New Year Changes to Duquesne's Forums and Web Sites

I've been contacted by the moderator of the Basketball Forum. They are planning to shut down the Voy Site at the end of this year and move to the Basketball Forum operation to join with the Present Scout Site at http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?S=420&F=1319 .

The Basketball Forum has been open for 10 years and has had over a million visits. I can understand the reasons for the move, mainly the limitations of the Voy site over what can be done by the Scout Hosting or Rivals. These sites take an immense amount of time and commitment to keep up and I respect and admire all those true Duquesne fans involved.

The Voy Duquesne Football Forum and this Blog will remain open as is unless I can figure a way to combine the two on one site.

I wish the new venture much success in the New Year and beyond but will, like many, miss the old board.

Looking Back/Looking Ahead

Updated 12/11/10

Having a couple of days off over the holiday gave me a bit of time to reflect. Running the forum and the blog is really a labor of love. Learning about Duquesne's traditions and passing them on is something I enjoy doing (One of my degrees is an MA in history from Duquesne).

I enjoy going back through the old newspaper archieves to see just how history repeats itself. I read an old PG article about Duke's from the 1930's that observed how absurd it seemed in the 20's to think that Pitt and Duquesne would ever play each other. Not only did the Dukes play Pitt, they beat them twice in the 30's; once when Pitt was ranked #1 in the Nation before Pitt ended the series. I always wonder where the program would be today had not WW II forced the university to gut the entire athletic department when it was the best in the nation (See Massey Rankings- The Dukes were #1, below).

The same thing occurred even earlier than that at the beginning of the 20th Century when the the team from the Pittsburgh College of the Holy Ghost (Duquesne) beat the 1903 team from the Western University of Pennsylvania (Pitt) after losing their first game in 1901. That team was also cut during the First World War. I even found a PG 12/27/1891 mentioning a game between the two schools coming up on New Year's Day but I haven't tracked down who won.

Now that Duquesne can officially compete for the FCS Championship, I had to look back at past "post seasons". Most know that Duquesne won the Orange Bowl twice (once when it was called the Festival of Palms Bowl). Most don't know that Duquesne actually turned down other major and minor bowl bids including the Cotton Bowl, Sun Bowl and even one from a bowl that apparently never got off the ground called the Olympic Bowl in LA.

I get a real sense of accomplishment to research to keep records up to date. I'm not sure how many really knows or cares if Duquesne now has over 400 recorded wins all time. I used to wonder if anybody cared that the media guide still lists the West Virginia 1897 as the first collegiate game when W & J and other sources list their 1893 game a full 4 years earlier. The pre-1903 record is now largely documented and should be recorded in the university's media guide.

The Forum and Blog put me in touch with others who think the current program and its history are important. The blog and forum now are measured in the thousands of hits every month rather than the handful it started out with.

Duquesne's program, over time has been re-born many times. Each time starting out as a small time affair and at one time was even ranked by some sources as the best in the nation. Remember when even scheduling Bucknell was an accomplishment?

I wonder where we will be in another decade or so?

Dukes Finish Winning 4 of Last 5

The Bryant Bulldogs hadn’t lost at home in well over a year going back to last season. Bryant could also claim to have never lost to an NEC Team from Pennsylvania since they started playing an NEC Schedule. Bryant had beaten the Dukes in their two precious tries. Nationally ranked Robert Morris was unbeaten in the conference this year before travelling to Bryant and is now 0-3 and St. Francis is also 0-3 all time.

Duquesne ended those strings by beating the Bulldogs 37-29 in a game that will go a long way to establish a positive feeling through the off season. It was an odd game where Bryant managed to run 25 more plays from scrimmage than did the Dukes but still managed to gain only 24 more yards.

Larry McCoy again the combination of strength, vision and speed to gain 160 yards to end the season with 1,291, good for 6th highest in recorded team history. The receivers dropped a number of passes on a cold New England day, but came through when it counted.

Many Duquesne seniors closed out their careers with performances that showed how much they will be missed. Dave Williams finished the day with his 5th hundred yard game of the year. Conner Dixon brought in one for the season highlight reel with a fully extended one handed catch. Nathan Totino added 7 stops to his career total of 369, good for 4th all time. Sean Bunevich pulled in a couple passes including a beautiful 27 yard TD. Fortunately, the Dukes are deep at the linebacker and receiving corps and will have their entire offensive and defensive lines back.

Also back next year is sophomore Eric Duale who broke the single season recorded field goal record by converting all three attempts to end at 14 for the season. This was perhaps the season’s biggest pleasant surprise. Eric converted 14 of 18 field goal attempts and all but one of his 32 extra point attempts. Sean Patterson finished his day with 258 yard in total offense. Everybody knew he could pass (197 yards and 2 TD yesterday), most knew he could run (66 yards and 1 TD yesterday) but who knew he could catch? (26 yards and another TD from Bill Bair).

Duquesne pressured Bryant QB Mike Croce as the Bulldogs tried to climb back into the game with three sacks from Alex Inda, Zach Richert and Ashton Burno. Garret Heron and Devin Duggan had 9 tackles each, Inda finished with 8 and Totino, 7. Diante Wade and Chris Oliver forced two key fumbles to take the early momentum.

Bryant Pre-Game and Prediction

Updated: 11:00 am
The Dukes will try to be the first Pennsylvania NEC team to beat the Bulldogs since they started playing a conference schedule on 2008. Altogether Byant is 8-0 against Robert Morris (3-0), St. Francis (3-0) and the Dukes (2-0).

Bryant RB Jordan Brown is the NEC's leading rusher with 1311 yards including 138 in the Bulldogs win over Robert Morris. The Dukes have been good against the pass, not so good against a strong ground game.

Whatever the Dukes do today, the team is ensured of a winning season, something that they just had to have or changes may have been made. This game will really make the difference between an acceptable season and a good season by what our standards should realistically be. The winner today will finish alone in 3rd place in the NEC.

Jerry Schmitt did a number of things to bring in more experienced coaches to better develop his talent. It showed. He's been given and promised more support in the form of having more scholarships. His two biggest needs for next year- Stronger legs from his kickers and more strenght/weight on both OL and DL. Mike Passodelis is a great example of a kid who did all he could to develop himself into an FCS level player in his style of play and his off season conditioning program.

Most people don't realize that the Dukes still don't approach the NEC competition's scholarship limits allowed and probably never fully will.

Title 9 probably was what forced Duquesne to cut baseball, golf, wrestling and mens swimming to bring the football scholarships up and fund the basketball improvements. The administration really couldn't blame Title 9 without speaking out against women's sports. Philosophically, Title 9 supports women's athletics by forcing universities to fold men's programming. This is not equity, its a tragic and unfair sacrifice of the second tier men's programs. It takes away men's scholarships more than it adds to womens as Duquesne's experience shows.

