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Duquesne University Athletics

rooney field stands filled 2025 vs. SFU
Brandon Reed

GAME 11: Dukes Return Home to Face CCSU

Duquesne looks to stay in NEC championship and playoff hunt

11/12/2025 12:00:00 PM

PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne University football team is back at Rooney Field for the first time in over a month to take on league-leading Central Connecticut State in its home finale, a battle to stay alive in the hunt for an NEC three-peat and FCS playoff berth.

THE MATCHUP
November 15, 2025 • 12:00 PM • Rooney Field (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Duquesne Dukes (5-5, 3-2 NEC) Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (7-3, 5-0 NEC) ADDITIONAL INFO / GAMEDAY LINKS OPENING KICKOFF
Home Sweet Home: Duquesne returns home for the first time in 35 days (since Oct. 11), when they closed a three-game homestand with a 52-7 Homecoming win over Saint Francis, to face league-leader Central Connecticut State. The Dukes are 4-1 at home this season and have won nine of their last 10 games at Rooney Field over the past two seasons, including five straight conference home wins, outscoring NEC opponents 86-21 this year. Duquesne is 13-7 in regular-season home finales under 21st-year head coach Jerry Schmitt, winning four of the last five. A win would move the Dukes to 6-5, secure a .500 or better record for the 30th time in 33 FCS seasons, and keep them in the NCAA FCS playoff picture.

In the Hunt: Duquesne, the defending back-to-back NEC champion, must win its final two games and have Mercyhurst defeat Central Connecticut State next week in New Britain to claim its third consecutive NEC championship. In that scenario, the Dukes would own the tiebreakers to secure the league's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.

Last Time Out: Duquesne fell 29-11 at LIU last week. After a 20-yard Matt Clark field goal gave the Dukes an early 8-3 lead, LIU scored 21 straight points in the middle quarters. Duquesne added eight points in the fourth on an eight-yard Tyler Riddell touchdown pass to Jermaine Johnson with a successful two-point conversion, but LIU controlled the ball for over nine minutes to seal the win. The Dukes rushed for 203 yards, led by Ness Davis with 105 yards on 26 carries. On defense, Dallas Harper recorded his team-leading third interception of the season, while Avery Morris paced the defense with six tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss, as DU charted at least 7.0 TFLs for the fifth straight game.

Scouting CCSU: Central Connecticut State clinched at least a share of the NEC title with a 40-10 win over Stonehill last week and is receiving votes in both national top-25 polls. The Blue Devils can secure the outright championship and the league's automatic FCS playoff berth with a win in either of their final two games. CCSU has won five straight, with three of those victories decided by one possession (10-7 vs. LIU, 24-17 in OT at Wagner, 42-35 vs. Sacred Heart). Running back Elijah Howard leads the NEC with 807 rushing yards (89.7 per game) and eight touchdowns, while adding 244 receiving yards and three scores through the air. Defensively, Christopher Jean ranks second nationally in passes defended (1.6 per game) with 12 breakups and four interceptions, tied for the second-most in the FCS.

