PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne University football team returns to the gridiron on Saturday after a bye week to open Northeast Conference play at Long Island University.
THE BASICS
September 30, 2023 | 12:00 PM | Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium (Brookville, N.Y.)
Duquesne Dukes (1-2, 0-0 NEC)
LIU Sharks (0-3, 0-0 NEC)
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BY THE NUMBERS
OPENING KICKOFF
- Duquesne is coming off a much deserved bye week after battling FBS opponents in consecutive weeks (Sept. 9 at WVU and Sept. 16 at Coastal Carolina) ... It was just the second time DU played an FBS opponent in back-to-back weeks (2021).
- LIU, under second-year head Coach Ron Cooper, is still looking for its first win of the season (0-3). They too have faced two FBS opponents, including Big XII member Baylor last time out on Sept. 16 ... Also off a bye week, the Sharks will be playing their first home game of the season.
- Duquesne will be playing their third straight of four consecutive road games, 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).
- It is the third straight season that DU opens conference play on the road ... Last season, the Dukes dropped a 24-20 decision at Stonehill ... In 2021, Duquesne defeated Merrimack on the road 37-14
- DU is 12-3 in NEC openers since joining the league in 2008 and 4-2 when opening on the road.
- Duquesne has won five NEC titles and is the winningest program in the conference over the past 12 seasons with a league-leading 81 wins and 51 conference wins since 2011.
- Duquesne and LIU are two of three NEC teams (Wagner) to play two FBS games this season and take on a Power-Five opponent (DU at WVU on 9/9, LIU at Baylor on 9/16, and Wagner at Rutgers on 9/30).
THE SERIES
- This will be the fifth meeting in program history against Long Island and just the second trip to Brookeville for the Dukes ... Three of the previous four meetings have been decided by seven points or less ... Duquesne averages 34.5 points per game against the Sharks, the highest scoring average against any NEC opponent.
- Last season, in the heart of the conference schedule on Oct. 29 the Sharks outlasted Duquesne 50-48 in double overtime at Rooney Field ... It was just the eighth overtime game in program history and second double OT game ... The following week went to overtime as well for DU vs. Sacred Heart, the first season with two OT games ever in Duquesne Football history.
- Dukes quarterback Darius Perrantes earned the start last season, but suffered a lower-body injury in the first quarter and exited the game ... Other than Perrantes it will be practically all new offensive leaders in action ... Joey Isabella had his biggest game of the season at receiver with 7 catches, tied for a game-high, accounting for 79 yards and two touchdowns ... On the defensive side the top three tacklers from last season's matchup won't be on the field ... Ezekiel Daure had an interception ... Ayden Garnes blocked a 24-yard field goal in the final two minutes to help send the game to OT.
DUKES IN THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
- 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 60-40 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).
THE COACHES
Duquesne: Jerry Schmitt (19th season / 114-80 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 10 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.
LIU: Ron Cooper (2nd season / 4-10 at LIU)
- Cooper, a long-time collegiate coach with 12 years of head coaching experience bolstered by decades of work as a defensive coordinator and assistant coach at both the NCAA Division I level and in the NFL, enters his second season with the LIU Sharks. Before joining the Sharks, Cooper was an analyst at Alabama alongside head coach Nick Saban in 2021. He served as head football coach at Eastern Michigan, Louisville, Alabama A&M and Florida International. Other notable experience includes coaching at Texas A&M, LSU, Arkansas, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Mississippi State and South Florida. Cooper also served as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one season.
THE DUKES
- Duquesne has the third-highest scoring offense in the NEC after three weeks averaging 24.3 points per game ... 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 most in a game this season by any NEC team.
- Duquesne scored first and fast in the first two games this season ... DU put up 42 before the Fighting Scots of Edinboro could find the board in Week One, Ayden Garnes got the scoring started with a pick-six on just the second play from scrimmage ... Duquesne then took its first-ever lead against a Power-Five opponent, 7-0, with a 38-yard touchdown pass three minutes into the game in Week Two at WVU.