A fairer way to address equity is to look at dollars and efforts spent trying to offer women's sports and not limiting scholarship slots. Swimming did a heroic job trying to raise money to keep their program going, but was still sacrificed due to scholarship limits.

Rooney's tiny seating area and its impression on recruits, fans and the press is the other major handicap that, unlike Title 9, can be fixed. I still have a dream (or is it a crazed vision) of Rooney being one of the most attractive small college stadiums in the nation with its view of the campus, Pittsburgh and the river valley and South Side. 5,500 seats can be done.


Prediction: The Dukes will pull out another game winning closing drive after giving Bryant a lead on the strength of their running game. Yes, I going with my heart again in a close game.

Dukes Torch St. Francis

Updated- 11/14 at 11:00 am

It took a couple of quarters to get their offense in gear, but once they did the Duquesne’s Seniors closed their careers at Rooney Field by rolling up well over 500 yards on the St. Francis Red Flash to avenge last year’s 31-14 loss at Loretto. Seniors Conner Dixon and Dave Williams each had 5 catches for over 100 receiving yards and 2 touch downs each proved that they are probably the best pair of receivers the Dukes have had in a long time.

Sean Patterson threw for 278 yards and a career high 5 touchdowns and Larry McCoy added to his collection of 100 yard games before letting Ryan Ho mop up by adding another 46 yards to close out the game. Nathan Totino, as usual led the defense with 10 tackles and added an interception and return for 17 yards.

St. Francis started the game well by holding the Dukes to a three and out and then driving from their own 22 to have a first and goal at the Duquesne 8 yard line. Mike Passodelis dropped St. Francis running back Kyle Harbridge for a three yard loss and the defense held the Red Flash to a 28 yard field goal to put the visitors up 3-0. Harbridge proved to be St. Francis’ best weapon on the day by gaining 131 yards on only 16 attempts.

Duquesne quickly took the lead 7-3 on a 79 yard touchdown pass from Patterson to Dave Williams.

Just as quickly, Duquesne gave the lead back when Jared Williams couldn’t get out of the way of a 3 and out punt on St. Francis’ next possession. St. Francis took a 10-7 lead on a one play 2 yard "drive".

Conner Dixon took in a 44 yard touch down pass to put the Dukes back on top 14-10 before Kyle Harbridge ran 55 yards on a short field to push the Red Flash back up again 17-14.

That would be St. Francis last score as Duquesne ran the table for the next 27 points. The scores included a 2 yard run by Sean Patterson before he threw another touchdown passé to both Dave Williams and Conner Dixon and then a final touchdown pass to Akeem Moore.

Commentary:
Offense- Duquesne has a very talented offense. Duquesne was one of only two teams this season to run up over 300 yards on a brilliant Blue Hen defense. The offense is also inconsistent. They have a pattern of either sputtering as they did in the first half or flooring it as they did to finish it. Sean Patterson is a very talented quarterback. Sean Patterson is also a very inconsistent quarterback. He has shown to have the fire it takes to launch late game come-back drives but also seems to go into early and mid-game funks.

His receivers are also very talented and suffer from the same inconsistencies. The best illustration of this during the current season was a quick turnaround from goat to superman by Conner Dixon during the Delaware game. Conner short armed a pass that led to a tipped drive killing interception before he devastated the best team in the nation for the rest of the game. Delaware commentators asserted that Dixon had a pro career ahead. I hope that he does. He is a great talent and a great kid. He and the Duquesne offense has shown great potential and have helped lead assure the Dukes of a winning season this year. Next year Patterson and the Dukes that return need to work on being consistent.

The Duquesne running game has been the most pleasant surprise of the season. Larry McCoy is the best back the Dukes have fielded in quite some time and is now well over 1,000 yards. Bill Bair has run well and gives another receiving threat out of the backfield. Ryan Ho hits the hole quick and makes cuts that leave defenders looking pretty bad. He's been a real plus on kickoff returns. Unfortunately, the punt return game is a different story (see below).

Defense- I like Dave Opfar but I really don't know how to describe the Duke's defense. I've seen some flashes of brilliance and some real talent. How can you complain about Totino, Kona, Passodalis, Lattimer, Carter, etc.

Yet the stats show that we can do better particularly against the run. We give up 177 yards a game on the ground, 156 in the air for a total of 333.5 a game. We've been giving up too many points per game too- Dayton 31, Delaware 30, Monmouth 44, CCS 31 and RoMoCo 34.

Yes, Monmouth was a disaster all around and the defense did well in the opening game against the very inexperienced Bucknell team and against the Great Danes. They were ok against Wagner- 20. They had a good game vs. the Red Flash particularly since one of their drives had to go only 2 yards (I will not directly criticize a player here). They did give up over 150 to Harbridge and 220 total on the ground with only 48 passing.

Their biggest need is to bulk up on the line to stop the run or to put more guys in the box when the passing game is checked. Coaches can also help with defensive play calls with things such as run blitzes. Agreed- dumb mistakes do hurt, but that can be addressed by the coaching staff too.

Special Teams- I rarely target a college player for criticism so I’ll single out the special teams coaching staff for not teaching better and timely decision making on fielding punt returns. Duquesne set up a 2 yard, one play touchdown drive that gave St. Francis back the lead. Given past miscues, the special team’s coaching staff should have either trained the returner better or selected a returner with a better idea of when to try to field a punt and when to get away from it. Eric Duel has become a much more consistent kicker and can be excused for his only missed extra point of the season but kick offs and punting have been giving the opposition a short field all season.

Next Week: The Dukes close out the season on the road against Bryant in a battle for third place in the NEC. This may be a tough game for the Dukes since Bryant is now 6-0 at home having beat Robert Morris 27-21. The game begins at Noon on WMNY 1360 AM and on Redzone Media.

The Dukes and St. Francis

Duquesne has played St. Francis more often than any other opponent. Of the 36 games since the first in 1913, the Dukes have won 30.

Last year's win by St. Francis (31-14) was their first since both teams moved to 1-AA/FCS.

It is important that the Dukes don't under-estimate this year's 1-8 St. Francis team either. Aside from beating the Dukes last year, their one win was a convincing one over Sacred Heart 41-0. Last week St, Francis played well on the road in California against nationally ranked Cal Poly before losing 41-33.

Duquesne Defensive Coordinator Dave Opfar should know the Red Flash well. He was their coach that led them to victory over the Dukes last year.

Larry McCoy provided a bright spot vs Robert Morris by going over 1,000 yards. His 1,030 is the most of any Duquesne back since since 2003.

