PITTSBURGH -- The Duquesne University football team will begin its Northeast Conference (NEC) title defense this Saturday, hosting LIU at Rooney Field for Homecoming & Family Weekend.
GAMEDAY INFO
October 5, 2024 | 1:00 PM | Rooney Field (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
LIU Sharks (0-5, 0-0 NEC)
(RV) Duquesne Dukes (2-2, 0-0 NEC)
LINKS
OPENING KICKOFF
- After an idle Week 5, Duquesne will ride a two-game win streak into its Northeast Conference (NEC) opener ... The Dukes dropped a pair of FBS matchups at Toledo and Boston College, then took down No. 21/20 Youngstown State (28-25) for its second win over a ranked FCS opponent since joining the FCS in 1993, and shutout West Virginia Wesleyan (35-0) in the home opener last time out.
- Duquesne is receiving votes in both national polls for the third straight week ... This week's 16 points in the Stats Perform Poll and 12 points in the AFCA Coaches Poll are the most for DU this season.
- The Dukes open conference play at home for the first time since the Spring 2021 schedule ... DU is 13-3 in NEC openers since joining the league in 2008 and 8-1 when opening at home ... LIU is the first conference opponent for the second straight year and third time in six all-time meetings.
- Reigning NEC Coach of the Year,
Jerry Schmitt earned his 150th career victory vs. West Va. Wesleyan, now one of seven active FCS coaches to reach 150 career wins ... Schmitt is in his 20th season at the helm of the Dukes and 31st on the DU staff ... His 122 wins at the FCS level rank sixth among active coaches ... With this season, Schmitt will pass Dan McCann for the longest tenured coach in program history ... McCann coached 19 seasons (1970-'83 and 1988-'92) ... Schmitt is also the third-longest tenured coach in the FCS.
- LIU enters with an 0-5 record ...The early season schedule featured two ranked opponents (No. 16/14 Albany & No. 6 Villanova), Rhode Island - who is now ranked and was receiving votes at the time -, and a road trip to TCU in the FBS ... Three of the four FCS games were within one score and the Sharks made a late push at No. 6 Villanova last week but came up short, 24-10.
- Duquesne won its sixth NEC title last season and made its third appearance in the FCS playoffs with a 6-1 conference mark ... DU began NEC play in 2023 with a 5-0 record, the best start as members of the NEC ... The Dukes were voted to repeat at NEC champions in the league's preseason coaches poll, while LIU garnered one first place vote and was picked fourth after a 4-3 NEC record in 2023.
THE SERIES
-
Brian Bruzdewicz drained a 34-yard field goal with three seconds left to lift Duquesne to victory at LIU in last season's NEC opener, 31-28 ... The Dukes overcame an early 14-point deficit and scored twice before the break to make it 21 all at halftime ... DU took the lead 28-21, then with 3:33 left LIU tied it on a 90-yard touchdown run ... Duquesne ate up the remaining clock down to three seconds when Bruzdewicz split the uprights ...
Darius Perrantes threw three touchdown passes, two went to
Tedy Afful.
- Four of five matchups have been decided by one possession, including each of the last three ... Duquesne leads 4-1 all time.
- Duquesne suffered a double-overtime defeat in the last meeting at Rooney Field on Oct. 29, 2022 ... Tied at 35, LIU had two chances to win in the final two minutes of regulation, but a 24-yard field goal was blocked and a 52-yard try missed wide right to send the game to overtime ... The mandatory two-point conversion in double-OT proved to be the difference ... Perrantes, who was 3-for-4 with a touchdown pass, earned the start at quarterback for DU but left the game with an injury in the first quarter ...
Joey Isabella hauled in seven catches and scored two touchdowns (the game-tying score in the fourth quarter and the first overtime TD).
WINNING TRADITION
- Duquesne won its sixth NEC title and made the program's third appearance in the NCAA FCS Playoffs in 2023 ... DU has won a conference title 17 times (11 MAAC and 6 NEC) since 1995 (29 seasons) and has posted a .500 or better record in 28 of the 31 seasons played at the FCS level.
- Duquesne's six NEC titles, all since 2011, are the most in the last 13 seasons and are tied with Albany, Central Connecticut State, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart for the most in conference history ... Duquesne, CCSU and Robert Morris are the only active teams in the conference.
- DU leads the NEC with 89 overall and 57 conference wins since 2011, at least 23 more overall victories and 14 more NEC wins than any other active team in the league.
RECORD BOOK WATCH
- Senior quarterback
Darius Perrantes is tied for fifth all-time at Duquesne with Dave Loya (1994-97) in career touchdown passes at 47 all-time in the Red and Blue.
STAT STANDOUTS
- Redshirt junior running back
JaMario Clements enters conference play averaging an NEC-best 86.5 yards per game (44 carries - 346 yd - 2 td) and his 7.86 yards per rush ranks fourth in the FCS ... The 204-yard rushing game at YSU was the most by an NEC back this season ... He is one of five FCS running backs to record a 200-yard game this season ... Clements charted two 70+ yard runs in the career day at YSU, his 75-yard TD run is the second-longest in the NEC this season.
- Sophomore
Jack Dunkley is third in the NEC averaging 0.75 sacks per game (3.0 total) and is tied for third with 1.0 tackles for loss per game (4.0 total).
- Redshirt freshman and Purdue transfer
Ethon Cole is tied for second in the conference with three pass breakups.
-The Dukes offensive line is first in the NEC and 18th in the FCS in fewest TFLs allowed (3.75/game) ... DU has allowed just five sacks, the second-fewest in the NEC behind CCSU (2).
- Duquesne is second in the conference in red-zone offense, converting at an 83.3% rate (10-for-12 with nine TDs) and is the only NEC offense to not have a turnover in the red zone this year.
- The Dukes are 6-for-7 on 4th down conversions this season (2-2 at TOL, 0-1 at YSU, 4-4 vs. WVWC).
HOME SWEET HOME
- Duquesne is 123-35 all-time at Rooney Field including winning streaks of 16, 14 and 10 games (twice).
- Duquesne is 74-22 all-time in conference contests at Rooney Field and 36-18 in NEC action (MAAC from 1994-2007 and NEC from 2008-present) ... Last season, DU was 2-1 in league play with wins over Central Connecticut State and Saint Francis and a loss to Stonehill.
- The Dukes are 34-12 in NEC action at Rooney Field since 2010 with five unbeaten home conference slates.
MORE ON THE DUKES
- A full preview of Duquesne is available in the game notes packet,
here.
THIS WEEK ON THE JERRY SCHMITT COACH'S SHOW
- The newest episode of the
Jerry Schmitt Coach's Show airs on SportsNet Pittsburgh on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ... Graduate student wide receiver
Joey Isabella is this week's player guest ... Visit
sportsnetpittsburgh.com for more viewing information.
UP NEXT
- Duquesne travels to Saint Francis next Saturday (Oct. 12) for an NEC showcase game on ESPN+. Kick off from Loretto is slated for 12 pm.
FOLLOW THE DUKES
- Follow Duquesne football online all season at
GoDuquesne.com, as well as on
X (Twitter),
Instagram, and
Facebook (@DuqFB).
