PITTSBURGH — Duquesne shut out Mercyhurst, 37-0, on the road Saturday night in a battle of unbeaten NEC squads, extending its win streak to four and improving to 3-0 in conference play.

The Dukes (5-3, 3-0 NEC) dominated both sides of the ball, rushing for 360 yards — their most since 2018 against Wagner (372) — while holding the Lakers (3-5, 2-1 NEC) to just 12 rushing yards and 118 total yards of offense.

Ness Davis powered the ground game with 158 yards on 16 carries, including a 59-yard touchdown run that gave Duquesne a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Tyler Riddell connected with Joey Isabella for a 20-yard touchdown on the opening drive, and Dazhaun Hopkins capped the scoring with a 16-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, Duquesne forced seven three-and-outs and limited Mercyhurst to four plays or fewer on seven of its 10 drives. The performance marked the sixth straight season in which the Dukes have recorded a shutout victory.

Avery Morris paced the defense with a career-high-tying nine tackles and scored his second defensive touchdown of the season on a 35-yard scoop after Ish Findlayter forced a fumble in the second quarter. Kevin Kurzinger added a career-best 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as Duquesne totaled seven tackles for loss and four sacks.

Matt Clark chipped in three field goals, including two 21-yarders in the second quarter and a 31-yarder in the final seconds of the third. The Dukes scored on six of their eight drives before kneeling out the clock.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Duquesne took control from the start with a methodical 10-play, 75-yard march that lasted more than six minutes to open the game with a touchdown. The Dukes ran the ball on the first nine plays, gaining between 5 and 10 yards on eight of the nine carries. On the 10th play, Tyler Riddell threw his first pass of the day, connecting with Joey Isabella for a 20-yard score to make it 7-0.

The defense opened with a quick three-and-out, and one play later Ness Davis broke free for a 59-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-0 just over seven minutes into the game.

The Dukes chewed up nearly eight minutes on their next possession, running the ball on nine of 12 plays before Matt Clark drilled a 21-yard field goal to make it 17-0.

After a Mercyhurst interception, the Dukes' defense responded immediately. Carter Lance recorded a sack on the first play following the turnover, and Henry Pickens broke up a fourth-down pass to halt the drive.

Clark added another 21-yard field goal to push the lead to 20-0 with 4:53 left in the first half. Moments later, Findlayter forced a fumble that Morris scooped up and returned 35 yards for a touchdown, giving Duquesne a 27-0 halftime advantage. The Lakers totaled just 27 yards and minus-19 rushing yards in the first half.

Mercyhurst missed a 36-yard field goal wide left on its opening drive of the second half to keep the shutout intact and never advanced past the Duquesne 47-yard line the rest of the way.

Clark connected on his third field goal of the night after an 11-play, 67-yard drive that included long runs from Davis (22 yards), Riddell (23) and Shawn Solomon, Jr. (15). Dazhaun Hopkins closed the scoring with a 16-yard touchdown run with 4:00 remaining, carrying the ball on all five plays of the drive.

NOTES

• Duquesne won its fourth straight game. The Dukes have had a four-game win streak or longer in all but two seasons since 2011.
• Duquesne is 3-0 in NEC play for the third consecutive year and sixth time since joining the league in 2008.
• The Dukes have recorded a shutout victory in six straight seasons.
• Duquesne held Mercyhurst to 27 total yards and minus-19 rushing yards in the first half, building a 27-0 lead.
• The Dukes rushed for a season-high 360 yards, their first 300-yard game since posting 310 at Wagner on Nov. 20, 2021, and their highest total since 372 at Wagner on Nov. 2, 2018.
• Duquesne totaled 439 yards of offense, marking its third game with more than 400 yards in the last four outings.
• Three scoring drives lasted more than six minutes: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:02 (TD); 13 plays, 68 yards, 7:48 (FG); 11 plays, 67 yards, 6:47 (FG).
• Ness Davis' 158 rushing yards marked his third 100-yard game of the season and fifth of his career. His 16 carries were a season high, and he averaged 9.9 yards per rush.
• Shawn Solomon, Jr. added 77 yards on nine carries (8.6 average). Eight different Dukes recorded rushing attempts. Riddell had a season-long 23-yard scramble on the third-quarter scoring drive.
• Joey Isabella caught his ninth touchdown of the season and extended his streak to four straight games with a TD reception.
• Adrian Ramirez (0.5 sack) has recorded a tackle for loss in five consecutive games. Jack Dunkley (0.5 TFL) has a TFL in four straight games and seven of eight this season. Kevin Kurzinger (3.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks) has a TFL in three straight games. Carter Lance added a sack for the second consecutive game.
• Ish Findlayter recorded his first career forced fumble, leading to Morris' second defensive touchdown of the season.
• The defense charted a season-high nine pass breakups, led by Jaelen Carson and Henry Pickens with two each.
• Matt Clark's three field goals (21, 21, 31 yards) tied for the second-most in a single game in program history and were the most since Brian Bruzdewicz made three at Central Connecticut State in 2022.
• Second straight win over Mercyhurst (now 3-7-1 all-time, 2-0 at Division I FCS level).
• Duquesne is now 13-5 all-time in NEC openers, winning three straight and eight of its last nine.

POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
Head Coach Jerry Schmitt, LB Avery Morris, RB Ness Davis
(click to watch)


UP NEXT
Duquesne continues its road stretch next Saturday (Oct. 25) at Wagner with a noon kickoff. The game will stream on ESPN+ and air on SportsNet Pittsburgh and YES Network.

FOLLOW THE DUKES
Follow Duquesne football online all season at GoDuquesne.com, as well as on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook (@DuqFB).