Prediction: Duquesne puts it all together on Senior Day to win 31-13. Seniors Conner Dixon and Dave Williams go out in style.

Robert Morris Ties the Steel City Series 6-6

The Colonials proved that they are for real at Joe Walton Stadium, dropping their cross-town rivals the Duquesne Dukes 34-11. The Duquesne offense never really got on track as the Colonials outgained the Dukes 355-191. After taking a lead on an Eric Dule 34 yard field goal, the Colonials ran off the next 27 points beginning with a 9 yard run by QB Jeff Sinclair aided by a 19 yard Duquesne punt.

Plain and simple, Robert Morris won this game in the trenches and by negating the talent position players from Duquesne. Larry McCoy was outgained by Miles Russ 154 to 81; the first in a while he was held under 100. McCoy still had a healthy per carry average of 4.5, but the Dukes just couldn’t keep drives long enough to get him enough carries. This led to Robert Morris possessing the ball over ten minutes more than the Dukes.

The Colonials plainly demonstrated that they deserve their RPI and Sagarin Ratings and could surprise the traditional conferences should they make it to the FCS Playoffs.

Commentary:
I’m far from able to cast the first stone and I know that we live in a culture that increasingly follows the maxim that “If you aren’t cheating you aren’t really trying”. This may also come off as sour grapes but honestly, the Colonials are good enough to have won yesterday without the help of a poorly hidden "scouting party".

However, this is a game where sportsmanship matters and where coaches need to teach more than just football. Unfortunately, I can’t really claim that no one with Duquesne connections would ever get caught doing something unethical.

Next week Robert Morris takes on Central Connecticut State who is also undefeated in the NEC to determine who will be the first conference team ever to make the FCS Playoffs. I wish RMU all the fortune in the world since they are a team from Pittsburgh and the Dukes are now out of the running. Their victory over the Dukes was unquestioned but the methods of some may be.

Predicting the Dukes/Colonials: Throw Away the Stat Sheet

When my family went to the racetrack, I’d pore over the race form to find some hidden advantage buried deep in a horse’s past to try and beat the odds and pick a winner. I’d try to see how the favorite did in similar track conditions vs. the field to discover the key to placing the right bet while my wife would bet on the horse with the neatest sounding name. I usually chuckled to myself as she placed her bets while I studied the racing form one last time to see what I may have missed.

Well, here are the results of my studies this week...

Key #1: Against common opponents, Duquesne beat the only team to defeat the Colonials. This may not be the best key to the game since this was the first game of the year for Robert Morris and the second for the Dukes. Also, Robert Morris pulled out a 1 point victory over Monmouth, a team that beat the Dukes. Edge Even

Key #2: Since last year’s 34-20 loss to Duquesne, Robert Morris has won 11 of their last 12 games. Edge Colonials

Key #3: Home Field Advantage goes to Robert Morris with a 3-1 edge over the Dukes at Moon Township. However, the Dukes have split the two games at Joe Walton Stadium. Duquesne finally won its first road game last week over Wagner. Duquesne has won the past 5 at Rooney and 6 of the past 8 meetings overall. Home Field Edge Colonials, but History Edge goes slightly to the Dukes

Key #4: Both teams possess one of the best running backs in the FCS with Duquesne’s Larry McCoy and Ro Mo’s Myles Russ. Russ has gained 1,000 in each of the past two seasons and has another 806 so far this year. Larry McCoy rank 9th nationally with over 900 yards this year and a 118.6 per game average. Edge- Slight to the Dukes

Key #5: Like the other “Old Joe” (Paterno), Joe Walton seems to have rediscovered his touch after a couple of down years. After dominating the NEC in the early years, Joewa has his team on top again with a perfect conference record. He blasted their NEC heir and backyard bully, Albany scoring 38 and shutting out the formerly great Danes. Jerry Schmitt though, is 4-1 against the Colonials. Edge- Even

Key #5: The Dukes have a stable of talent at the skill positions with Dixon, Williams, McCoy, Patterson, Moore, Bunovich and the gang. The Colonials have talent at the skill positions too led by Russ. The Dukes have been able to focus on stopping him at 85 yards last year. Edge- Dukes

Key #6: Special Teams have hurt the Dukes, particularly on kickoffs and punts. The Dukes are making progress on scoring with Eric Dule becoming a very accurate kicker and Duquesne’s punting game handed over to a new freshman who has brought up the average up a bit. Edge- Colonials

Key #7- This game will come down to the Duke's defense being able to stop the Colonials late in the game. Their D has shown flashes of brilliance but has given up too many points until last week's game against Wagner. They held the Dukes in the game time after time when the Dukes could have rolled over until the offense rediscovered how to connect. They have finally put it together. Edge Dukes

Funny thing, but no matter how hard I tried, my wife sometime cleaned up better at the track when she bet with her heart.

I think that this game could go either way. When my mind can’t convince my heart to pick against the Dukes, I go with the Dukes in a great game, 28-24.

Small schools foster big rivalries with plenty of drama

By Scott Gleeson and Craig Bennett, USA TODAY
Perhaps nothing in college football can top the game against the archrival. At the major college level, the battle more often is for an upper hand in recruiting and statewide bragging rights. At levels below that, although the spotlight might not be as bright, the players and fans can bring intensity just as spirited.
Whether it's a longtime rivalry or a brand new rivalry, the travel between schools can sometimes be within walking distance. This weekend's schedule brings a mix of matchups ranging from Championship Subdivision to Division III sure to fan the flames. A sampling:

Championship Subdivision

Duquesne (5-3) at Robert Morris (6-1)

Saturday, noon ET

Series: Duquesne leads 6-5

Pittsburgh proper vs. the suburbs (RMU is in Moon Township). Adding spice is that the schools are both in the Northeast Conference for football. For the first time this year, the league title brings with it an automatic spot in the NCAA playoffs. Robert Morris leads the NEC with a 5-0 mark; Duquesne is 3-2.

This year's game is at Joe Walton Stadium, named in 2005 in honor of the only football coach Robert Morris has had. Walton had coaching stints at the NFL level — with the Washington Redskins, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers before starting up the grass-roots Robert Morris program.

"The rivalry has always been great for both schools," Walton said of his team's matchup with Duquesne. "It generates a lot of interest and the kids have more enthusiasm for the game. I remember when we first started playing (Duquesne), it was standing room only and we were neophytes. It's been a friendly rivalry ever since."

Walton linked Saturday's game to the Pittsburgh and West Virginia rivalry he experienced as a college player with the Panthers.

"It brings me back to the Backyard Brawl," he said. "Even with smaller programs, the atmosphere doesn't change and one thing I've learned about rivalries is that the home team doesn't always have the upper hand."

