COFFEE's DUQUESNE DUKES FOOTBALL PAGE©

2026-02-18T11:12:00.000-05:00

Duquesne Dukes, 1898 (6-4-1) .

Then called The Pittsburgh College of the Holy Ghost.

DUQUESNE'S 1896 SEASON UNDER COACH "RAGS" BROWN"

2026-02-17T15:20:00.011-05:00

Here's a trivia question that not many Duquesne Football fans will be able to answer. Which Duquesne Team won more games in one season thqn any other? Well, admittedly this is kind of a trick question because the 1896 Edition of the Dukes were not called the "Duquesne" Dukes. Until 1911, the school was known as The Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost. The answer is the 1896 team under Coach Ernest "Rags" Brown.

Rags guided the Dukes to a 12-1 record. Second place goes to Greg "Back on the Bluff" Gattuso's 2002 Team that went 11-1. Greg had three other double didget teams with 10 wins in 1995, 1996 and 2000. Dan McCann's 1973 team won 10 as did Elmer Layden's 1933 team. Regardless, we've ranked the 1886 team at #12 all time.

To be fair, Rags' team didn't face all collegiate opponants and some undefeated Duquesne teams never played up to 10 games in a season. All college football records from that era were mixtures of collegiate and club teams but most schools list these games as part of their historic records including Duquesne and Pitt (then Western University of Pennsylvania and before that Pittsburgh Academy). Rags' had wins over "Our Boys" and The Park Institute while Washington and Jefferson College played the early Dukes often.

There are some early games vs. early Pitt that will be a subject for future posts. Rags was quite a Pre-20th Century athlete who not only coached the Dukes but played halfback for them as well. The Pittsburg Post explains how Ernest got his nickname. Brown...

"...went through P.A.C.'s line, though one of his ears was half torn off, and he was compelled to bandage his entire head. These bandages often becoming loose and flying about his head caused the spectators to nickname him "Rags," which has stuck to him ever since."

Prior to coaching on the Bluff, Rags also was an early coach for the Georgia Bulldogs and played for a number of club teams and originally played for Cornell.

DUQUESNE TO PLAY WVU FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1935 But Media has All Time Record Wrong!

2018-08-16T17:39:00.001-04:00

Duquesne is set to play West Virginia in football in 2023, yes FOOTBALL, for the first time since 1935. HOWEVER, all the media reports have the all time WVU-Duquesne Football series record wrong. ESPN and other sources have WVU leading the series 4-3-1 but they are forgetting the first game on November 21, 1896 that Duquesne (then Pittsburgh College of the Holy Ghost) won 6-0. The series is TIED 4-4-1.

ROONEY FIELD OR HIGHMARK STADIUM?

2018-03-18T11:07:00.000-04:00

I'll never forget the disappointment I felt the day I went back on campus to see the renovated Rooney Field and saw them it seated even less than it did before. The visiting soccer team was making fun of the not so grandstands and Central Catholic then announced it could no longer play there.

I'm sure recruits are not impressed when they see the stands compared to their high school stadiums. Going there with friends doesn't feel like a real college game particularly when they also then cut the marching band. Halftime was a guy, a dog, and a frisbee.

I know that there is an advantage playing on campus but unless they make Rooney into more than a practice field we aren't going to attract more fans for a real college experience.

I suggest we play at least one game at Highmark stadium, possibly the Robert Morris game there as we play Pitt at PPG each year. Himark is a showpiece of a small but "big league" stadium.

See what the games attract there. The shuttle bus trip from campus is short and celebrating on the south side after is a consideration.

I'll start a poll.

Below- Photoshopped Rooney with just a few more seats as it should be!

