PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne University football team wraps up its home schedule on Saturday hosting Stonehill for Senior Day. The Dukes are 5-0 in conference play and are looking to clinch the outright NEC title which would secure an automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
THE BASICSÂ
November 11, 2023 | 12:00 PM | Arthur J. Rooney Field (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Stonehill Skyhawks (3-5, 2-3 NEC)Â
Duquesne Dukes (6-3, 5-0 NEC)Â
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BY THE NUMBERS
OPENING KICKOFF
- Duquesne is off to its best start ever since joining the Northeast Conference in 2008, at 5-0.
- The Dukes clinched at least a share of its sixth NEC title with a 34-26 triumph at Wagner in a back-and-forth game ... Duquesne shut out Sacred Heart, 27-0, the week prior, fended off a late comeback and held on for a 38-35 victory over defending NEC champion Saint Francis, dominated CCSU 44-20 in its 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.
- With securing at least a share of the conference title, Duquesne has now won nine conference championships in the 19 seasons under Coach Jerry Schmitt (MAAC and NEC) ... DU has earned a conference title 17 times since 1995 (29 seasons) ... DU joined the FCS level in 1993 and became a member of a conference (MAAC) in 1994.
- Stonehill is in the second year of its transition to Division I FCS after a long-term Division II membership. The Skyhawks enter off a bye week after dropping a 28-17 decision at Wagner on October 28 ... Stonehill is 2-3 on the road this season, but has lost each of its last three road trips and is 1-4 overall in its last five.
- Duquesne has scored 27 or more points in every conference game so far and has averaged a league-best 34.8 points with a +65 scoring margin in NEC action.
- WITH A WIN ... Duquesne clinches the outright NEC title for the second time in program history and secures the team's third-ever NCAA FCS Playoff appearance with the NEC's automatic bid ... DU also would earn its ninth undefeated record in home games and first since 2015, entering 3-0 at home in 2023.
THE SERIES
- The Dukes dropped the first-ever meeting at Stonehill last season, 24-20.
- Duquesne held possession for nearly 34 minutes and ran 72 plays, compared to 54 by Stonehill, but two touchdown scores from over 30 yards helped propel the Skyhawks past the Dukes on a rainy day at W.B. Mason Stadium ... Stonehill running back Jermaine Corbett tallied 193 all-purpose yards and hauled in a 50-yard reception on the second play of the fourth quarter that gave the Skyhawks the lead for good.
- This will be the first time the Skyhawks visit Pittsburgh.
- This will be the second straight year that the Stonehill vs. Duquesne matchup is one of the NEC showcase games by ESPN ... Last year's game was on ESPN3 to open the 2022 NEC slate for both teams, while this week's contest will be on ESPN+.
THE COACHES
Duquesne: Jerry Schmitt (19th season / 119-81 at DU) Â
- 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 12 active coaches with 100+ FCS wins at their current school.
- Schmitt, who just coached his 200th career game at Duquesne, 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
Stonehill: Eli Gardner (8th season / 34-34 at STO)
- Eli Gardner is in his eighth season has overseen the program's transition to NCAA Division I FCS membership, posting a 4-5 record overall, including 2-5 in the inaugural season in the Northeast Conference last year. The year prior his squad had the best record of his tenure at 8-2 in Division II.Â
- Gardner has been at Stonehill since 2009. He started as the team's specialteams coordinator (2009-10), before being promoted to defensive coordinator (2011-13) and then associate head coach (2014-15).
SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS
- Stonehill built an early 14-point lead in its last game at Wagner, but a scoreless second half led to a 28-17 defeat.
- The Skyhawks are led by the second-leading rusher in the NEC, Jeramine Corbett, who averaged 115.3 yards per game and has scored seven touchdowns.
- Quarterback Ashur Carraha completes 49% of his passes and has thrown 10 TDs this season with at least one score in four straight, but has also thrown six INTs in the past four games.
- Chris Domercant paces the receivers, he recorded a season-high two touchdowns last week to move into seventh on the Stonehill all-time receiving touchdowns list (16) ... Domercant caught a 65-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage for the Skyhawks last time out ... He averages 3.8 catches and 52.8 yards per game (6th in the NEC).
