FCS.

- The 2022 Dukes totaled 29 sacks, tied for the sixth-most in a season in program history.

- The DU offensive line is currently second in the NEC in sacks allowed (1.80 per game - only behind CCSU at 0.60) and did not allow one in the Coastal Carolina game.

NEC WEEKLY HONORS THIS SEASON
PLAYER OF THE WEEKS - Week 5: Special Teams POW - Brian Bruzdewicz / Rookie of the Week - Edward Robinson ... Week 6: Rookie of the Week - Edward Robinson

PRIME PERFORMERS - Week 1: DB - Ayden Garnes ... Week 2: QB - Darius Perrantes ... Week 5: QB - Darius Perrantes, WR - Tedy Afful, K - Brian Bruzdewicz.

NEXT WEEK
- Duquesne will host its second straight home game for the only time this season next Saturday against Saint Francis

- Next weekend will be Homecoming and Family Weekend at Duquesne ... Kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm against the reigning NEC Champions.

FOLLOW THE DUKES
- Follow Duquesne football online all season at GoDuquesne.com, as well as on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (@DuqFB).

- Live coverage links for every Duquesne game can be viewed on the schedule page.

- All of the remaining games can be viewed on NEC Front Row, except for the October 28 contest at Sacred Heart will be exclusively streamed on ESPN+.

- Dukes Football can be heard live all season on 104.7 HD2, on the iHeart Radio App, or on ESPNpgh.com by searching Duquesne.