DUKES PLAY 2 BCS TEAMS IN 2018

2018-01-27T18:00:00.003-05:00

2018 DUQUESNE DUKES SCHEDULE
Duquesne plays two BCS teams next year, opening at UMass in Amherst on Saurday, Aug 25 and then later traveling to the islands to play the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on September 22.

http://www.fbschedules.com/2016/08/hawaii-duquesne-2018-football-schedule/

http://www.gazettenet.com/UMass-football-adds-two-Big-Ten-games-to-2019-schedule-10128762
More to come...

Date
08/25/18 atMassachusetts Amherst, Mass.
09/01/18 vs.Lock Haven Rooney Field
09/08/18 vs.Valparaiso Rooney Field
09/15/18 vs.Dayton Rooney Field
09/22/18 atHawaii Honolulu, Hawaii
10/06/18 vs.Bryant University * Rooney Field
10/13/18 vs.Robert Morris * Rooney Field
10/20/18 atSaint Francis (PA) * Loretto, Pa.
11/03/18 atWagner * Staten Island, N.Y.
11/10/18 vs.Sacred Heart * Rooney Field
11/17/18 atCentral Connecticut * New Britain, Conn.

ITS TIME TO INTRODUCE DUQUESNE TO A NEW GENERATION

2018-01-14T10:13:00.001-05:00

It's time to do our part... The La Salle game was absolutely one of the best games I've ever seen at the Palumbo.

I saw a look of determination and defiance in the team that was not there for the last 5 years. They could have made more free throws but sometimes, you just miss. They would not accept defeat.

With Pitt down this year and a city proven to come out for good college basketball, it's time to kidnap a friend, neighbor, family member or stranger to get them to a game at the Palumbo to appreciate this new attitude and Pittsburgh work ethic.

I know that he weather was bad yesterday but this team noticed the fan support and deserves even more!

This applies to both football and basketball. Time to add a few seats to the patio to make Rooney Field look like more than a practice field for the fans.

We finally have a great product to back. The university did what it should to get KD here. Time to stop bitching and start promoting. Bring them once and they'll come back on their own!

NEC CHAMPION DUKES NCAA PLAYOFF BOUND: FIGHT BACK VS ST. FRANCIS 30-20

2015-11-21T15:43:00.002-05:00

Duquesne finally got the NEC Championship all to themselves and travel to the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the first time in program history next week against Colonial Champion William and Mary at 3:30 in Williamsburg.

The 30-20 win of St.Francis is certainly historic for being the first one to send them to the NCAAs... But to fans unaware of the program's history the press coverage is making it sound the the past hasn't born any other fruits of note.

The only thing I don't like about the press coverage is that it sounds like the Dukes winning a conference title is a new thing. Duquesne has won or shared 14 titles in the last 21 years. Duquesne going to the Orange Bowl, Palms, and turning down the Sugar and Sun Bowl invitations are ancient history now.

Hopefully, this win can help the new AD give this program what it needs. The players, fans and staff deserve it and the potential is there. I'm so tired of hearing "where are the crowds?" when they cut a marching band and put in 2000 seats to make a practice field in comparison to local high school and our competition's facilities.

This win can be that stepping stone to that next level by giving the new AD some great ammunition. Her's hoping he has the vision. More seats will bring more seats and a band makes a big difference.

LET'GO DUQUESNE! Bring home the NEC's first NCAA win!

For My Fellow Dukes ...

2015-11-18T16:01:00.001-05:00

Written by Robert Edward Healy, III, media professor at Duquesne (football, 2001-04):

Saturday is less than a week away. But, for some of us, this has been coming for quite some time.

As the saying goes, "Great moments are born from great opportunity," and Saturday is a tremendous opportunity — one that's been fought for, that we gave our sweat and blood for. It's been earned.

This isn't just for the Dukes playing this Saturday; this is for every Duke. We've all had a hand in this. Every block. Every catch. Every tackle. Every point-after. Every year.

The NCAA conducts only one ... (read more)

WINNER TAKE ALL NEXT WEEK VS ST. FRANCIS!