- Six of the nine offensive touchdowns this season have come through the air (Perrantes - 4 and Robinson - 2) ... The three passing TDs vs. Edinboro are tied for the most in a game this season by an NEC program.
- Graduate transfer DJ Powell is tied for 11th in the FCS with three touchdown catches and is tied with Casey McKinney (SFU), who has played four games, for the NEC lead ... Powell had a pair of acrobatic grabs in the back of the endzone in the opener, then caught the first score of the WVU game on a 38-yard strike from Perrantes.
- Redshirt Sophomore Keshawn Brown is right behind in a tie for third with two TD grabs ... Brown and Powell are two of five NEC receivers to have multiple touchdown catches, they are also the only two of the five to have played three games.
- Quarterback Darius Perrantes is third in the NEC with four touchdown passes, the SFU (6) and Wagner (5) QB's above him have both played four games ... Perrantes threw for two scores in the first two games of 2023, his eighth and ninth career games with multiple passing TDs.
LONGBALL IS WORKING
- The Dukes have connected on 13 passes for 15-plus yards this season (4 vs. Boro, 6 at WVU, and 3 at CCU) ... Five of the 13 have gone for touchdowns ... The Perrantes to Powell connection for 38-yards to open the scoring at WVU was the longest TD grab of the season for DU so far.
- DU ranks 12th in the FCS and paces the NEC in passing yards per completion (14.39) ... The Dukes average the third-most passing yards per game in the NEC (182.3).
- Darius Perrantes is sixth in the FCS and leads the NEC in passing yards per completion at 15.52.
- Duquesne has three of the top-8 receivers on the NEC's yards per reception leaderboard ... DJ Powell (19.50) is 23rd in the FCS and fourth in the NEC, Keshawn Brown (17.42) is fifth in the conference, and Tedy Afful (14.14) is eighth in the NEC.
- Brown caught two of the three 15+ yard receptions at CCU, one from each quarterback, including the only Dukes score from Matt Robinson from 23 yards out ... Afful and Perrantes connected for the longest completion of the season at WVU, a 45-yard strike that set up a 16-yard TD by the same duo.
PACKED RECEIVERS ROOM
- Duquesne had six different players account for 10 receptions in the season opener, seven different players account for 15 catches at WVU, and six players catch 13 passes at CCU ... In total, 11 players have caught a pass in 2023 forthe Dukes.
- Keshawn Brown, in his third season on the Bluff, and DJ Powell, a graduate transfer from Bethune Cookman where he totaled 914 receiving yards, 52 catches, and three TDs over 29 games, are leading the receiving core early on ... Both average over 17 yards per catch and have had multiple catches in all three outings this season.
- After a career-best seven catches for 90 yards and a touchdown at CCU, Brown is the first DU receiver to reach double-digit catches, at 12, and 200+ yards, at 209.
PERRANTES AT QB
- Darius Perrantes threw touchdown passes in each of the first two weeks and has started all three games this season ... He has yet to play a full game, logging seven drives in the first half versus Edinboro with four scores, he was in until early in the fourth quarter of the WVU contest, and played the first half plus one drive at Coastal ... Perrantes is third in the NEC with four passing touchdowns and rushed in for the Dukes first offensive TD of the season, accounting for five scores this season ... All four TD passes have been for 15-plus yards and Perrantes leads the NEC and is sixth in the FCS in yards per completion at 15.52 ... Perrantes' 7.03 yards per attempt is second in the league ... He also ranks third in the NEC in passing efficiency (109.4), passing yards per game (150.0), and points responsible for (30).
