BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – Redshirt junior running back
JaMario Clements has earned his second Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season as the Week 10 honoree after rushing for 177 yards with two fourth-quarter touchdowns in Saturday's win over Mercyhurst.
Ty Howard was also named a Prime Performer for the third straight game after a fourth-quarter interception in the red zone.
Clements snapped a 17-17 tie with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to propel the Dukes to their sixth straight win last week. An eight-yard rushing score was followed up by an 86-yard scamper into the endzone on back-to-back drives, as Clements totaled 111 of his 177 yards in the final frame. The 86-yard run ties for the longest in recorded program history with Josh Rue (Nov. 17, 2001 vs. Canisius). The Lafayette, Ga. native now has two of the three longest runs this season in the NEC (also a 75-yarder at Youngstown State).
It is the second straight game and fourth time this season Clements eclipsed the century mark. He has scored in three straight games and five of the last six outings. Saturday was Clements' first two-touchdown game of his career. Clements enters Week 11 with the NEC lead in rushing touchdowns (6), yards (865), yards per game (108.1) and yards per carry (7.2). Nationally, he is fourth in the FCS in yards per carry, ninth in rushing yards per game and 15th in total rushing yards.
Clements was also NEC Offensive Player of the Week after his 204-yard outing at Youngstown State and has been twice a Prime Performer (vs. LIU and at Stonehill).
Two plays before Clements' 86-yard touchdown run to put DU up two scores,
Ty Howard snagged a tipped pass in the red zone for his second interception of the season. The junior linebacker from Cleveland, Ohio has now charted a takeaway in each of the last three games, earning Prime Performer for the third time this season. Howard had a 40-yard pick six at Saint Francis and recovered a fumble at Stonehill along with a career-high eight tackles. He also had five tackles in last week's Mercyhurst win, his fourth game (of six played) with at least five tackles.
Duquesne (6-2, 3-0 NEC)
entered the FCS top-25 this week at No. 24 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 25 in the Stats Perform Poll. The Dukes host fellow NEC unbeaten Robert Morris for the first time since 2019 on Saturday at Rooney Field. Kick off is at 12 pm.
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