2015-11-15T09:36:00.002-05:00

Bryant's loss to Sacred Heart sets up a winner take all game next week at Rooney vs St. Francis for the NEC Championship and a trip to the FCS Playoffs! LET'S GO DUQUESNE!

NEW QB SAYS GOOD BYE TO OLD NEC FOE ALBANY 35-24

2013-09-02T09:49:00.001-04:00

Red shirt Frosh quarterback Dillon Buechel started his Duquesne career with an impressive 21 for 28, 309 yard performance. Buechel spread the ball around to 8 different receivers while delivering 2 touchdowns from the air. Most impressive, was the non-freshman like poise he showed against a strong Albany team that has just moved up to the CAA Conference to offer more scholarships than the Northeast Conference. Although the games were always competitive, the Dukes had only beaten the Danes once in four prior attempts.
Duquesne played a solid all-round game with the odd exception of their secondary that allowed a number of long completions which prompted Bob Ford to comment that he would have thrown deep more often if he had to game plan all over again, This is Ford's last year leading one of the most successful FCS programs.
Next Saturday the Dukes take on another familiar out-of conference rival in Dayton.
New Broadcast Home: The Dukes stepped up a bit in broadcast power by moving their radio flagship station to 1320 WJAS from 1360 WMNY. WJAS broadcasts at 7,000 watts while WMNY has a 5,000 transmitter. Redzone continues to stream the games- Links are included to the right of the main column on this blog.

It's just a game...

2012-12-15T09:41:00.001-05:00

I have been a sports fan from my earliest memories. My strongest memories are of sports I played or watched. I will never forget the punch in the gut I felt when my mother woke me up on New Years Day to tell me that Roberto Clemente's plane was lost and he may never be coming back. I was lucky enough to have a best friend who's dad worked at Three Rivers which got me in to see Clemente's 3000th as on unofficial guest three months earlier.

I can replay a specific play from baseball or football in my mind exactly the way it happened after decades when I find it hard to remember a name of someone I should. The feelings of elation or dissappointment come rushing back intensely. For example, I can recall that there were maple tree leaves in the backstop when I went back to get a wild pitch and still threw out a runner at second base. I can still see my football spikes in the air as I was horse collared after a catch. I got a concussion on that play and remember I took three step after catching the ball but I could not tell the coach at the time what month it was when I got up.

Before I attended Duquesne my favorite college team of course was Pitt. I can remember being upset when the Dukes handed the Panthers their lunch or pulled out a close one. I can also remember the games at the cavernous Civic Arena I would go to on a free student ticket when my evening classes were over. I rarely saw the start of the games then. I recall clearly the high rainbow three pointers from Emmit Sellers or Rick Suder over taller opposition.

I remember listening to the radio or watching a football game and cheering for kids like Dave Loya slaying much bigger giants on the football field. I work with Dave now and part of me still sees the kid they called "streach" when he played at East Allegheny and Duquesne. I will forever regret the unfortunate weather during the "Ice Bowl" at Albany when a perfect season was lost.

Although I was not alive at the time, I feel the pride of Duquesne's Massey Ratings National Championship under Buff Donelli. I discovered the rating while doing research for this blog, publicized it here and now it is in the University's PR but not as much as it should be.

I've been away from this blog for a while but am still a huge Duquesne fan even though I promised myself I'd back away for the sake of my own mental health.

I, like you if you are reading this, still have red and blue blood. I always will even after making the effort to walk away. I miss Ron Everhart and wish him well with my appreciation for re-awakening a forgotten tradition. I wish Jim Ferry now well too. I don't think I have ever been so hopefull or more dissapointed in a human being than in T.J McConnell when he ran out before last season.

I have had my heart filled when the Dukes split the NEC Championship and had it deflated last year when the team held so much promise to get to the NCAAs. I fanticize about the Dukes some day playing Pitt again on the turf.

My wife gets upset when I spent hours writing for this blog or if I have to read every article I can get on the internet about last night's game before I get to my to-do list.