BRING OUT THE TURNOVER CHAIN
- Duquesne's defense dominated in the season opener with five takeaways (3 INTs and 2 fumbles), four of which in the first quarter ... The Dukes added two more takeaways in Week 2 at WVU with a special teams fumble recovery on a punt early in the first quarter, which resulted in DU's first TD the ensuing drive, then by knocking the ball out of the WVU running back's hands and through the endzone for a touchback in the third quarter ... The Dukes special teams recovered a muffed punt in the third quarter at CCU, their second straight week jumping on a loose ball after a punt.
- The DU offense has scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive after each of the Dukes' two special teams fumble recoveries this season.
- The season opener was the first time in recorded program history that the Dukes defense charted five takeaways in a single game.
- Duquesne is tied for 12th in the FCS and leads the conference with eight turnovers gained ... A +2-turnover margin is the best margin in the NEC.
- DU's five fumble recoveries are the most in the conference and tied for sixth most in the FCS ... Five is the most of any FCS team that has played less than four games.
- All eight Duquesne turnovers have been forced/recovered by different players.
- Ayden Garnes, Tim Lowery, and Ezekiel Daure have the interceptions ... Ty Howard and Ryan Lopez recovered the Edinboro fumbles, Nick Leopold jumped on the special teams fumble at WVU, and Dayvia Gbor recovered the muffed punt at CCU ... Gianni Rizzo and Kevin Kurzinger forced the fumbles versus Edinboro, while the WVU and CCU cough-ups were unforced.
LATE DOWN LEADERS
- Duquesne held Edinboro to 1-of-13 on third downs in the season opener ... DU is holding opponents to a 38.2 conversion rate on third downs.
- On the offensive side, Duquesne is atop the NEC board with a 35.0% third-down conversion percentage.
- DU's 2-for-3 on fourth downs included a 23-yard TD pass last week ... The 66.7% conversion rate on fourth downs is tied with Saint Francis (4-for-6) atop the NEC.
- The Dukes defense has been 4-for-8 (50%) on stopping opponents on 4th down, which is second-best in the NEC (Wagner - 2-for-6 (33.3%))
SACK PARTY
- Duquesne had six sacks in the season opener by six different players (Nick Curci, Kevin Kurzinger, Jack Dunkley, Gianni Rizzo, Ty Howard, and Dayvia Gbor) ... A.J. Ackerman was the seventh player to get on the sack sheet with the lone for the DU defense at WVU.
- Seven sacks for an average of 2.33 per game ranks second in the NEC.
- The 2022 Dukes totaled 29 sacks, tied for the sixth-most in a season in program history.
PICK SIX ON PLAY #2
- Ayden Garnes' 27-yard pick-six on the second play of the season was the quickest touchdown to start a season in recorded history and the fastest score for the Dukes to begin a season since Aaron Reed recorded a 13-yard safety on the first play from scrimmage in the 2013 season opener versus Albany at Rooney Field.
- Garnes' pick-six is one of two in the NEC this season (Junior Wily - Wagner - 9/16)
FIRST TO 100 ON THE GROUND
- Taj Butts, a transfer running back from Missouri, recorded the first 100-yard rushing game of the season in the NEC totaling 108 on 10 carries in the season opener versus Edinboro.
- Butts was the only 100-yard rusher in the NEC in Week One ... Entering this weekend, there have been eight 100-yard and one 200-yard rushing games in the NEC.
RUNNING BACK TRIPLE THREAT
- Duquesne has been sharing the wealth between three running backs this season; redshirt sophomore JaMario Clements, Missouri transfer Taj Butts, and freshman Edward Robinson.
- Butts (29), Robinson (25), and Clements (24) practically have even distribution of carries through three games.
- Robinson ran for an early career-best 96 yards at Coastal bringing his season average up to 5.4 yards per carry ... Butts leads the team at 5.7 yards per carry ... Clements has the only TD by a running back this season and averages 3.9 yards per rush.