Dukes Rally to Top Wagner: 21-20

The Duquesne offense sputtered at times but came through when it needed most to pull out a 21-20 victory to spoil Wagner’s Homecoming. The offense started the game well to take the first lead of the game on a Sean Patterson to Conner Dixon 13 yard TD pass to cap a 12 play 88 yard game opening drive. Larry McCoy continued to impress by picking up 45 of his game total 131 yards on that drive. The Dukes waited until the fourth quarter to score again on 15 and 16 yard passes to Dave Williams.

Their closing pressure packed, game winning drive was their most impressive, starting from their on 2 yard line and repeatedly converting on long third downs. The drive brought back memories of what Patterson did earlier this year when he capped a game winning drive against Dayton with his toss to Sean Bunovich. Patterson seems to be at his best when put into pressure situations. Almost half of his passing yards came on the 98 yard game winning drive when he completed 4 of 9 passes for 91 of the 98 yard drive.

The Duquesne Defense may have played its best and most consistent game of the year to keep the Dukes in the game, holding the Seahawks to field goals after two fumbled punt returns and another by fumble by Sean Patterson in their own territory.

Starring for the Defense were Nathan Totino who had his usual game high 12 tackles, Alex Inda who contributed 10 stops and a sack and Serge Kona who stopped Wagner for losses on three occasions. Altogether, the defense held the NEC’s leader in total offense, QB Nick Doscher to just 150 yards on only 8 completions on 26 attempts. They fittingly closed out the game with a Wade Powell interception of as Wagner drove near mid-field. Not only did the Dukes spoil Wagner’s Homecoming, but they kept Seahawk coach Walt Hamline from his 200th career victory.

Notes: Next week the Dukes travel to take on NEC leader and cross town rival Robert Morris at Noon.

Wagner Preview and Prediction

Waner may be the most underrated NEC team. Their defense ranks 8th nationally giving up an average of 277 yards per game. Don't be fooled by the "soph" status of their QB Nick Doscher. The man is a 23 year old former minor league catcher for the KC Royals organization. He leads the NEC in total offense with 243 yards per game.

Head Coach Walt Hameline knows how to put it all together and is 199-112-2 overall.

Duquesne's kickoff and punting game is not giving the defense an easy time by constantly giving away field position.

Prediction: My head says Wagner 31- Dukes 28. My heart says Duquesne 27- Wagner 24. I'll go with my heart- GO DUQUESNE!!!

DUKES BACK ON TRACK OVER SACRED HEART: 37-17

The Duquesne Dukes played take away against the Sacred Heart to pull out of a two game mid-season downturn. The Dukes led from an impressive opening drive which forced the Pioneers to take more risks trying to get caught up, turning the ball over 4 times and again on attempts to convert on fouth down fourth quarter drives. Larry McCoy made the visitors pay by grinding out 122 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. McCoy is now the 9th leading FCS running back in the nation behind an improving offensive line and under-rated blocking of fullback, Marek Lapinski. Lapinski got some glory for himself by pulling in a short 4 yard pass for a touchdown of his own.

Sean Patterson looked like he has recovered from his ankle injury by spreading the ball around to 8 different receivers for 181 yards. Patterson’s other touchdown pass was a 49 yarder to Dave Williams. Williams and Conner Dixon each pulled in 4 passes while TE Sean Bunevich pulled in 2 before leaving with a leg injury late in the game.

Alex Inda returned a fumbled punt attempt 38 yards for a score and Eric Dule seems to have found a degree of consistency by converting on all three of his field goal attempts and all four of his extra point attempts. His 13 points are the most from a Duquesne kicker in recent memory.
The special teams took a second fumble away from the Pioneers when Aaron Fitzpatrick forced a fumble that led to Patterson’s long strike to Williams.

The score could have been even more lopsided had the Dukes not to settle for three points on two other turnovers inside the Pioneer’s 20 yard-line.

Next Week Duquesne travels to Wagner.

Giving Credit When it is Due...

I've been guilty of complaining about many things on this board. It is time I give the Athletic Department credit for a few things.

First, the expanded Picnic AND restoring the tailgate area. The Straub beer and picnic menu is a nice touch and they did listen to the suggestion to pipe in the radio play by play. It is a bit expensive, but it is nicely done. Moving the picnic area to the Academic Walk side to let some real tailgating take place on the other side is a good idea. There have been more and more party tents popping up there from visiting fans. There is room for a few more local fans to get into the swing. If we could bring back the atmosphere when the Lehigh Valley folks had, it would add much to the atmosphere. This could spread out further along Bluff Street.

While still not a college marching band the pep band is starting to play loud enough to be heard for the National Anthem. Greg- I know that X didn't have football, but a real halftime show means a marching band.

The Department chose the right conference. At first I had hoped to get into the Pioneer with Dayton, but adding this level of scholarships at this time allowed the program to grow at a reasonable pace. Dayton has a huge football "endowment" that lets them do scholarships, but not officially through the university. The NEC is on the rise dramatically if you look at the Gridiron Index, RPI and Sagarin.

Scheduling Delaware was GREAT. It showed that we can hold our own against what may be the best program in the nation this year. Rhode Island would be a good add of another A-10 school, particularly if they are heading into the NEC. They gave Delaware a good game last week too. Youngstown State or even a BCS team like Akron would be a good thing to consider. We are actually ranked ahead of the Zips in most indexes.

They are now charging for admission on the visitor's side now. This really grated many fans to see the visitors bring in a few hundred fans for free while the fans were being asked to contribute to the program.

Thanks Dr. D. and Mr. A.

Duquesne-Sacred Heart Keys and Prediction

Kicking Game:
Very simply, the Field Goal department has improved but the field position has has been hurting Duquesne all year.

Defense:
Dave Opfar's men need to make a statement that Duquesne doesn't need to put over 30 points on the board to win a game. Other than the game against the inexperienced Bucknell offense, the defense has yet to show just how good they are. They have played well in spurts and seem to have potential.

Home Cooking:
The Dukes need to re-energize the fan base at home. The Bucknell game and the excitement leading into the Delaware game needs to be re-captured in order to get a good Duke's contingent vs. Robert Morris in a few weeks.

Finishing Drives:
Duquesne has proven that they can move the ball against anyone in the country, including Delaware. They have to be able to finish drives since the battle of statistics doesn't win football games.

Keep a Balanced Attack:
With the running of Larry McCoy and the stable of targets Sean Patterson has the Dukes need to keep opponents guessing. Play calling is a huge key.