Why?

It is just a game, isn't it?

DUKES DOWN DAYTON 17-7

2012-09-09T17:13:00.002-04:00

The Duquesne Dukes showed that this year's team could suck it up when it counts by combining the best of those returning with a promising crop of newcomers. The Dukes again were able to pull out a close win against the one team in the nation that may be even more of a rival than Robert Morris, the Dayton Flyers. Their traditional foe from the Atlantic 10 plays and travels well each year they come to Rooney Field and seemed to be on the verge of taking the game in the fourth quarter before an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty took away a score that would have made it a

OLD DOMINION OUTLASTS THE DUKES

2012-09-09T10:31:00.003-04:00

Some Thoughts on the Old Dominion Game: • The final score did not reflect the closeness of the game. It’s a shame that those not watching the game wouldn’t know that the Dukes led the Number 6 (or 8) team in the nation 20-10 at the half. • Honestly, neither did the half time score reflect the fact that The Monarchs were dominating on both sides of the ball. The defensive strategy of “bend don’t break” was brilliantly executed. • The game really turned on the two Patterson interceptions in the second half. Duquesne’s defense bent didn’t break but did run out of gas from being on the field too long. The Dukes seemed to try to rotate their defensive line/linebacker corps but were missing one vital cog- Dorian Bell. Bell’s difference-maker with his speed would have fit is perfectly with Dave Opfar’s strategy of masking who was rushing and who would drop into coverage. The extra fresh body would have made a difference too. • The Dukes had absolutely no pressure on Todd Heinicke. Bell would have been the one to outmaneuver his way to the quarterback. The defensive coverage really played well but could not cover for ever. • The Dukes really should have gone for a touchdown at the goal line at the end of the first half. You don’t get many chances to get that close. The message to the offense was “I don’t believe in you”. Of course, this is hind-sight and if they didn’t get the points, I probably would be writing the opposite. That is the best thing about this job. • Finally, hanging in with a team that is due to move to the BCS for 3 quarters is a great accomplishment, no matter what the final score was. Yes, I'm back. Dayton game summary later today.

THE SPORTS NETWORK PICKS DUQUESNE #1 IN 2012

2012-03-06T13:37:00.012-05:00

The Sports Network has chosen our Duquesne Dukes as the team to beat in the Northeast Conference next year. TSN calls the NEC a wide-open race with the Duke's biggest challenges coming at home vs. Albany and Monmouth and away vs. Bryant.

Click on the TSN image above for the story.

Duquesne football will try to build off a Northeast Conference co-championship last season in its 11-game 2012 schedule.

The Dukes will play five home games, including a Nov. 10 match-up against Albany. The two programs shared the 2011 NEC title, but the Great Danes earned the conference's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs as a result of their win in the head-to-head meeting.

Duquesne also will host Dayton (Sept. 8) in non-conference action and NEC opponents Saint Francis (Sept. 29, Homecoming), Sacred Heart (Oct. 20) and Monmouth (Oct. 27).

The Dukes will open the season at Old Dominion on Sept. 1 and also go to Valparaiso on Sept. 15. In NEC action, they will travel to Bryant (Sept. 22), Central Connecticut State (Oct. 13), Robert Morris (Nov. 3) and Wagner (Nov. 17).

The Dukes won their final five games to finish 9-2, including 7-1 in the NEC, last season. Head coach Jerry Schmitt is entering his eighth season.

