PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne University football team returns to Rooney Field this Saturday to kick off a three-game homestand, facing off against the newest addition to the Northeast Conference, Mercyhurst.
GAMEDAY INFO
November 2, 2024 | 12:00 PM | Arthur J. Rooney Field (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Mercyhurst Lakers (2-6, 0-0 NEC)
(RV) Duquesne Dukes (5-2, 3-0 NEC)
LINKS
OPENING KICKOFF
- Duquesne won its fifth straight game and improved to 3-0 in Northeast Conference play with a
48-34 win at Stonehill last week ...
Darius Perrantes led a high-powered offense with a career-high 412 yards and five touchdowns to earn
NEC Offensive Player of the Week - for a program record sixth time in his career - and
Brian Bruzdewicz accounted for 12 points (6-6 PAT and 2-2 FG) and was named
NEC Special Teams Player of the Week ... Five wins in a row is the longest win streak for DU since 2018 (six games into round two of the FCS playoffs).
- The Dukes are one of eight teams unbeaten in FCS play ... DU owns a 4-0 record versus FCS foes this season, including a ranked win at No. 21/20 Youngstown State in Week 3.
- Duquesne is
receiving votes in both national polls for the seventh consecutive week and are the highest-ranked receiving votes team in the AFCA Coaches Poll for the second straight week.
- Mercyhurst (2-6) is in its first season as a Division I FCS member and wraps up a three-game road trip Saturday ... The Lakers enter on a two-game skid with losses to CCSU (38-20) and Sacred Heart (31-14) ... Mercyhurst has the second-highest scoring offense in the league (26.6) behind Duquesne (29.4), but allows the second-most points per game (32.3) ... Mercyhurst's 30 touchdowns are the most in the NEC ... The Lakers' two wins are against non-DI opponents - 28-25 at Wheeling (DII) in Week 1 and 55-0 win versus Buffalo State (DIII) in Week 6 ... Mercyhurst, an NCAA member since 1981, spent 12 years at Division III and the last 31 at Division II before the recent DI transition.
- This game will not count toward the NEC conference standings, as Mercyhurst - who joined the NEC officially in April - is not playing a full conference schedule this season (at RMU - L, 55-28, CCSU - L, 38-20, Duquesne and vs. Saint Francis on Nov. 23).
- Two of the top quarterbacks in the NEC will be on display with Adam Urena (Mercyhurst) leading the league in yards (246.6 per game) and touchdowns (20), while Duquesne's
Darius Perrantes has 15 touchdowns averaging 195.2 yards per game and has won NEC Offensive POW twice in his last three games with a pair of five-touchdown outings (vs. LIU and at Stonehill).
THE SERIES
- Mercyhurst
leads 7-1-1 overall ... Duquesne will get its first chance at revenge from 1993 when the Lakers spoiled the opening game at Rooney Field with a 24-7 win ... The 1993 season was also Mercyhurst's first at the Division II level.
- The sides played consistently in the 80's while competing at the Division III level ... After a 19-6 Duquesne win in 1981 and 10-10 tie in 1983, Mercyhurst won seven in a row.
WHAT'S ON THE LINE
- A win would ... clinch a .500 or better record for the 29th time in 32 FCS seasons ... improve DU to 3-0 at home, securing a winning home record for the 15th straight year and 28th time in 32 seasons at Rooney Field.
STREAKIN'
- QB
Darius Perrantes has thrown 2+ touchdown passes and 15+ completions in four straight games ... WR
Joey Isabella with a touchdown catch and at least four receptions in four straight ... WR
Jermaine Johnson has multiple catches in every game this season ... WR
Tedy Afful has multiple catches in five straight ... RB
JaMario Clements has taken 20+ carries in three straight and scored a rushing touchdown back-to-back games as well as four of last five ... DL
Jason Patterson with half a sack in back-to-back games ... LB
Ty Howard has recorded a takeaway in back-to-back games (INT - pick six - at SFU, fumble recovery at STON) ... DL
Kevin Kurzinger has posted a TFL in three straight ... DB
CJ Barnes with multiple solo tackles in every game - only Duke to do so ... DB
Antonio Epps has multiple tackles in every game.
IN THE RECORD BOOK
- Senior quarterback
Darius Perrantes
- Fifth all-time at Duquesne in career touchdown passes ... Surpassed Dave Loya (1994-'97), after the LIU win and is now up to 59 in his DU career, just four behind Sean Patterson (2009-'12) in fourth place.
- 5,654 career passing yards at Duquesne rank sixth all-time at DU - 526 behind Dave Loya's 6,180.
- Perrantes' six touchdowns responsible for vs. LIU tied a single-game program and NEC record and five touchdown passes tied a Rooney Field record ... 412 passing yards at Stonehill ranks fifth-most in a game in program history.
- One of three Dukes ever to throw 5+ touchdown passes in multiple games (Dillon Buechel and Niel Loebig both did so three times).
- Graduate student kicker
Brian Bruzdewicz
- Moved into second in career PATs after last week at Stonehill, with 118, passing Mark Troyan (116 from 2005-'08) ... The program PAT record is 134 by Austin Crimmins (2013-'16).
- Third all-time at Duquesne in career points by a kicker (223) - Mark Troyan (2005-08) is second with 233 ... Third all-time at Duquesne in career field goals (35) - Mark Troyan (2005-08) is second with 39.
DOMINATING CONFERENCE START
- Duquesne is off to a 3-0 start in the NEC for the second straight season ... DU is averaging 44.3 points per game in NEC play and outscoring conference foes 133-62 ... In every game the Dukes jumped ahead early with a 26-0 lead in the second quarter vs. LIU, 17-0 halftime advantage at Saint Francis and 21-0 start at Stonehill.