Confidence without Overconfidence:
Yes, Sacred Heart is 1-5. However, the Pioneers lost 3 games by 4 or less points including last week's to Bryant. The Duke's psyche may be damaged by last week's close loss to Central Connecticut and the unexplainable melt down the week before. They can't afford to take the Pioneers lightly, nor can they get down on themselves. This team has to remember that they came withing a heel on the back of the end-zone of an overtime game on the road against the team that may be the best in its conference. This team has guts. Last week they weren't reward by a few inches. Mental preparation will be vital in this game to get the Dukes back on track.


Prediction: Duquesne 27 - Sacred Heart 21

Dukes Come Back Rulled Out: 31-29 (By Curious)

My laptop died this morning, but thanks to "Curious" from the Football Forum, we have a pretty good wrap-up. The Dukes got two touchdowns late to pull within a 2 point conversion of tying the game up. An apparent successful conversion was ruled incomplete when the officials determined that Akeem Moore stepped out of the end zone before he came back to catch the ball from Sean Patterson. I'd give anything for a replay.

Good Things:

The Dukes' Two-Minute Offense

The Dukes' Never-Say-Die attitude

Larry McCoy

The Dukes' steadily improving Offensive Line

Eric Duale's FG consistency

The defense's growing ability to adjust and adapt

The Dukes' Kickoff Return team (and Freshman Ryan Ho)

Sean Patterson's confidence

Freshman Aaron Fleck and the improving Punt team

Coach Schmitt's patience with our QB

The Dukes' receiving corps

The Dukes' defense gang-tackling


Not-So-Good Things:

The Dukes' Red-Zone offense

Sean Patterson's unpredicability / accuracy issues

Eric Duale's kickoffs

Rushing defense still a work-in-progress

While improving, the Dukes' Punting game still needs work

Stupid penalties

Mental lapses in the defensive backfield


All that said...

Trying to put "homerism" aside, I TRULY feel that the Dukes can win each and every one of their upcoming games and finish the season at 8-3. Not only "can" win.... but WILL win. The Robert Morris game will be the toughest test, but I know the boys will be more than ready for whatever Bobby Mo throws at them.

No game in the NEC is a "gimme" this year, but I believe that the Dukes will go out and take them!

GO DUKES!

BAD DAY FOR DUKES

The sun was bright and the weather crisp on a perfect fall day at Duquesne. The crowd was large and excited about the good start to the young season. All seemed eight as the Dukes got ready to take on the previously winless Monmouth Hawks. Then the game started. Before the alumni had a chance to finish their pre-game perogis and find a good seat, the Hawks had a shocking 31-0 lead.

There is little to be gained by giving long a game recap here. Simply said, the Dukes were picked of 6 times.

• Sean Patterson, shaking off an ankle injury was pulled quickly and was clearly not on his game. He is still the same quarterback who hit Sean Bunovich in the closing seconds to beat Dayton. Patterson even injured, did lead one 51 yard drive to set up a 30 yard missed field goal.

• Marty Mitchell is a freshman who showed talent but was not used to the college game where the defensive backs all have more closing speed than the best he has faced in high school. Marty Mitchell proved his potential in the series when he hit TE Sean Bunovich on a sweat pitch and catch to set up a toss into the corner of the end zone to Connor Dixon.

• Ryan Ho is an electrifying kick returner who could have put the Dukes back in the game in the second half with an amazing return within inches of the goal line.

• Concerning the opening 1 yard drive of the second half: All three tries from the 1 yard line may have been inches over or inches short depending upon a spot from the referee who had no benefit of replay or a clear view on the goal line through the tangle of bodies.

• The coaching staff needed to set the tone that all chances to get back into the game should be taken rather than playing to lose by a more respectable margin. When you are down by so much every point counts. I would have taken another down to get the touchdown. By going for the field goal, you are telling your team that you don’t think they can do it.

• Duquesne also showed the same fear on their next possession. With 7:21 left in the game and down by 20, Duquesne punted on a fourth and 3. Needing three touchdowns, the Dukes refused to gamble to keep the ball. Even though they held the Hawks to a three and out, they lost 2 minutes of the 7 they had left.

• Both of Monmouth’s field goals seemed to slide over the cross bar.

Opinion time:

This team must learn about what they have inside. I think that they have character. On days when nothing goes right, you can either come back and correct mistakes and hit it harder next week or you can decide that all is lost.

Duquesne wasn't as bad as it played and Monmouth wasn't that good. If the same two teams play again, Duquesne would be able to beat this team.

THIS SEASON IS FAR FROM OVER. Attitude and confidence are everything. If you think that this season is over, then you must be a loser or a fan from another team trying to poison the Duke's attitude.

DUQUESNE-MONMOUTH PREDICTION

After three games, I think that we know what type of team Duquesne is. They are VERY capable through the air with a talented stable of wide receivers (Dixon, Williams, Moore and company), a tight end (Bunovich) who may be waiting for a break-out game, a back who now expects 100 yards per game (McCoy) and a back who can come out of the backfield (Bair) to have to cover. Patterson is coming into his own and if healthy, seems able to make good decisions to employ all of these weapons and can be a threat to run himself.

They have a close win at home over a lower level Patriot Team in Bucknell, a very good Dayton Team, were not shamed by an FCS Team that could be the best in the nation (Delaware) and beat an Albany Team that is always in the running to win the NEC.

After three losses (Monmouth was off last week to re-group), I don't think even Monmouth knows what they have as a team. Their first loss was away to an upper level Patriot Team (Colgate), were leading and gained respect against a CAA Team (Maine) and lost to an Old Dominion Team that for some reason is ranked ahead of many BCS Teams by the RPI Index. Monmouth and the NEC still don't know the pecking order of this season.

Monmouth can move the ball on the ground and through the air averaging 106 and 260 yards respectively and 18 First Downs per game against some good teams. Defensively, they seemed average, but again against good opponents.

If Patterson starts, expect Duquesne to win in a shoot-out. If he is not able to go, we have an unknown and untested laser-armed freshman to back up and Duquesne will be more conservative.

PREDICTION: If Patterson plays, Duquesne 31, Monmouth 27.
If he doesn't, ??????

Prediction record to date- 4-0, 100%

On Sean Doherty

I never had the pleasure of meeting Sean Doherty in person but I feel like I had known him for years. As Sports Editor at WDUQ and color commentator with Ray Goss, he shared my love of Duquesne Athletics specifically and sports in general. The man proved that with the right attitude, nothing could ever stop you from enjoying life with a passion and pursuing your goals no matter what the odds.

The man is a continuing inspiration to all of us and perhaps belongs in the Duquesne Sports Hall of Fame.

See:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_542110.html

Dukes Bite Back Over Albany 28-17

It is a rewarding experience for this Duquesne Football team and their fans to tame the big dog that had bitten them a few times in the past.