2012 DUQUESNE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 1, at Old Dominion, Norfolk, Va.
Sept. 8, DAYTON, Pittsburgh, noon
Sept. 15, at Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Ind.
Sept. 22, at Bryant*, Smithfield, R.I., 1 p.m.
Sept. 29, SAINT FRANCIS* (Homecoming), Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Oct. 13, at Central Connecticut State*, New Britain, Conn.
Oct. 20, SACRED HEART*, Pittsburgh, noon
Oct. 27, MONMOUTH*, Pittsburgh, noon
Nov. 3, Robert Morris*, Moon Township, Pa.
Nov. 10, ALBANY*, Pittsburgh, noon
Nov. 17, at Wagner*, Staten Island, N.Y.
* - Northeast Conference game

~TO THE DUQUESNE DUKES RECRUITING CLASS OF 2012~

2012-02-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

You are joining a Championship Team at an excellent university with a football tradition going back to 1891. The team has been declared #1 in the Nation among all collegiate programs and then cut from existence. It has won major bowl games such as the Orange Bowl and has played teams ranging from Alabama to Allegheny County Community College after being reborn as a club.

It has steadily grown in stature after its rebirth and has, with your own contribution, fantastic potential.

Please take time to learn some of the tradition you are about to become part of. We wish you well as students and as athletes. No matter what is printed here or on the Football Forum, know that your fans and Duquesne Alumni are behind you. GO DUQUESNE!!

2011 Non-Player of the Year

2012-01-06T14:53:00.012-05:00

With all due consideration to those Forum participants who suggested other names to be recognized as the non-player for 2011, I can’t put off timely recognition of Coach Jerry Schmidt for the job he has done over the past two years in turning Duquesne back into a winning program. From what I have heard in the rumor-mill, the administration from two years ago was not content with losing records. Evidently, neither was the coach. He has produced a championship ring for the team.

Coach Schmidt has overcome the scholarship head start that the rest of the NEC had and has mastered the art of coaching and recruiting a higher level of athlete. He has done so with perhaps one of the smallest football fields on the FCS, Division 2, Division 3 or the high school level. He has done so in at a program that competes for attention with the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and Pitt.

Most importantly, he has done so in an open, honest and ethically driven program in a town where Todd Graham had just finished running off to Arizona with his money and selective, lip service morality. Coach Schmidt coaches football. His team's athletic record and statistics for this year’s team speak for themselves. Academically, if you look at the recent article on the number of students who have made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, you will see that the football team is very well represented. See- http://www.goduquesne.com/genrel/010512aag.html

He makes the university proud to show that nice guys with a sense of ethics and an educational mission don’t have to finish last.

Perhaps we'll even get around to recognizing one of the excellent staff Coach Schmidt heads up like Joe Rosatto next year.

Congratulations and thanks to the 2011 Duquesne “Non-Player” of the Year.

2011 Past Player Contest

2012-01-03T15:42:00.009-05:00

I'll tell you the winner- Dan Barr. A Duquesne Beer at the Red Ring goes to the first on the Football Forum to tell me who Dan was, what year he played and why he'd be awarded the 2011 Coffee Mug for Past Player.

Congratulations to "Coach L" (formerly Curious) who knew that Dan Barr was Player-Coach and Captain of Duquesne's (Holy Ghost College) first football team in 1891.

Coach L wins the bottle of Duquesne Beer! Let me know when you are going to a game next year and I'll meet you at the Red Ring to pay up. Maybe we can have a Football Forum Day at the Game. I'm only buying the one bottle since I'm cheap.

I never found their record for that first year but we don't seem to appreciate how much tradition we have playing football here on the Bluff. I'd say helping to form, coach and captain Duquesne's first team deserves some recognition.

Next Up- Non-Player of the Year

2011 Fan of the Year

2012-01-02T17:16:00.002-05:00

I don't know all Duquesne fans but I have had the pleasure of meeting with Judge Jack McVay and Always a Duke at the Red Ring to talk about the Robert Morris Challenge Trophy (Always a Duke is a past winner of Fan of the Year). Judge Jack played for the Iron Dukes and still bleeds red and blue. He's backed up his interest by sponsoring many things such as jerseys for the Iron Dukes and Boosters and is a frequent contributor to the Football Forum.

2011 Fan of the Year- Judge Jack McVay. (Sorry- I didn't have a picture)

Next Up- Past Player.