- Sam Murphy leads the defense with 7.0 tackles for loss (4th in NEC) and 58 tackles.
- The Skyhawk defense allows the most points per game in the NEC (31.5) ... Stonehill is fifth in scoring offense (19.5) ... Stonehill's offensive line has allowed the second-least amount of sacks in the NEC (64).
- Stonehill was picked to finish sixth in the NEC Preseason Poll ... Jermaine Corbett (RB), David Satkwoski (OL), and Sam Murphy (LB) were all preseason all-conference selections.
DUKES IN THE NEC
- The Dukes have enjoyed a great deal of success in Northeast Conference play, claiming six conference titles since 2011. Duquesne clinched at least a share of its sixth league crown with last week's win. The Dukes also won 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 86 wins and 56 conference wins since 2011.
- Duquesne is 65-40 all-time in NEC contests including a 36-17 mark at home. The Dukes are 22-6 in NEC action at Rooney Field over the last eight seasons.
- Duquesne is the only school that has won six NEC titles since 2011.
PUTTING UP POINTS
- Duquesne leads the conference in scoring offense averaging 29.3 points per game and 34.8 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 matchup this season (Merrimack - 45 vs. Stonehill on Oct. 7).
SCORING FIRST AND FAST
- The Dukes have scored first in seven of their nine games this season, including five straight, 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 5-2 when scoring first.
TOUCHDOWNS THROUGH THE AIR
- 19 of the 31 offensive touchdowns this season have come through the air (Perrantes - 17 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 leads the league and is tied for fifth in the FCS with eight touchdown catches ... 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 is one of two players tied with Powell among the conference lead with four TD grabs in league play ... Afful caught his fifth touchdown of the season to open the scoring at Wagner, he is now tied for second in the NEC.
- Redshirt sophomore Keshawn Brown has four TD receptions as well to rank fifth in the NEC ... Of the five receivers in the conference with 4+ touchdown grabs, Duquesne has three of them.
- 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 17 touchdown passes and 1775 passing yards (197.2 per game) ... Perrantes has thrown a TD in six straight games and eigth of the nine 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 connected on a season-high seven passes for over 15-yards, four of which for 30+ yards last week at Wagner ... On the season, DU has completed 45 passes for 15-plus yards this season with multiple in every game so far including six four times ... 13 of the 19 passing touchdowns have been for 15+ yards ... 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 45+ yard touchdown pass in five straight games, with the last four being NEC contests, and completed a 50+ yard pass in five straight games with a completion over 35 yards in every game.
- DU ranks second in the FCS in passing yards per completion (15.9), only behind Villanova (17.1) ... The Dukes average the most passing yards per game in the NEC (208.4) ... The 265 passing yards vs. CCSU were the third-most by an NEC team in a game this season ... Duquesne is the only NEC team to have six 200+ passing-yard games this season and has done so in all five conference games.
- Darius Perrantes is second in the FCS and leads the NEC in yards per completion at 16.44, only behind Connor Watkins from Villanova (17.76) ... He also leads the NEC in yards per attempt (8.53) - 11th in the FCS - and passing yards (1775 / 197.2) per game).
- Duquesne has three of the top five receivers on the NEC's yards per reception leader board, all above 16 yards per catch ... Â DJ Powell (20.72) is top-five in the FCS and first in the NEC, Â Tedy Afful (18.95) is second in the conference, and Keshawn Brown (16.23) is fifth in the league.
- The trio is also top-seven in receiving yards in the league, all with 390+ yards on the season ... Powell paces the NEC with 601 yards and 66.8 per game, Brown is third in the NEC with 503 yards (55.9 / game), and Afful holds the seventh spot at 398 yards (44.2 / game).
ROOKIE RUNNER LEADS THE WAY
- Freshman Edward Robinson stepped up with injuries in the backfield to carry the ball 27 times last week, the most by a Duke in a game this season ... He posted 80 yards with two touchdowns and has now scored in back-to-back games ... Robinson had his first career 100-yard rushing game with 120 and a touchdown two weeks ago at SHU ... All three running backs for DU have now had a 100+ yard game.