BALANCED OFFENSIVE ATTACK
- Quarterback
Darius Perrantes is averaging a league-best 269.7 yards with 12 TDs in NEC play ... Overall, Perrantes is atop the conference in passing efficiency (148.3), passing yards per completion (12.33) and is eighth in the FCS in points responsible for (16.0/g).
- Perrantes is one of two FCS quarterbacks (Sam Vidlak - SFA) to throw 5+ touchdown passes in multiple games this season and one of nine to have a 400+ yard passing game.
- Redshirt junior running back
JaMario Clements is averaging an NEC-best 98.3 yards per game and 6.6 yards per carry (105 att. - 688 yd - 4 td) ... His yards per rush are 18th in the FCS and yards per game is 19th.
- Clements. who has carried the ball 20+ times in three straight games, had a career-high 204 yards in win at YSU ... It is the only 200-yard game by an NEC back this season and one of 12 in the FCS ... Clements charted two 70+ yard runs in the career day, his 75-yard TD run is the second-longest in the NEC this season.
- In four FCS games this season, Duquesne has outgained opponents 705-452 (+253) on the ground ... DU is averaging 444.3 total yards per game in conference action after a season-high 555 last week.
- Seven different players have caught touchdown passes for the Dukes, paced by
Joey Isabella with five,
Tedy Afful has four, while
Jermaine Johnson and
John Erby have three apiece ...
Shawn Solomon, Jr. made it seven with his first career TD reception last week.
- Duquesne is the only team in the NEC with more than two players that have three or more TD catches (Isabella - 5, Afful - 4, Erby - 3, Johnson - 3).
DEFENSIVE DUKES
- Duquesne has posted a takeaway in six straight games ...
Luke Miller forced a fumble, recovered by
Ty Howard last week ... Five different players accounted for five interceptions over a four-game stretch prior (
Antonio Epps at YSU, Miller &
CJ Barnes vs. WVWC,
Nell Davis vs. LIU, and Howard - a pick-six at SFU) ...
Jack Dunkley had a strip sack at Boston College (recovered by
Kevin Kurzinger),
Malichi Lowery forced, scooped and scored at Saint Francis and
Justin Harris jumped on a muffed punt also at SFU.
- Sophomore
Jack Dunkley picked up his fourth sack last week, all four have been solo this year, and his 0.57 sacks per game average is tied for third in the NEC, while ranking 8th averaging 0.79 TFLs per game ... As a team, 10 different players have at least half a sack.
- Redshirt freshman and Purdue transfer
Ethon Cole is tied for sixth in the NEC with four pass breakups and is one of six NEC defenders with multiple forced fumbles (2).
-
Malichi Lowery's 40-yard fumble return for touchdown is the longest in the NEC this season ...
Ty Howard's 40-yard pick six is the only pick-six by an NEC defender this year and second-longest interception return ... Two defensive TDs are tied for 12th-most in the FCS.
- Six of the seven games have had a different leading tackler ... Howard became the first to repeat as team leader in tackles last week with a career-high eight.
TRENDS TO NOTE
- Over the past two seasons (2023 and '24), Duquesne is 9-0 when scoring more than 30 points, 10-0 when holding opponents under 30 points and 10-0 when leading after the first quarter.
STAT STANDOUTS
- Duquesne is top-20 in the FCS in eight team stat categories and top-10 in four.
PROTECTING THE POCKET
- Despite battling injuries, the Dukes offensive line has allowed just five sacks, including zero in conference play ... 0.71 sacks allowed is 7th in the FCS and second in the NEC behind CCSU (4 allowed) ... Duquesne is also first in the NEC and eighth in the FCS in fewest TFLs allowed (3.29/game).
CONVERSION KINGS
- In conference play, Duquesne is averaging a league-best 22.3 first downs and allowing just 14.3.
- The DU offense is converting third downs at the top rate in the league (45% overall - 19th in FCS - and 63% in NEC play).
- Duquesne's defense is holding NEC opponents to 12.5% conversions on third down (4-for-32) and ranks 18th in the FCS with a 32% opponent average overall.
- Duquesne is second in the FCS fourth down conversion percentage (90.9% - 10-for-11) and has converted eight in a row.
RULING THE RED ZONE
- Duquesne scores an NEC-leading 88.5% of the time in the red zone (23-for-26 with 19 touchdowns) ... The Dukes are the only NEC offense to not have a turnover in the red zone this year.
- DU's defense is second in the league with an opponent red zone percentage of 75%.
THAT'S OUR COACH
- Under reigning NEC Coach of the Year,
Jerry Schmitt's leadership, Duquesne has claimed nine conference championships (3 MAAC / 6 NEC) and earned three bids to the NCAA FCS Playoffs (2015, '18 and '23).
- Schmitt's 125 wins at the FCS level rank sixth among active coaches ... He is one of nine active FCS coaches to win 150 or more career games.
- 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, in his 31st season on the Duquesne staff, spent 11 years as an assistant at DU over a trio of stints (1985-87, '92 and '93-'99) before being named head coach in 2005 ... Schmitt is the longest tenured coach in the NEC and ranks third among active FCS coaches for longest tenured (20 seasons) at their current school and is tied third for overall seasons as a head coach (25).
WINNING TRADITION
- Duquesne leads the NEC with 92 overall and 60 conference wins since 2011, at least 23 more overall victories and 17 more NEC wins than any other active team in the league.
MORE ON THE DUKES
- View full game notes, interviews, local features and more from the entire season in the
Media Center.
UP NEXT
- Duquesne hosts fellow NEC unbeaten Robert Morris in a crosstown rivalry renewed for the first time since 2019 next Saturday (Nov. 9) at Rooney Field ... Kickoff is at 12 pm ...
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Facebook (@DuqFB).