2011 Most Improved Player

2012-01-02T15:32:00.004-05:00

I have a confession to make here. I owe Jerry Schmidt and Charlie Leventry a big apology. I usually try to avoid direct criticism of student athletes unless they show that they are not giving effort. It was obvious that Charlie Leventry was making an effort so most of my (and others) criticism on the blog and on the Football Forum was directed at Jerry Schmidt for not putting a higher priority on recruiting for punting and place kicking. I had little confidence where Coach Schmidt and Charlie had in his ability to even be an average punter and place kicker. When Eric Duale left without a new option, visions of last second missed field goal losses and terrible field position flashed into my head for this year. Concern expressed on the forum even brought about a player parent response defending Charlie.

I have never been so happy to be wrong. Charlie Leventry not only kept working hard but he became an even better punter and place kicker than I ever could have hoped. Leventry made All NEC by placing 22 of his 48 punts inside the 20 and averaging 36.8 yards a punt. He proved he could punt under pressure and was instrumental in providing good field position in exchanges. His performance at filling in at place kicking was even more impressive. He will be in the Duquesne record books for kicking a 51 yard field goal against Wagner. He was extremely reliable on PATs and field goals all year.

Well deserved Most Improved Player to Charlie Leventry.

Next Up- Fan of the Year.

2011 Defensive MVP

2012-01-02T12:43:00.002-05:00

The defensive MVP was almost as hard to choose as the overall and offensive MVP. The defensive line was probably the biggest improvement over the Duquesne teams that were pushed up and down the field when we jumped into scholarship ball giving the rest of the league a few years head start. Mike Passodelis was a candidate and will be missed as was Chris Oliver who formed part of an extremely talented and deep line backing corps. The secondary led the nation in pass defense but showed no weak links.

How can you disagree with the experts who chose Junior Safety Serge Kona as the NEC’s only All American? You don’t. Serge selflessly moved from linebacker to free safety and adjusted immediately. He has 48 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, two interceptions and forced 3 fumbles.

Next Up- Most Improved Player

2011 Offensive Co-MVPs

2012-01-01T12:47:00.004-05:00

This was a tough one. There were so many that deserve mention. It all begins with a mature and assertive offensive line that made all the difference in the word between being pushed around in the first years in the NEC to winning all but one against the same NEC opponents. Then we have a legitimate Payton Award Candidate who may end his career with more rushing yards than any other back since WW II with Larry McCoy.

Then how do you ignore Conner Dixon? His skill at getting into the end zone was matched only by his athleticism and leadership. If he is not drafted by the NFL, somebody isn't doing their homework. Getting Sean Patterson out of the way as Team MVP helps a little but still, he was well protected by the Offensive Line.

The offensive line play deserves recognition and Sean Patterson, Larry McCoy and Conner Dixon would be the among the first to join me if I were to give the award to the line. However its just a fact of football life that they are not noticed when they are doing their jobs.

Offensive Co-MVPs- Larry McCoy and Conner Dixon.

Next up- Defensive MVP

Team MVP- Sean Patterson

2012-01-01T12:28:00.000-05:00

With consideration given to the Forum discussion and the Blog Polls, I can't help but hold that above all, there was one person last year who made this team a success when he was on and stumble when he was not on. As good a year as Conner Dixon had, there were other receivers who could have picked it up. Larry McCoy is a real Payton Award Candidate going into next year but the team, though balanced, was not a run oriented team. Sean Patterson was the one irreplaceable cog in the offense with his arm and his legs.

I gave more thought to splitting the award up among the offensive line than any other individual. Defensively, there were many stars to choose from, but no single individual seemed irreplaceable as did Patterson.

