Duquesne Dukes (5-3, 4-0 NEC)

• Streak: W3 | Roster | Stats | Schedule 

Wagner Seahawks (3-5, 3-2 NEC) 

• Streak: W1 | Roster | Stats | Schedule 

GAMEDAY LINKS
Watch Live on NEC Front Row  |  Follow Live Stats  |  Listen Live on 104.7 HD2 / iHeart Radio App (keyword: Duquesne)

Gameday Central  |  Duquesne Game Notes  |  Wagner Game Notes  |  NEC Weekly Release 

BY THE NUMBERS


OPENING KICKOFF
- Duquesne improved to 4-0 in conference play, its best start since the 2020-21 spring season after a shutout victory over Sacred Heart last week on the road ... The Dukes fended off a late comeback and held on for a 38-35 victory over defending NEC champion Saint Francis the week prior ... DU dominated CCSU 44-20 in their second NEC game and Brian Bruzdewicz made a game-winning field goal at LIU in the opener, after DU trailed by as many as 14 in the second quarter.

- Wagner is having a major bounceback season with three wins already after totaling just two over the past four seasons ... The Seahawks got off to a 2-0 start in NEC play with wins at Sacred Heart and versus Merrimack, then snapped a three-game losing streak last week with a 28-17 win versus Stonehill ... Wagner is 2-1 at home this season.

- Duquesne has scored 27 or more points in every conference game so far and has averaged a league-best 35.0 points with a +57 scoring margin in NEC action.

- The Seahawks give up the second-least amount of points per game in conference play (20.4), but also score the second-least (17.0) ... Wagner's defense has eight interceptions to lead the NEC.

- With last week's 27-0 shutout win over Sacred Heart, Duquesne has now shutout an NEC opponent in four straight seasons ... Duquesne has not pitched back-to-back shutouts since 2002.

- WITH A WIN ... Duquesne improves to 5-0 for the first time as a member of the NEC, secures at least a share of its sixth conference title, and guarantees above a .500 record for the 28th time in 31 FCS seasons  ... Wagner earns its fourth win of the season, the first time since 2018 (4-7).

THE SERIES
- The Dukes lead the all-time series 13-5, which has been played annually since 2008 ... In Staten Island, DU leads 6-3 ... Under Coach Schmitt, the Dukes are 11-3 against Wagner.

- Duquesne won its eighth straight game over Wagner in last season's finale at Rooney Field, 33-0 ... JaMario Clements (questionable) ran for a 94 yards and a touchdown against the Seahawks last season, but other than that it's a new-look offense with Darius Perrantes under center alongside a pair of newcomers at running back and a new receiving core.

- Wagner has not scored against the Dukes in each of the past three matchups.

THE COACHES
Jerry Schmitt (19th season / 118-81 at DU) vs. Tom Masella (4th season / 4-28 at WAG)

SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
- Wagner is tied for second in the NEC with a 3-2 conference record ... It's best start in league play since 2016.

- The Seahawks downed Stonehill 28-17 last week at home behind three interceptions and three touchdown passes from graduate student quarterback Steven Krajewski ... This will be the third straight home game for Wagner.

- Krajewski leads the NEC averaging 13.38 completions per game ... He completes 53% of his passes and has racked up 1227 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

- Wagner has two running backs over 300 yards, however Krajewski, the quarterback, is the only Seahawk to rush in a touchdown this season with two ... Jaylen Bonelli and Trevor Shorter each average over 14 yards per catch and have three touchdowns to lead the receiving unit.

- John Gioia is second in the conference in tackles with 68, while Junior Wily is right behind with 64 and paces the secondary with three INTs, tied for an NEC-best mark.

- As a team Wagner ranks last in the NEC in total offense averaging just 13 points per game and is the sixth rated defense in the league, but has recorded the most interceptions (8).

- The Seahawks are undefeated this season when leading at halftime, holding advantages in total yards and rushing yards, as well as when posting more than 300 yards of total offense.

DUKES IN THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
- 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, 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 85 wins and 55 conference wins since 2011.

- Duquesne is 64-40 all-time in NEC contests including a 37-17 mark at home. The Dukes are 22-6 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).

PUTTING UP POINTS
- Duquesne leads the conference in scoring offense averaging 28.8 points per game and 35.0 points per game in NEC action.

- The 44 points versus Central Connecticut were the most in a conference home opener for the Dukes since joining the NEC ... 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 are 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 on Oct. 7).

- Duquesne's 44 points in the rout of CCSU were the second-most in an NEC game this season (Merrimack - 45 vs. Stonehill on Oct. 7).

