PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne University football program will be honoring four championship-winning teams, who celebrate milestone anniversaries, back to Rooney Field this fall.

During the September 2 season and home opener, DU will recognize the 2018 NEC Championship team (5 years), who also won the first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoff game in program history, the 2013 NEC Co-Champions (10 years), the 2003 MAAC and Mid-Major National Champions (20 years), and the 1973 Club National Champions (50 years). Members of the 1973, 2003, '13, and '18 teams are asked to fill out an RSVP form by clicking here to help with planning.

All four teams will then be invited back to Homecoming and Family Weekend game, along with all former Dukes, for an All-Athlete Alumni Tailgate on October 21 prior to the 1 pm kickoff against NEC rival Saint Francis at Rooney Field.

Both season and single game tickets are available for all four Duquesne home games here. 

ABOUT THE CHAMPIONS

The 2018 team rattled off five straight wins to end the regular season and clinch the NEC title earning them a spot in the FCS playoffs. The Dukes made history with a 31-10 win over Townson, also DU's first-ever win over a ranked opponent in the FCS era. After trailing 10-3 at the break, Duquesne regrouped and locked down the Tigers on defense, while adding a pair of 14-point quarters to take the lead with 28 unanswered points in the second half. The Dukes 9-4 overall record, featured a pair of hard-fought FBS games in front of some of the largest crowds DU has ever played against and a season-ending defeat to national semifinalist South Dakota State. DU finished the season ranked No. 21 in the STATS FCS Top 25 and No. 24 in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll, its first national rankings since 2002.

• NEC Offensive Player of the Year and All-American AJ Hines tied a school record with 15 rushing touchdowns and recorded the second-most rushing yards ever in a season (1,756). Hines rushed for over 100 yards in five straight games (tied for the most consecutive 100 yard games ever at DU) capped off by the playoff win over Townson with 246 yards and two touchdowns. Hines earned four NEC Offensive Player of the Week honors, the most-ever by a DU player. Hines was also a finalist for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award (Offensive Player of the Year).
• Matt Fitzpatrick (OL) was a finalist for the STATS FCS Doris Robinson Award (Scholar-Athlete of the Year).
• Head Coach Jerry Schmitt won his first NEC Coach of the Year award and was on the ballot for STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Awards (FCS Coach of the Year).
• The Dukes claimed eight player of the week awards, including six on offense (Nehari Crawford - WR, AJ Hines (4x) - RB, and Daniel Parr - QB) and two on defense (Brett Zanotto - LB and Harvey Clayton - DB).
• Mitch MacZura tied a school record for most PAT's in a season (44) and still owns the record for most punting yards in a season (2,439) from the 2018 team. 
• First team All-NEC selections included; Kam Carter, Jr., DL / Alex Conley, Sr., OL / Nehari Crawford, Sr., WR / Matt Fitzpatrick, Sr., OL / A.J. Hines, Jr., RB / Jonathant Istache, Sr., DB
  • Tied for the fourth-most first team selections in DU's NEC history.
• Second team All-NEC selections included; Jalen Booker, Sr., DL / Mitch MacZura, Jr., P/K / Brandon Stanback, Sr., DB / Brett Zanotto, Jr., LB

The 2013 team went 7-4 overall and 4-2 in the NEC to claim a share of the conference title. Six minutes and thirty-seven seconds were all that separated Duquesne from its first NCAA Football Championship appearance in 2013. Instead, the Dukes had to settle for a tie for their second league title in three years. The squad defended its home field with a perfect 5-0 record at Rooney Field, one of eight teams to go undefeated on Rooney Field since 1993.

• Then sophomore Christian Kuntz led the nation in tackles for loss per game (1.8). He paced the Red and Blue defense with nine sacks, 19.5 TFL, while tying for the lead in tackles (74) and forced fumbles (2). Kuntz received All-American honors and first team All-NEC recognition at linebacker, and is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL as the starting long snapper.
• Dillon Buechel, Fr., QB / Kyle Shuman, Jr., TE / Frank Balmaceda, Sr. OL / Nick Redden, Sr., OL / Zach Zidian, So., DL / Dorian Bell, Sr., LB / Rich Piekarski, Jr., DB / Austin Crimmins, Fr., PK all earned second team All-NEC honors.
• DU claimed 10 weekly awards from the NEC throughout the season, including three rookie of the week's by quarterback Dillon Buechel, three defensive player of the week's by Sam Martell and Christian Kuntz (2x), three special teams player of the week's by Devin Rahming, Aaron Fleck, and Austin Crimmins, and an offensive player of the week by Gianni Carter.
• Freshman quarterback Dillon Buechel finished the season with school records for pass completions (217) and attempts (373). His 2,569 yards - in addition to being a school freshman record - were the sixth-most in school history. He was the first DU player named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List (presented annually to the top freshman in the FCS). Buechel went on to be the school and conference record holder for career passing yards.
• Duquesne's all-time leading point scorer Austin Crimmins set a record with 15 points at Monmouth, draining four field goals and three extra points.

The 2003 team, under the direction of head coach Greg Gattuso, went 8-3 with a perfect 5-0 conference record to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League for the fifth consecutive season. DU went 6-0 on Rooney Field, extending its home win streak to 12 in a row, tying 2002's best home record in program history. The 2003 team continued a conference winning streak from 1999, which extended to 39 consecutive wins in MAAC games (second longest conference win streak in NCAA DI-A / I-AA history) through October of 2006.

• The Dukes had a league-high 23 players selected to All-MAAC teams headlined by Offensive Player of the Year quarterback Niel Loebig, Co-Defensive Player of the Year defensive tackle Phil Polony, and Coach of the Year Greg Gattuso, who earned the award for the sixth time in his career.
• Mike Hilliard (RB) was named an Academic All-American for the second consecutive season.
• DU defeated Monmouth (12-10) in the ECAC Classic at home to cap off the season.
• The Dukes were named the Mid-Major National Champions after finishing the season ranked No. 1 in all three polls (Sports Network, Don Hansen's Football Gazette and Dopke.com), the first national championship in league history for the MAAC.

The 1973 team went a perfect 10-0 to win the National Club Football Championship, the first national title in program history. The No. 1 team in the NCFA, led by Dan McCann, took down Mattatuck CC with a 13-7 victory in the championship game in late November at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Duquesne's 10-0 record in 1973 still stands as the best in program history and is one of two perfect seasons (8-0 in 1941). The Dukes were a club team from 1969-78 (10 seasons), before spending 14 years at the Division III level, and are now heading into year 31 at the Division I FCS level. 

• DU outscored its opponents 180-23 and had six shutout victories during its championship season.
• The Dukes did not allow a point in the second half of the regular season.
• Four players were named to the All-American team; Rod Hess, Jack Schroeffel, Steve Sherer, and John Stefanik.
• The 1973 Dukes were inducted into the Duquesne University Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.