Next Up- Offensive MVP

2011 Dukes Rated #16 Duquesne All Time Team

2012-01-01T12:21:00.002-05:00

I know that the Blog Poll overwhelmingly (73%) selected the 2011 edition of the Dukes to be ranked in the top 5 of all time Duquesne Teams going back to the first in 1882. However, out of respect for historical teams which included undefeated and nationally ranked Division I teams, I can’t realistically agree. Had they been able to hold on at Bucknell, this year’s team may have moved into the Top 15 with similar 1 loss teams and conference champions perhaps but the Top 10 Duquesne teams were all nationally ranked at their level of play. It’s always difficult to compare teams from different eras and levels of competition, but relative to expectations, I’d place this as Jerry Schmidt’s best place at #16. See Rankings at right.

Congratulations to the Duquesne Fans who usually are a bit overly optimistic for their accuracy on the Blog Poll predicting a 9-2 finish with a Conference Championship.

2011 Season Wrap-Up Next- 2011 MVP

Serge Kona Named AP All-American; 11 Dukes Named All NEC

2011-12-16T21:56:00.005-05:00

PITTSBURGH- Junior safety Serge Kona (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg), the 2011 Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, has been named third team All-America by the Associated Press.

Kona, the only player from the NEC to earn 2011 All-America honors, joins nine-year NFL veteran Leigh Bodden (AP All-America defensive back in 2002 & 2003) as the only DU underclassman to earn the honor. Kona is the sixth player in school history, and first since Bruce Hocker in 2006, to be named AP All-America.

The 5-10, 215-pound Kona, who moved from linebacker to free safety in the spring, led a secondary that led the nation in pass defense at 139.27 yards per game. He finished the year with 48 tackles (28 solo) including 4.0 tackles for loss. He intercepted two passes and forced three fumbles for the Dukes who led the NEC in total defense, scoring defense, pass defense and pass efficiency defense.

A total of 11 Duquesne players were honored by the Northeast Conference's football coaches with the release of annual postseason awards this week.

Junior safety Serge Kona (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) was named NEC Defensive Player of the Year and a league-high six Dukes - including three of the four members of a secondary that leads the FCS in pass defense - were named first team All-Northeast Conference.

Junior running back Larry McCoy (Wytheville, Va./George Wythe), senior offensive lineman Ron Dunn (Abington, Mass./Milford (N.Y.) Academy) and Kona - who were all named preseason All-NEC - earned spots on the postseason first team along with grad student receiver Connor Dixon (South Park, Pa./South Park) and senior cornerbacks Aaron Fitzpatrick (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Jared Williams (Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry Traditional Academy).

Duquesne (9-2), which finished tied with Albany for the league title with a 7-1 record, had five players named second team all-conference.

Second team picks include junior quarterback Sean Patterson (Toledo, Ohio/St. John Jesuit), senior defensive linemen Alex Inda (San Fernando, Calif./St. Genevieve) and Mike Passodelis (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny), senior linebacker Chris Oliver (Washington, D.C./Calvin Coolidge) and punter Charlie Leventry (Johnstown, Pa./Richland).

The Dukes led the NEC in rushing offense behind the blocking of Dunn and the running of McCoy who were both second team all-league picks last year. Dunn, who started a team-high 42 consecutive games, helped clear the way for an offense that averaged 212.8 yards per game. Dunn also helped McCoy post a school record nine 100-yard games in 2011. McCoy, who ranks ninth nationally in rushing finished with 1,381 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Dixon, who gained a rare sixth year of eligibility the day before the season opener, tied the DU single-season record with 16 touchdown receptions. The Michigan State transfer finished with 40 catches for 792 yards. His 72 yards per game average was the second-best in the NEC. The 2010 second team All-NEC pick caught a pass in every game (26 in a row) after moving from quarterback to receiver eight games into the 2009 season.

Fitzpatrick and Williams held down the corners for a secondary that gave up just 139.3 yards per game. Williams, a Temple transfer, led the NEC with five interceptions. His 1.09 passes defended per game were second-best in the league.

Fitzpatrick's 45 tackles (26 solo) were second to Kona's 48 in the DU secondary.

