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Duquesne University Athletics

Dukes offensive line vs YSU
Brandon Reed
7
Duquesne DUQ 7-5 , 6-1
40
Winner Youngstown St. YSU 8-4 , 5-3
Duquesne DUQ
7-5 , 6-1
7
Final
40
Youngstown St. YSU
8-4 , 5-3
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
DUQ Duquesne 7 0 0 0 7
YSU Youngstown St. 10 14 6 10 40

Game Recap: Football |

Dukes Fall in Opening Round of FCS Playoffs

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Duquesne University football team made its third appearance in the NCAA Division I FCS Championship Saturday night at Stambaugh Stadium against No. 21/23 Youngstown State and dropped the opening-round matchup, 40-7.

All-conference freshman running back Edward Robinson broke loose for a 24-yard touchdown with just over a minute to play in the first quarter to bring the Dukes within three (10-7), but 30 unanswered points by the Penguins rolled them into the second round of the FCS playoffs next Saturday at Villanova. 

Duquesne finished the 2023 season with a 7-5 overall record, its 28th season with a .500 or better record in 31 FCS campaigns.

HOW IT HAPPENED 
Youngstown State jumped out in front 10-0 with a quick, 3-play touchdown drive, then added a 34-yard field goal on its second possession of the night. 

A YSU offsides penalty extended Duquesne's ensuing drive and the Dukes capitalized. Two plays after the penalty Robinson dashed into the endzone to make it 10-7 and bring alive a well-traveled Duquesne fan base. 

The Penguins got right back on the board with their third-straight scoring drive to start the game, extending their lead to 17-7 on a 13-play, 78-yard march. Youngstown State added a touchdown 35 seconds before the half to take a 24-7 lead into the break. 

Duquesne came up with a big fourth down stop on the one-yard line at the 3:18 mark in the second quarter but a three-and-out on the offensive side followed. 

The Dukes defense kept the Penguins out of the endzone in the second half until their final drive of the game, which took up nearly 11 minutes of the fourth quarter. However, YSU was able to score on all four second-half possessions, knocking a trio of field goals through the uprights. 

NOTES 

  • Edward Robinson's touchdown was his eighth of the season, the most by a DU running back in a season since 2018. 

  • Taj Butts had a career-high 41 receiving yards out of the backfield, while accounting for 85 yards of total offense to lead the Dukes, including an 11-yard gain on a fourth down the play before the Duquesne touchdown. 

  • Linebacker and Youngstown State transfer Gianni Rizzo tied his career-high with 11 tackles … He finished the season with double-digit tackles in three straight games. 

  • Jayden Johnson paced the DU defense with 13 tackles, one shy of his career-high, while CJ Barnes had his second 10-tackle game of the season … Ayden Garnes set a new career-best tackle mark with seven in the defensive secondary … Junior Clemente Ojinnaka also had a career-high with five stops.

  • Matt Robinson entered the game in the second half after an injury to starting quarterback Darius Perrantes. 

  • Duquesne falls to 1-3 all-time in FCS playoff games and 0-6 against Youngstown State. 


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

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