PITTSBURGH – Taj Butts ran for a career-high 254 yards and three touchdowns, and Antonio Epps' end-zone interception with 36 seconds remaining secured a 38–33 win for Duquesne over Central Connecticut State in the Dukes' home finale Saturday at Rooney Field.

Quarterback Tyler Riddell went 14-for-22 for 182 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Ryan Petras for a 37-yard score and connecting twice with Joey Isabella. Isabella finished with a team-high five receptions and moved into Duquesne's all-time top five in career catches.

Epps posted a career-high 12 tackles in his 40th career game, anchoring a defense that handed CCSU (5–1 NEC) its first conference loss. The win lifted Duquesne to 4–2 in NEC play and kept the Dukes firmly in the hunt for the league title.

HOW IT HAPPENED By: Ben Prantl
Duquesne piled up 344 rushing yards on just 32 carries (10.8 yards per attempt), led by redshirt senior Taj Butts, who finished with 254 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 18.1 yards per carry. Butts closed the opening drive with a 29-yard touchdown run — the first of five Duquesne scoring drives that took fewer than five plays, including four that needed only two snaps.

CCSU answered with a touchdown before quarterback Tyler Riddell engineered a 95-yard march. He capped the drive with a 32-yard strike to Joey Isabella with 1:42 left in the first quarter, giving the Dukes a 12-7 edge.

Duquesne added two more scores in the second quarter. Butts broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown run with 4:40 remaining, pushing his first-half total to 158 yards on 26.3 yards per carry. Riddell later found Ryan Petras for a 37-yard touchdown with 1:15 before halftime, sending the Dukes into the break up 25-13.

CCSU opened the second half with the only score of the third quarter, trimming the deficit, but Duquesne responded early in the fourth. Riddell connected with Isabella for the duo's second touchdown — a 4-yard pass with 9:21 to play — to extend the lead to 33-20.

The Blue Devils countered with long touchdowns of 40 and 50 yards less than a minute apart to take a 33-32 lead with 3:19 to play. Butts delivered again, bursting 59 yards for his third touchdown after a short gain on the first play of the drive to restore Duquesne's lead.

The defense sealed it on CCSU's final possession. Ish Findlayter flushed quarterback Elijah Olson from the pocket, and Pickens III got a hand on the throw, deflecting it directly to Epps for the game-clinching interception.

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCES

Head Coach Jerry Schmitt


DB Antonio Epps & RB Taj Butts


UP NEXT
Duquesne stays in the mix for the NEC title and the league's bid to the NCAA FCS playoffs and will wrap up the regular season next Saturday at crosstown rival Robert Morris. Kickoff from Joe Walton Stadium in Moon Township is slated for 2:00 p.m.

FOLLOW THE DUKES
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