- 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.
- The Dukes tied a season-high with three rushing TDs versus CCSU (Butts - 2, Clements - 1) ... Robinson has scored three touchdowns over the past two games, as DU has now rushed in a touchdown in six consecutive games, including all five NEC matchups.
- DU ranks third in the NEC in rushing offense at 166.9 yards per game and has two backs above 400 yards ... Robinson is leading the pack at 529 (58.8 per game), the fifth-most in the NEC ... Butts, who saw limited time last week with an injury, has 476 yards (59.5 per game) to rank seventh in the conference ... Clements is 11th in the league at 397 yards (56.7 per game) after missing the past two games with an injury ... All three have scored multiple rushing touchdowns this season as well ... Robinson has five scores, four of which in NEC play - tied for second-most in the conference.
- The trio is second, third, and fourth in rushing yards per carry in the NEC ... Butts (5.47), Robinson (5.45), and Clements (4.73).
WE'LL TAKE THAT
- Duquesne's defense has created the most turnovers in the NEC and is top-20 in the nation with 17 turnovers gained and has scored four D/ST touchdowns this season, the most since 2016.
- 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 ... Last week, the Dukes had two interceptions (Dayvia Gbor and Khatavian Franks), while also recovering a fumble (Ryan Lopez / forced by Franks) ... DU scored two defensive TDs last week, a pick six by Franks and Lopez scooped and scored the strip sack as time expired.
- 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, returning one for a TD, and Dayvia Gbor had a first-quarter interception in the win over Saint Francis.
- DU has now had two fumble returns for touchdown this season, prior to Lowery's against SFU the Dukes did not have one since Christian Kuntz, an active member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, scooped and scored versus Sacred Heart on November 12, 2016
- Duquesne has had 11 different players involved in its 14 turnovers ... Garnes (2), Gbor (2), Â Franks, Tim Lowery, and Ezekiel Daure have INTs ... Tim Lowery (2), Lopez (2), Ty Howard, Nick Leopold, Gbor, and Garnes recovered fumbles ... Gianni Rizzo, Kevin Kurzinger, Jaelen Carson forced the fumbles.
FUMBLE FRONT-RUNNERS
- Duquesne leads the NEC and is top-10 in the FCS with nine 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.
- The Dukes have recovered a fumble in three of the five league games and forced at least one in four of the five ... The DU defense has forced six fumbles in NEC games, four of which were kept by the offense, Ryan Lopez and Noah Palmer have each forced two that stayed with the offense.
- On the offensive side of the ball, the Dukes are atop the NEC and tied for third in the FCS with just two fumbles lost.
SACK PARTY
- Duquesne has had 16 different players account for its 22 sacks this season.
- Noah Palmer (4.5), Ryan Lopez (2.5), Gianni Rizzo (2.0) and Khatavian Franks (2.0) lead the unit ... CJ Barnes, Jaelen Carson, Dayvia Gbor, Ty Howard, Nick Curci, A.J. Ackerman, Matt Brooks, Kevin Kurzinger, Ayden Garnes and Jack Dunkley all have 1.0, while Jayden Johnson and Jason Patterson have 0.5 each.
- All 4.5 for Palmer have come in NEC play, the most by any player in the league.
- 22 sacks are the most by any NEC team this season, 13 of them have come in the five league wins - also the most in the NEC ... Duquesne has had at least one sack in all but one game (at Coastal).
- 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 (39.7%) and is converting at a 43.9% rate in conference play.
- Defensively, the Dukes are holding conference opponents to 31.7% conversions on third down, the second-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.Â
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 ... Week 10: WR - DJ Powell, LB - Khatavian Franks.
NEXT WEEK
- Duquesne travels to Merrimack next Saturday for a 12 pm kickoff to finish the regular season ... A Merrimack win this week vs. CCSU paired with a Duquesne loss to Stonehill would create a winner-take-all match next week for the NEC's bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs ... In two all-time meetings, the series stands 1-1 with Merrimack taking a 28-21 win last year at Rooney Field.
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.