SCORING FIRST AND FAST
- The Dukes have scored first in six of their eight games this season and have found the endzone on their first drive of the game four times ... DU is 3-1 when scoring on their opening drive and 4-2 when scoring first.

TOUCHDOWNS THROUGH THE AIR
- 18 of the 28 offensive touchdowns this season have come through the air (Perrantes - 16 and Robinson - 2), which is the most passing TDs by any NEC team this season.

- The three passing TDs vs. Edinboro, at LIU, vs. CCSU, and vs. Saint Francis are tied for the most in a game this season by an NEC program ... DU and Saint Francis are the only teams in the NEC that have recorded three passing TDs in multiple games ... The Dukes have had at least one passing touchdown in every game this season and multiple six times.

- Graduate transfer DJ Powell extended his NEC lead to eight touchdown catches after his fourth straight game with a TD and second multi-score game of the season last weekend ... Eight receiving touchdowns is tied for the second-most in the entire FCS ... He leads all NEC receivers by at least three TD catches and is tied for the NEC lead with four of his TD catches in conference play.
- Junior transfer Tedy Afful and redshirt sophomore Keshawn Brown have four touchdown grabs each, tied for third in the league ... Three of Afful's four TDs have come in NEC play.

- Afful (at LIU) and Powell (vs. Edinboro / at Sacred Heart) are two of six receivers in the NEC to record multiple touchdown catches in a game this season ... Powell is the only receiver in the league to have multiple TD grabs in multiple games this season.

- Junior quarterback Darius Perrantes leads the NEC with 16 touchdown passes and 1527 passing yards (190.9 per game) ... Perrantes has thrown a TD in five straight games and seven of the eight this season, including multiple scores six times and three, three times - the most by an NEC QB this season ... Perrantes and SFU QB Cole Doyle are the only players in the NEC this season to pass for three touchdowns in multiple games ... He has 13 career games with multiple passing TDs.

LONGBALL SUCCESS
- The Dukes have connected on 38 passes for 15-plus yards this season with multiple in every game so far including a season-high six in three of the four conference games along with the Power-Five matchup at WVU ... 12 have gone for touchdowns ... Joey Isabella streaked down the middle of the field for a 69-yard TD, the longest of the season for DU, in the second quarter versus SFU ... Duquesne has had a 50+ yard touchdown pass in three of its four NEC games.

- DU ranks third in the FCS and second in the NEC in passing yards per completion (15.36), only behind Villanova (17.83) and Merrimack (16.02) ... The Dukes average the most passing yards per game in the NEC (203.5) ... The 265 passing yards vs. CCSU were the third-most by an NEC team this season ... Duquesne is the only NEC team to have five 200+ passing-yard games this season and has done so in all four conference games.

- Darius Perrantes is second in the FCS and leads the NEC in yards per completion at 15.91, only behind Connor Watkins from Villanova (18.67) ... He also leads the NEC in yards per attempt (8.39) - 16th in the FCS - and passing yards (1527 / 190.9 per game).

- Duquesne has three of the top six receivers on the NEC's yards per reception leader board, all above 16 yards per catch ...  DJ Powell (20.42) is seventh in the FCS and first in the NEC,  Tedy Afful (18.21) is third in the conference, and Keshawn Brown (16.14) is sixth in the league.

- The trio is also top-six in receiving yards in the league, all with 340+ yards on the season ... Powell paces the group with 490 yards and 61.2 per game, which are both second in the NEC, Brown is third in the NEC with 477 yards (59.6 / game), and Afful holds the sixth spot at 346 yards (43.2 / game).

GROUND GAME ROLLING
- Taj Butts (118 yds) and JaMario Clements (101 yds) versus CCSU were the first two Dukes to rush for 100+ yards in the same game since Nov. 20, 2021 at Wagner.

- Freshman Edward Robinson charted his first career 100-yard rushing game with 120 and a touchdown last week at SHU ... Robinson was named an NEC Prime Performer ... All three running backs for DU have now had a 100+ yard game.

- The Dukes tied a season-high with three rushing TDs versus CCSU (Butts - 2, Clements - 1) ... Robinson converted a 33-yard run at SHU, his third TD of the year, and DU has now rushed in a touchdown in five consecutive games, including all four NEC matchups.