TALE OF THE TAPE
  • Duquesne leads the NEC in scoring offense at 28.3 points per game, with 38 total touchdowns — at least six more than any other team.
  • In conference play, the Dukes are averaging an NEC-best 29.4 points per game while allowing just 14.8.
  • CCSU ranks second in scoring at 25.8 points per game and leads the NEC in scoring defense at 10.6 points allowed during league play.
  • Duquesne's No. 1-ranked rushing offense in the NEC (171.5 ypg) will face CCSU's top-ranked rushing defense (119.8 ypg allowed).
  • In NEC play, Duquesne averages 183.3 rushing yards per game, while CCSU allows just 68.0 on the ground.
  • The Dukes boast the NEC's top passing defense, giving up only 114.6 yards per game with three interceptions and five passing touchdowns allowed in league play.
  • CCSU counters with the NEC's top passing offense at 219.6 yards per game.
  • Duquesne leads the conference with 11 passing touchdowns in NEC play — at least three more than any other team.
  • The league's top two lines go head-to-head, with CCSU leading the NEC in sacks allowed (4) and sacks recorded (16), while Duquesne ranks second in both (6 allowed, 12 recorded).
  • The teams also rank one-two in first downs per game (CCSU – 22.2; DU – 20.2) and third-down conversions (DU – 50%; CCSU – 45.1%) in NEC action.
SERIES HISTORY
  • Duquesne leads 9-8 all-time and has won three of the last four meetings, including each of the last two in Pittsburgh. 
  • Last Season: Duquesne fell short in a winner-take-all matchup for the NEC's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, dropping a 21-14 decision to CCSU in the 2024 season finale. Joey Isabella accounted for both DU touchdowns, including an 85-yard score, and finished with five receptions for a then-career-high 149 yards. The Dukes took a 14-13 lead on Isabella's long touchdown on the first play of the second half, but CCSU regained the advantage with an early fourth-quarter score. Duquesne's comeback hopes were dashed by eight turnovers — seven on interceptions — including two in the final four minutes, one of which inside the red zone. Antonio Epps led all players with nine tackles, while TJ Jones recorded an interception and Jack Dunkley added a sack.
  • Last Time at Rooney Field: In one of the earliest meetings between the teams in the past decade, Duquesne rolled to a 44-20 win in 2023 behind 513 yards of total offense. Taj Butts rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns as the Dukes built a 27-3 second-quarter lead and cruised.
CATCHING HISTORY
  • Joey Isabella is tied for second in the FCS with 10 receiving touchdowns, his second straight season with double-digit receiving scores (11 in 2024).
  • He leads the NEC in receiving yards (683), touchdowns (10, tied for 2nd in FCS — league-best four in conference play), and yards per game (68.3).
  • Has a receiving TD in seven games this season; his 10 TDs are at least five more than any other NEC receiver.
  • Surpassed 2,000 career receiving yards vs. Stonehill (2,255 total).
  • Ranks among Duquesne all-time leaders:
    • Receptions: 153 (6th all-time; 5th is Randy Vulakovich (154, 2000-03))
    • Yards: 2,255 (chasing 2,423 for 7th)
    • TDs: 27 (6th all-time; 5th is Michel Warfield (29, 2002-04))
RUN GAME RULERS
  • Duquesne leads the NEC in rushing offense and has topped 200 rushing yards three times this season, surpassing 170 yards in six games.
  • The Dukes recorded a season-high 356 rushing yards in the win at Mercyhurst — most in a game since 2018.
  • Ness Davis ranks second in the NEC in rushing during conference play with 474 yards (94.8 per game) and fourth overall with 712 yards on the season.
  • Davis ranks 14th nationally in yards per carry (6.2), while Davis (6.2) and Shawn Solomon, Jr. (5.7) both rank among the top five in the NEC.
VETERAN TRENCHES
  • DU's offensive and defensive lines feature 270+ combined career games played among the projected starters ... Every projected offensive line starter has at least four years of college experience.
50 GAMES AS A DUKE
  • A.J. Ackerman (at Wagner) and Joey Isabella (last week at LIU) have joined Duquesne's exclusive 50-career-games-played club.
  • Eight Dukes have appeared in 40 or more career games in the Red and Blue, with Antonio Epps expected to join the group this week and Cameron McLaurin on pace to follow next week.
DEFENSIVE DUKES
  • The defense ranks 14th nationally in total defense (308.5 ypg allowed) and 15th in passing yards allowed (173.9 per game).
  • The Dukes have three defensive touchdowns this season — tied for second-most in the FCS — recording a defensive TD for the fifth straight season.
  • Avery Morris has two: a 34-yard pick-six (New Haven) and a 35-yard fumble return (Mercyhurst).
  • Tyson Meiguez added a 40-yard scoop-and-score (Saint Francis).
  • The Dukes average 6.8 tackles for loss per game, with at least one in every outing and 7+ in each of the last five, including a season-high 11 vs. Wagner.
  • Kevin Kurzinger leads the team with 9.5 TFLs and Jack Dunkley follows with 8.5, with both ranking in the NEC's top 10. Kurzinger's 7.0 TFLs in league play are tied for second-most in the conference.
  • In total, 23 different Dukes have contributed to the team's 68 tackles for loss, while nine players have combined for 17 sacks on the year.
WE'LL TAKE THAT RIDDELL ROCKET
  • Graduate QB Tyler Riddell is tied for 9th in the FCS with 21 passing touchdowns, including a league-best 10 in conference play.
  • One of only three active FCS QBs with 9,000+ career passing yards, currently tied for 2nd among active QBs with 76 TD passes.
  • Leads the NEC in efficiency (135.5) and ranks 15th nationally in points responsible for (146).
  • Needs 327 passing yards to reach 10,000 career yards (currently 9,673).
  • Despite not being in the career records for Duquesne as a graduate transfer ... For reference, only two Dukes have ever reached 10,000+ yards and 75+ TDs: Dillon Buechel (10,320 yd / 75 TD, 2013–16) and Niel Loebig (10,254 yd / 103 TD, 2001–04).
STREAK SPOTLIGHT Notable Starting Streaks TRENDS TO NOTE
  • Duquesne is 17-0 since 2023 when scoring more than 30 points (5-0 in 2025: 55-14 vs. Lincoln, 44-18 vs. New Haven, 34-14 vs. Stonehill, 52-7 vs. Saint Francis, 37-0 at Mercyhurst).
  • The Dukes are 14-0 when leading after the first quarter since 2023 (3-0 in 2025 after a 14-0 first-quarter lead vs. Lincoln, 28-0 first-quarter lead vs. Saint Francis, 14-0 first-quarter lead at Mercyhurst).
DEFENDING ROONEY
  • Duquesne is 41-18 all-time in NEC home games and 24-7 since 2015.
  • The Dukes have won five straight NEC home contests, including a 2-0 mark this season, outscoring league opponents 86-21 at Rooney Field.
  • DU went 3-0 in NEC home games last year and has won nine of its last 10 overall at Rooney Field.
SHUTOUT STATS
  • Duquesne's 37-0 win at Mercyhurst marked the sixth consecutive season with a shutout victory. According to Opta FCS Football, the Dukes' six shutouts in the 2020s are the most by any FCS program during the current decade.
  • DU also recorded 10 pass breakups in the win — the second-most in program NEC history, only behind 11 vs. Saint Francis in 2018.
  • The Dukes have held opponents to single digits twice this season (Saint Francis 7, Mercyhurst 0).
UP NEXT
Duquesne closes the regular season at Robert Morris next Saturday (Nov. 22). Kickoff from Moon Township is slated for 2:00 p.m.

MORE ON THE DUKES
View full game notes, interviews, local features and more from the entire season in the Media Center.

THIS WEEK ON THE JERRY SCHMITT COACH'S SHOW
The latest episode of the Jerry Schmitt Coach's Show premieres on SportsNet Pittsburgh on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. Team captain Daniel Tarabrella is the player guest. Visit sportsnetpittsburgh.com for viewing information, or view the replay on the GoDuquesne YouTube page.

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