Kona, who moved from linebacker to safety in the spring, was a catalyst for the defense from his free safety spot. Kona finished the year with 48 tackles (28 solo) including 4.0 tackles for loss. He intercepted two passes and forced three fumbles for the Dukes who led the NEC in total defense, scoring defense, pass defense and pass efficiency defense.

Patterson, who completed 57.3 percent of his passes for 2,011 yards and 23 touchdowns, emerged as a dual-threat under center with 552 yards rushing including four TDs. The Toledo, Ohio native ranked second in the NEC in total offense with 233 yards per game. Patterson, who is 13-3 as a starter in his past 16 games, is just the third quarterback in school history to throw for over 2,000 yards in multiple seasons. He is the first QB to rush for 100 yards in game - a feat he accomplished twice in 2011 - since the Dukes moved to the FCS level in 1993.

Passodelis, who had 54 tackles from the nose tackle spot despite being routinely double teamed, finished with 5.5 tackles for loss including 3.0 sacks.

Inda, a defensive end who like McCoy, Dunn and Kona was a preseason All-NEC pick, added 45 tackles including 2.5 sacks and three pass break ups.

Oliver, who entered the season with 34 career tackles, amassed a team-high 91 stops (31 more than any other Duke). The Washington, D.C. native, who did not post a tackle for loss in his first three seasons at DU, led the team with 9.0 (for -32 yards). Oliver, who totaled eight or more stops in eight games, led the team in tackles six times.

Leventry, who also handled placekicking duties, placed 22 of his 48 punts inside the 20 while averaging 36.8 yards per punt.

Duquesne, which just finished its seventh season under head coach Jerry Schmitt, finished tied for first in the NEC in just its fourth season as an associate member. The Dukes had a total of two all-conference players in their first two seasons in the league (finishing 6th and tied for 7th). Last year, DU had six all-league players in finishing third with a 5-3 record.

The Dukes will return a total of nine starters - five on offense and four on defense - in 2012.

(From the Athletic Department Site)

DUKES DRUB ROBERT MORRIS 45-10: EARN NEC CONFERENCE CO-CHAMPIONSHIP

2011-11-19T20:36:00.008-05:00

The Duquesne Dukes ended the 2011 season with a convincing 45-10 blow out over their cross-town rival Robert Morris Colonials. As the game wound down and it became clear that the Colonials had no answers for Patterson, Dixon, Williams and Oliver, there seemed to be more interest in the score of the game being played a few hundred miles to the Northeast.

Aside from the last quarter of the Bucknell game and the first quarter of the Albany game, the Dukes have completed a masterful 9-2 season. The game was typical of the rest of the season as Sean Patterson found Conner Dixon for three touchdowns, Larry McCoy ran for another hundred yard game and a touchdown the defense closed out the opposition allowing only 10 points.

The Dukes tie for the NEC Conference Championship but miss a trip to the NCAA Playoffs as Albany beat Sacred Hear 31-21. Honestly, this is a Duquesne team that would stand a very good chance to win a game or two in the NCAA Tournament.

More post game coverage to come tomorrow. I know that the 2011 Edition of the Duquesne Dukes deserve an Honorable Mention as one of the best Duquesne Football teams ever (See below right). I have a tough decision to make if they bump into the Top 20 Teams ever replacing the 1942 team that was ranked # 13 in the nation by th AP during their seson. Let me know what you think at the Forum.

From the NEC Web Site:

The race for the 2011 Northeast Conference football crown came down to the final day of the regular season on Saturday, and in the end, Albany and Duquesne each staked its claim to the title. The Great Danes and Dukes both finished 7-1 in league play on the year, but it was Albany which earned the NEC's automatic bid to the NCAA FCS playoffs by virtue of its head-to-head victory over Duquesne in early October. UA will learns its NCAA opponent when the 20-team playoff bracket is announced Sunday at 10:00 am live on ESPNU.