LONG TERM STARTING STREAK AT CENTER
- Center Michael Dorundo, who has started 29 consecutive games, is now in his fourth straight season starting and fifth on the Bluff. Dorundo was a second team All-NEC selection in the spring of 2020-21. A 30th consecutive start for Dorundo this week would be the most consecutive starts for a Duke since center Gabe Spurlock started 30 straight games through the end of the 2019 season.
SCOUTING THE SHARKS
- The Sharks have been held to 10 points or less in all three losses this season ... Two of the losses came at FBS opponents, including last week's 30-7 loss at Baylor.
- Sophomore Luca Stanzani started the first two games at quarterback ... He was 4-0 in starts as a true freshman last season ... Chris Howell got the nod at Baylor and went viral online for his unique left-handed throwing motion while engineering a touchdown drive, LIU's only score of the game ... Howell is a 17-year old true freshman and would be the youngest starting quarterback in CFB ... Howell has scored two rushing touchdowns, accounting for two of the three touchdowns scored by the Sharks.
- Davon Wells is the only receiver, of 11 with a catch, to record over 100 yards this season, at 130 ... Wells caught Stanzani's lone TD pass in the season opener at Ohio.
- Tight end Owen Glascoe and defensive lineman Eric O'Neill were named Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America third-team selections ... O'Neil has 5.5 TFLs - which leads the NEC per game -, a sack, 20 tackles, and an interception ... He received week one defensive player of the week honors from the NEC.
- Antwan Spencer averages an NEC best 6.0 solo tackles per game and ranks third in total tackles (9.0) ... LIU has three of the top five tacklers in the conference statistically.
- The Sharks have a -3 turnover margin (3 gained and 6 lost) and rank fourth in scoring defense in the conference (26.0 ppg allowed).
- A league-leading six LIU student-athletes were named to the All-Northeast Conference Football Preseason Team: wide receiver Michael Love, tight end Owen Glascoe, defensive lineman Eric O'Neill, defensive back Larry Elder, place kicker Michael Coney and return specialist Davon Wells.
- LIU was voted to finish fifth in the NEC this season in the preseason coaches' poll ... The Sharks received one first place vote.
DUKES NAMED NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
WEEK 2
- Junior quarterback Darius Perrantes helped lead the Dukes offense to their most points scored versus a Power-Five opponent with 17 at WVU in front of the second-largest crowd DU has ever played in front of (50,037) and was named an NEC Top Performer for Week Two. The long ball was working for Perrantes and the Dukes receiving core, connecting on six passing plays for 15 yards or more which accounted for 179 yards. A 38-yard touchdown from Perrantes to DJ Powell just three minutes into the game put Duquesne ahead on the scoreboard for the first time in program history against a Power-Five opponent. The second TD was a 16-yard strike to Tedy Afful, set up by the longest pass play of the season so far for the DU offense between Perrantes and Afful for 45 yards just one play before the touchdown. Perrantes enters Week Three with the most touchdown passes in the NEC (4).
WEEK 1
- Redshirt sophomore Ayden Garnes set the tone for the Dukes' 49-7 season-opening win over Edinboro at Rooney Field. Just two plays into the game, Garnes picked off an Edinboro pass and took it to the house for a 27-yard pick-six to get the season started. Garnes' INT energized the Dukes' defense, which recorded four takeaways in the first quarter and five total in the game. The Philadelphia native added a pass breakup, two tackles and half a TFL, as DU held the Fighting Scots to just 170 yards of total offense and a 1-for-13 effort on third downs.
NEXT WEEK
- Duquesne will wrap up its four-game road stretch and non-conference schedule next week at No. 11/12 Delaware.
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.
- DU will be live on ESPN+ for the week two and three games at WVU and Coastal Carolina, as well as the October 28 game at Sacred Heart ... The October 7 game at Delaware will stream on FloFootball and also be live on NBC Sports Philadelphia ... The remaining seven games can be viewed on NEC Front Row.
- Dukes Football can be heard live again this season on 104.7 HD2, on the iHeart Radio App, or on ESPNpgh.com by searching Duquesne.
