Duquesne University Athletics

Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University football team came up short in a hard-fought crosstown matchup, falling 13-10 to Robert Morris in NEC action Saturday afternoon at Rooney Field.

The Dukes dropped to 4-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

Robert Morris built a 13-3 halftime advantage with a touchdown on its opening drive and a pair of field goals, but the Duquesne defense kept the Colonials off the scoreboard after the break. The Dukes cut the deficit to three early in the fourth quarter when Dazhaun Hopkins scored on a two-yard run following an interception by Dallas Harper. Duquesne had two more possessions in the final 10 minutes but could not complete the comeback bid.

Ness Davis paced the Duquesne offense with 127 rushing yards on 24 carries, while Khiryn Boyd led the receiving corps with seven catches for 83 yards, both career-high marks. Quarterback Carson Camp completed 10 of 20 passes for 114 yards.

Dashawn Fields posted a career-best 11 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, to lead the Dukes defense. Caleb Jones added eight stops, tying a career-high, while Luke Miller finished with seven tackles and 1.0 TFL. Duquesne forced a pair of second-half turnovers with Harper's interception and Will Martin forced a fumble that Zion Patillo recovered in the third quarter.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Robert Morris struck first, taking the opening kickoff and marching 65 yards in five plays. Quarterback Carson Haggard capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give the Colonials a 7-0 lead.

Duquesne answered with an eight-play, 44-yard drive, with Matt Marcinko connecting on a 39-yard field goal to put the Dukes on the board. Robert Morris added a 19-yard field goal on its next possession after moving deep into Duquesne territory, extending its lead to 10-3 late in the first quarter.

The Dukes followed by reaching the Robert Morris 12-yard line, but the Colonials stopped a run on fourth-and-one to force a turnover on downs. Robert Morris then put together a 13-play, 80-yard drive, however the Duquesne defense held inside the 10-yard line and forced another field goal. The 25-yarder made it 13-3 with 4:54 remaining in the first half.

Duquesne threatened to answer before halftime, moving into the red zone after a 50-yard kickoff return by Cam Frazier. The drive ended with a Robert Morris interception in the end zone, and the Colonials maintained their 10-point advantage.

The defenses stood tall in the third quarter, with Robert Morris reaching Duquesne territory on both of its possessions but coming away without points. The Colonials were forced to punt on their first drive, and Will Martin forced a fumble by Haggard on the next possession, with Patillo recovering at the Duquesne 29-yard line to give the Dukes possession.

Duquesne moved across midfield on the ensuing drive, highlighted by a 31-yard completion from Camp to Boyd, but the Colonials forced another punt. The Dukes' defense came up with another takeaway on Robert Morris' first possession of the fourth quarter, as Harper intercepted Haggard and returned the ball 21 yards to the Colonials' 12-yard line.

Duquesne capitalized four plays later when Hopkins scored on a two-yard run to pull the Dukes within 13-10 with 12:24 remaining.

The defense forced a three-and-out on Robert Morris' next possession, giving Duquesne another opportunity to even the score or take the lead. The Dukes drove to the Colonials' 26-yard line before a review overturned the down-by-contact ruling and resulted in a fumble. Robert Morris recovered to take over.

Duquesne got the ball back with 3:46 remaining but could not move into scoring range, punting the ball back to Robert Morris. The Colonials ran out the clock to secure the 13-10 victory.

NOTES

• Duquesne outrushed Robert Morris, 144-84, but the Colonials held a 217-114 advantage in passing yards.
• Ness Davis: Recorded his second 100-yard rushing game of the season, with both coming in the last three games. Davis carried a season-high 24 times for 127 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry with a long of 17 yards. His longest run came on Duquesne's opening drive, which resulted in a field goal.
• Khiryn Boyd: Led all players with a career-high seven receptions and a career-high 83 receiving yards. His 31-yard catch extended his streak to six consecutive games with a reception of at least 20 yards. Boyd finished with 119 all-purpose yards, adding 22 yards on kickoff returns and 14 on punt returns.
• Defense: Recorded five tackles for loss, extending its streak to seven consecutive games with at least four. Dashawn Fields and Carter Lance each had 1.5 TFL, while Will Martin and Luke Miller added 1.0 apiece. Miller has a TFL in all five NEC contests this season.
• Will Martin/Zion Patillo: Martin forced his third fumble of the season, with all three coming in the last four games. Patillo recovered his second fumble of the season, marking the third consecutive game in which Duquesne has recovered a fumble.
• Dallas Harper: Recorded his second interception of the season, becoming the first Duquesne player with multiple interceptions this year. The Dukes have now recorded an interception in four consecutive games.
• Series History: Duquesne is now 15-9 all-time and 10-3 at home against Robert Morris. The last two meetings have been decided by three points, with Duquesne winning on a last-second field goal in 2025. It marks the first time the series has featured consecutive games decided by three points or fewer since 1996 (Robert Morris, 28-26) and 1998 (Duquesne, 24-22).

UP NEXT
Duquesne hosts Mercyhurst for its home finale at Rooney Field next Saturday, Nov. 14. Kickoff is set for noon. TICKETS

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Head Coach Jerry Schmitt