Beginning with the most painful bite this team has suffered in recent memory, the Albany Great Danes beat a seemingly unstoppable 11-0 Duquesne team that was one of the few non-scholarship teams ever ranked in the national 1-AA/FCB Ranking systems. Going into the 2002 ECAC Bowl Game, the Dukes were entertaining thoughts of being the first “mid-major” to have a legitimate chance to gain an invitation to the NCAA 1-AA Tournament. That dream ended in the cold slush at a field in Albany where the weather and the Danes grounded a powerful Duquesne aerial attack 22-0 and pushed the Dukes back out of the national rankings.

The next meeting came during Duquesne’s first season in the NEC when the Dukes and Albany played a fantastic game that seemed to be a preview of what could become a classic NEC rivalry. Duquesne won the battle of the statistics in that one while the Danes won the battle on the scoreboard 33-23.

Last year was one game of a season of injuries that the Dukes are trying to forget as Albany dominated 55-10.

But this year, you can just see this team's confidence and experience building as the Dukes downed NEC power Albany for the first time in 4 tries. There are many kudos to go around on both offense and defense.

Sean Patterson and Conner Dixon who last year were competing for time as starting quarterback are now cooperating as members of a passing attack that is starting to wake up echoes of the traditional Duquesne style offense. Dixon threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns while Dixon brought in 7 catches. Other teams remember Dixon as a passer, but Delaware fans (who should know) commented numerous times that Dixon may be good enough to turn pro as a receiver. Dave Williams caught 3 for 106 yards to keep pace with Dixon as Akeem Moore came back after injury to pull in a key 45 yard reception to set up one of Duquesne’s scores. The Dixon/Moore story should be the subject of a Newman/Redford movie some day.

But one thing that the Dukes now have is a powerful runner to balance and free up the passing game. Larry McCoy had his first 100 yard game of the year running for 123 yards. It was that running game that the Dukes needed back in 2002 when Josh Rue (later with AZ Cardinals) was declared ineligible for that season. The line play on both sides showed that Duquesne has caught up with the two year head start that the other NEC teams had in granting scholarships, Blocking back Marek Lapinski’s first carry of the year went for a well deserved touchdown.

On defense, Serge Kona forced a Dane fumble that was recovered by Alex Inda at the Albany 34. McCoy took the ball on a forth down carry 24 yards to put the Dukes on the board first. Kona later picked off a Dan Di Lella pass as did Dionte Wade which set up Duquesne’s final score. Kona actually tied tackling machine Nathan Totino with 7 stops each.

Eric Dule converted on all PAT’s but missed a 34 yard attempt that had the distance. Duquesne seemed to be making progress with their punting and kicking game last week at Delaware, but their punting game slid back again.

Next week, October 2, is Homecoming for the Dukes at Rooney Field at 1:00 on WMNY and Redzone Media.

Road Warriors? The Dukes will face their toughest remaining four opponents all on the road.

Duquesne/Albany: Expect a Close One

I don't see a replay of last year's game.

Dukes on offense: Even though the score didn't indicate it, Duquesne moved the ball well on offense against one of the CAA's best defenses. They racked up considerably more yardage than Top Twenty South Dakota did on Delaware; moving the ball within Delaware's 15 three times and down to the 1 on a team that hasn't given up a TD since last year. Albany's defense will not be easy, but Duquesne should score enough with a balanced attack. Patterson is not your average soph QB and seems to be coming into his own. Dixon shouldn't be throwing up on the sidelines and Moore should be able to go to give Sean plenty to throw to. McCoy, if he get 22 carries could go over 100 yards and Bair is developing into a real alternative out of the backfield to compliment the receiving corps. Duquesne must establish the run to set up room for them.

Dukes on Defense: The Dukes gave up 30 points two weeks in a row, but shouldn't do so again. Albany is certainly better on offense than the inexperienced Bison Team from week one and will get their due, but I don't see them wearing out a much deeper defense as they have done before to the Dukes. Mike P. has proven to be a force in the middle with some added muscle which has not slowed him down. The Duke's linebackers should be the key in this one.

Special Teams: Duquesne needs to continue to show progress here as they did against Delaware. This will not be a strength this year, but we can't give up too much field position. The "Mule", Eric Dule pleasantly surprised me with his 41 yard field goal last week.

Prediction: Duquesne 27, Albany 19 with a late Duquesne TD to salt it away.

Dukes Get Hen Pecked: 30-6

The box score reads that the Delaware Blue Hens beat the Duquesne Dukes 30-6.

Sometimes the final score is not the most important outcome in a game.

Yes, the objective in any game should be to win. And yes, this may sound like a Mr. Rodgers’ feel good way of comforting a loser. However, nobody can accuse the Duquesne football team of being losers in the game taking on one of the best FCS teams in the nation in one of the best FCS facilities this level of football will ever produce.

This game wasn’t the normal measuring stick that the Dukes have used to evaluate their program. Just a few years ago, the Dukes’ biggest game was playing a Patriot League team from the middle of the pack. In their first game of the season, the Dukes proved again this year they have cleared that hurdle by beating Bucknell for the second consecutive year.

Their second game was against the best program in the “”non-scholarship” sector of FCS. Again, Duquesne has shown they can win at that level by beating a very good Dayton team that technically is non-scholarship, but has a well funded endowment that bypasses traditional school-funded scholarships. In these games, winning was the only acceptable objective.

In Duquesne’s third game of the season, the objective was to prove to themselves that they are a legitimate FCS team that has outgrown the patronizing title of being a “mid-major”. Given the quality of opponent and traveling to their turf, the Dukes can say that they did just that.

By all national ranking systems, Delaware is the legitimate peer of fellow CAA members Massachusetts, Villanova, Richmond and James Madison. Massachusetts gave 20th Ranked BCS Michigan all they could handle at Michigan. James Madison beat a BCS Virginia Tech team that had aspirations of a national championship going into the season. Villanova, recently invited to join the BCS Big East, won the FCS Championship last year while another CAA member, Richmond won it all the year before. Delaware got all the way to the championship game the year before that before being stopped in their quest for a second FCS Championship in 5 years.