- DU ranks third in the NEC in rushing offense at 176.2 yards per game and has two backs above 400 yards ... Butts is leading the pack at 465 (66.4 per game), the fourth-most in the NEC ... Robinson has 449 yards (56.1 per game) to rank sixth in the conference ... Clements is ninth in the league at 397 yards (56.7 per game) after missing last game ... All three have scored multiple rushing touchdowns this season as well ... Butts and Robinson each have three.

WE'LL TAKE THAT
- Duquesne's defense has created the most turnovers in the NEC and is top-30 in the nation with 14 turnovers gained.

- DU dominated in the season opener with five takeaways (3 INTs and 2 fumbles), the most in a game in recorded program history, 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 Coastal, 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 at Delaware by Ayden Garnes ... Tim Lowery picked up two special teams fumbles and Dayvia Gbor had a first-quarter interception in the win over Saint Francis.

- Lowery scooped and scored a botched punt vs. SFU, the first fumble return for a touchdown by a Duke since Christian Kuntz, an active member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, scooped and scored versus Sacred Heart on November 12, 2016

- Duquesne has had 10 different players involved in its 14 turnovers ... Garnes (2), Gbor (2),  Tim Lowery, and Ezekiel M. Daure have INTs ... Tim Lowery (2), Ty Howard, Ryan Lopez, Nick Leopold, Gbor, and Garnes recovered fumbles ... Gianni Rizzo, Kevin Kurzinger, Jaelen Carson forced fumbles that led to turnovers ... The Dukes also have four forced fumbles that were not recovered - Ryan Lopez (2) and Noah Palmer (2).

FUMBLE FRONT-RUNNERS
- Duquesne leads the NEC and is seventh in the FCS with eight fumbles recovered ... DU has recovered two fumbles in three separate games, the most multi-fumble recovery games by any NEC team this season ... Tim Lowery's two fumble recoveries are tied for the most by an NEC player this season.

- On the offensive side of the ball, the Dukes are atop the NEC and tied for 5th in the FCS with just two fumbles lost. 

SACK PARTY
- Duquesne has had 16 different players account for its 19 sacks this season.

- Noah Palmer (3.0), Ryan Lopez (2.0), and Gianni Rizzo (2.0) lead the unit ... CJ Barnes, Jaelen Carson, Dayvia Gbor, Ty Howard, Nick Curci, A.J. Ackerman, Matt Brooks, Kevin Kurzinger, Ayden Garnes, Khatavian Franks and Jack Dunkley all have 1.0, while Jayden Johnson and Jason Patterson have 0.5 each ... Palmer's 3.0 is tied for fifth-most in the conference.

- 19 sacks for an average of 2.38 per game is second in the NEC behind Merrimack (2.62).

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

THIRD-DOWN LEADERS
- Duquesne leads the NEC in third down conversion percentage (39.2%) and is converting at a 44.2% rate (23-for-52) in conference play.

- Defensively, the Dukes are holding conference opponents to 29.4% conversions on third down, the third-best mark in the league.

NEC WEEKLY HONORS FOR THE DUKES
- Duquesne garnered a major weekly award in four straight weeks (Week 5-8) ... Tim Lowery earned special teams after recovering two fumbles and scoring a TD against Saint Francis, the second SPTOW for DU after Brian Bruzdewicz got the honor in Week Five after the game-winning field goal ... Duquesne running backs grabbed awards in Weeks Five, Six, and Seven.

- Taj Butts was named the NEC Offensive Player of the Week after posting a career-high 118 yards on the ground with three touchdown (two rushing and one receiving) in the win over CCSU ... The three scores are tied for the most of any player in the NEC in a game this season and was the first time a Duke recorded three in a game since A.J. Hines did so in October of 2018.

- Edward Robinson, a freshman running back from Maple Heights, Ohio, was named the NEC Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks five and six ... 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. 

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
- Week 7: Offensive Player of the Week - Taj Butts
- Week 8: Special Teams POW - Tim Lowery

PRIME PERFORMERS
- Week 1: DB - Ayden Garnes ... Week 2: QB - Darius Perrantes ... Week 5: QB - Darius Perrantes, WR - Tedy Afful, K - Brian Bruzdewicz ... Week 7: RB - Taj Butts, QB - Darius Perrantes, WR - Tedy Afful ... Week 8: DB - Tim Lowery, QB - Darius Perrantes, WR - Joey Isabella ... Week 9: Edward Robinson.

NEXT WEEK
- Duquesne is back home to take on Stonehill in its home finale ... The Dukes will celebrate Senior Day prior to the game ... It will be the first time the Skyhawks play in Pittsburgh ... Stonehill won the first-ever matchup last season, 24-20.

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.

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