This wasn’t St. Peter’s, Canisius and Fairfield the Dukes were playing. Still the Dukes accomplished the following;

• The Dukes gained an impressive 326 total yards on the vaunted Delaware defense, considerably more than nationally ranked South Dakota state was able to manufacture. SDSU had only 25 on 17 carries. Delaware is ranked #1 in the nation in scoring defense and
• The Dukes not only moved the ball, they showed some ball control by actually possessing the ball longer than the Blue Hens 32:19 to 27:41. This was not due to Delaware getting quick scores through the air. They ground out the game with only 9 passes.
• Duquesne would drive to within the Hens 15 three times and to within a yard of scoring the first touchdown of the season against Delaware. Delaware entered the Duquesne Red Zone three times as well, but was able to finish their drives.
• The Dukes outgained Delaware in the first quarter 109-27 but trailed due to a tipped pick for six.
• The Dukes gained 140 yards rushing and averaged over 4.5 yards per carry against a large and talented defensive line. Delaware had given up only 1.3 yards per carry at 64 yards on 48 attempts in their first two games.
• Duquesne converted on 7 of 18 third downs.
• Duquesne generated 5 more first downs (16) than did nationally ranked South Dakota State against the Blue Hens.
• The Duquesne kicking game showed the improvement it needed when Eric Dule converted a career long 41 yard field goal as well as improving their punting average per kick.

Most of all, the Dukes seemed to believe that they had a good chance to compete at this level. Although the Dukes didn’t win, their progress as measured against a team that will challenge for the FCS Title in front of the biggest hostile crowd the Dukes have faced since the 1950’s shows that they belong.

Duquesne's first two series in this game dictated the extent of the win for Delaware. First, Tyrone Grant took in a tipped pass off the hands of Conner Dixon as Duquesne was moving the ball well and returned it for a 45 yard touchdown. Next, Duquesne failed to ram the ball in from Delaware’s 1 yard line on repeated attempts. This would have been the first touchdown Delaware allowed this year. This extended back for 13 quarters. There was a third important stop when Delaware ended another Duquesne drive with an interception 2 yards from the goal line.

NOTES: Delaware is ranked #1 in the Nation in Scoring Defense and Total Defense. They were also ranked 8th in the Nation in Running Offense. They returned 8 offensive and 8 defensive starters from last year. Conner Dixon caught 8 passes for 118 yards, both career highs. Akeem Moore missed the game with a sprained ankle.

NEXT WEEK: Albany at Noon at Rooney Field on WMNY.

The Delaware Game Prediction

Delaware will probably keep the ball on the ground for most of the game since their starting quarterback has a broken wrist (non-throwing hand). They probably will take Payton Award Nominee Pat Devlin out if they get a sizable lead.

The Dukes will try to mix it up more, but expect Sean Patterson to have at least 40 attempts with considerable play action and runs from their mobile quarterback. The Delaware run defense is just that good and proved it against a ranked opponent last week. They have yet to face a mobile quarterback and the Dukes may see what they can do to keep the Delaware pocket contain honest. The Duquesne wide outs and tight end are are good but will miss Akeem More if he isn't ready to play. Look for more of Billy Bair out of the backfield.

The Duke's defense was not tested in the Bucknell game due to the lack of Bison experience, but faced another Payton Award candidate last week vs Dayton and did well enough to win. They will probably try to stack the line in anticipation of Delaware not wanting Devlin to take any hits in the pocket. Duquesne did put pressure on Dayton last week with a couple of sacks.

The Dukes would have a better chance if they can improve their special team play. Duquesne gave away too much filed position to both Bucknell and Dayton. they will not be able to get away with this against the Blue Hens. The return game is one of Delaware's strengths.

This is Duquesne's first road game of the season... and what a road game! They will probably play in front of the biggest crowd to witness a Duquesne game since the 1950's.

Prediction- Duquesne will show some early game jitters and give up two quick scores but will remember how to come back as they did against Dayton as Delaware takes its foot off the gas a bit. The home crowd and talent of Delaware will prevail but the Dukes will surprise.

I hope I'm wrong about the winner, but... Delaware 34, Duquesne 20.

Delaware Fans Rock!

I have been running the Duquesne Football Forum and Blog for a while now and I can't ever recall having more interaction between our fans and those of the opposition. They have at time been gracious, cocky (but not obnoxious), and most of all passionate about their football. Take a look at some of the pictures of the Delaware games posted on the Forum.

I hope that this game is competitive and leads to many others as Duquesne expands its program.

Heady Thoughts on the Delaware Game

I know that Duquesne has had a history of holding its own as it is "playing up" against programs with better facilities and higher rated scholarship players. I remember beating teams like Lafayette, VMI, Bucknell and others.

This game against Delaware is different. It is a sign that we are now where we have been pushing to for quite some time. Delaware is a member of the CAA, the best FCS Conference in the nation. Not only that, they rank second by Sagarin in their conference only to James Madison who defeated Virginia Tech this weekend. The same Virginia Tech team that had thoughts of a BCS national championship coming into the season.

Delaware is ranked ahead of New Hampshire, the same CAA team that held its own against Pitt on Saturday... The same Pitt team that hopes to win the Big East... The same Pitt team that also scheduled Delaware twice in the next few years.

Albany has led the way for the NEC in playing teams from the CAA and has held its own. They are scheduled to play Cincinnati soon. Other NEC members have followed and have not been embarrassed. Monmouth was leading Maine, another CAA team on Saturday. I was listening the the Maine announcers who agreed that the NEC has done themselves proud in how far they have come.

Dorothy, we aren't in Kansas anymore...

One last comment- As a sign of how far we have come- It is now Sunday, 9/12 at 10:30 a.m. There have been more hits to this blog today since midnight by far than any other day since the Football Blog started. Thanks for reading!

Reprinted from the Duquesne Football Forum

Healthy Dukes Dump Dayton 35-31

Perhaps no one except the coach from Duquesne could predict whether Duquesne or Dayton would emerge as the last one standing in one of the most entertaining counter-punching games ever at Rooney Field.

Duquesne Coach Jerry Schmitt revealed his clue to the outcome in a thoughtful comment going into the game. He asserted that what had ruined last year’s season may provide the key to being strong enough to come back and beat a very good Dayton team. His point was dramatically proven by the Duke’s last touchdown from Sean Patterson to TE Sean Bunevich with only 21 seconds remaining in the game after Dayton had just taken the lead less than a minute before.

Bunevich, you see, had to sit out last season with injuries. Patterson, last year’s third string quarterback was pressed into starting two games which may have given him the savvy to bring the Dukes back twice when Dayton appeared to be about ready to pull away from them.

Patterson stood toe to toe with Dayton’s Senior Walter Payton Award Candidate, QB Steve Valentino. The Payton Award is the FCS equivalent to the Heisman. Valentino didn’t disappoint the large contingent of Flyer fans making the 3 hour trip from Dayton, going 22 for 32 for 248 yards. Patterson did even better with his game winning toss completing a 27 for 40, 326 yard performance.

Schmitt was proven correct again by making a decision to move Conner Dixon from quarterback to flanker. Dixon, who many picked to be the next record setting quarterback for Duquesne pulled in 7 catches for 77 yards. Fellow Michigan State transfer, Dave Williams kept pace with Dixon with 7 catches as well for 63 yards. Both Dixon and Williams joined more than half of last year’s starters in missing playing time due to injuries. The Dukes at full strength are proving that they have learned to overcome adversity and challenge.

The first big challenge of the game came after Dayton’s potent offense jumped out to a 21-7 lead just before the end of the first half. Patterson led the Dukes for two quick touchdowns to pull Duquesne back into the game. Running back Larry McCoy gained 84 yards and ran for two touchdowns to balance Duquesne’s attack. Nothing equaled the last challenge met by this Duquesne team in their last drive to win the game as the clock wound down. Coach Schmitt and the Dukes have learned that past adversity can sometimes be a blessing.

Duquesne’s defense actually played well against the potent Flyer offense led, as usual by Nathan Totino’s 8 stops and a fumble recovery.

NOTES: Duquesne visits Nationally Ranked Delaware next week at 6:00 p.m. Delaware has scheduled Pitt twice in the next few seasons. Dayton is the favorite to win the Pioneer Conference this year and came into the game as the highest ranked opponent according to the College Football RPI.

FCS Football

The Bucknell game was a great example of the fantastic product FCS Football can be. I've been to countless high school, college and pro games in my life and I can honestly say I enjoy the FCS college level the best. There is a particular "smell" of spoiled and pampered pro or even FBS athlete that I don't like. High school ball can be exciting, but even Quad A ball shows a limited playbook and level of competition.

As Duquesne and the NEC develop, the area now has a legitimate level of football it didn't have before. Like the bowls of porridge, FCS football is "just right".

Dukes Open 2010: Down Bucknell 17-13

Duquesne opened its 2010 Season well, scoring on its first possession and holding Bucknell to three and out on theirs. Sophomore QB Patterson’s 8 yard touchdown run and their following drive from their own 15 to the Bison 25 brought back memories of the past high scoring contests that typified Duquesne’s openers with Bucknell. The two teams had begun up 9 of the past 14 years against each other averaging 30 points apiece in high scoring back and forth affairs with Bucknell mostly coming out on top. This year’s game would be different. Patterson threw his only interception of the game to end the drive as the two teams settled down into a more controlled defensive game. The Duquesne defense held the young Bucknell offense to two field goals with their only touchdown coming on an 89 yard kickoff return by Tyler Smith in the 3rd quarter.

Bucknell's best drive of the game came on a long 10 minute grinding drive to start the second quarter. The Bison converted on a fourth down to get within the Duquesne 10 yard line but the Duquesne defense batted away two passes from there to hold the Bison to a 22 yard field goal.

The second half also could have started well for the Dukes as they came close to recovering the ball inside the Bucknell 5 yard line on a vicious hit on the Bucknell punt returner. The hit was ruled a split second too early and Bucknell held onto the ball with a 15 yard penalty against the Dukes for not letting the returner have a fair chance to catch the ball. Bucknell could not move the ball from there with Alex Inda forcing a fumble at the Bison 20. Larry McCoy ran three times to Bucknell 11 and Duquesne elected to send in Eric Dule to convert a 29 yard field goal putting the Dukes up 10-3.

That is when Tyler Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown to even the score 10-10. Duquesne seemed to have all of the lanes filled as Smith repeated kept emerging from being boxed in.

Patterson quickly led the Dukes back hitting Dave Williams and Akeem Moore on a 76 yard drive ending with a 9 yard toss to Williams to put the Dukes back up by 7 at 17-10. Duquesne Coach Jerry Schmidt said after the game that”Patterson has worked hard and prepared well to gain command of the offense.”

The Duquesne defense pressured the Bison all game with a frenzied defensive formation with most of the linebackers and defensive line jockeying in and out without going down into a three point stance before the snap.

Bucknell’s fourth quarter drive into Duquesne’s was pushed down field by 30 yards by two ill advised hits by Duquesne. Brice Robertson was hit well before he could catch a fourth quarter punt and a Bucknell receiver after he went out of bounds. Unlike the earlier hit on a Bucknell punt returner for catching interference, the hit on Robertson was well before he had a chance to pull in the punt.

Duquesne’s defense finished extremely well as the game came down to a final Bucknell drive with just over three minutes left. They stood strong stopping the Bison at the Duquesne 39 yard line on a fourth and 2 roll out by Bison QB Burke Battan.

Notes: -Since 1992, the Dukes have won all of their season openers except for the six losses against the Bison.

-Rooney Field was filled with standing room only with an announced crowd of 2240. There could have been more that saw the game as fans filled the edges of the field beyond the designated seating areas.

-The Duquesne/Bucknell game was broadcast across the nation as the Sirius Satellite Radio FCS Game of the Week. Gino Communications had the game giving Dave Saba the job of setting up for three radio broadcasts from the press box.

-Long time Duquesne radio voice Alex Panormious showed up in great shape for the opener looking like he did some pre-season conditioning.

-Next week the Dukes play at home again at Noon against the tough Dayton Flyers who downed Robert Morris yesterday 28-14.

Duquesne's 1894 Football Record Found

The results of some of Duquesne's earliest Football games was unearthed in a December 9, 1894 article in the Pittsburg Press. The article reported that the team was developing nicely under the direction of Coach Dr. G. S. Proctor and captained by right end "Diebold". As with most early college teams, the school played mostly athletic clubs until organized by the NCAA. Scores are reported as follows:

W/L Date PF Opponent PA Location

W 1894 6 Hazelwood 0
W 1894 28 Non-parells 6
L 1894 4 Oakmont 8
W 1894 48 A.A.A.A.’s 0
T 1894 - Beaver Falls - Beaver Falls (Reported without score)
W 1894 - Greensburg - (Reported without score)
W 1894 4 Westmoreland Co. 0
W 1894 44 Bellevue 0
W 1894 14 Beaver Falls 0
L 1894 0 Vigilants 12 Martins Ferry

Note- Duquesne was known as the Pittsburgh College of the Holy Ghost until 1911.

Making Tough $ Decisions

As much as I hate to profit from the loss of the baseball, men's swimming, golf, and wrestling teams, the program really did need to get more full time coaches. There were a couple of threads here along those lines in the past.

Too bad we couldn't keep lower level "cost containment" baseball, swimming, golf and wrestling programs by playing as independents against local colleges. Playing CMU, Washington & Jefferson and RMU would have been ok by me rather than losing the teams. (Less travel budget, scholarships and part time coaches.) Was this option explored?

The travel budgets alone must have been huge to go to all the A-10 school from St. Louis to Charlotte to RI.

I wish we could have found a way to keep these teams and there will no doubt be a club team for golf, but the administration made a tough decision I would not have wanted to make.

Now the football team and basketball teams need to show that the decision worth the sacrifice.