Opponent Insight: Duquesne

Duquesne Dukes (Record: 9-3, 1-5 in NEC)
The Series (From DU): This is the third meeting between the two schools. The Dukes and No. 4/6 Jackrabbits met in the 2017 season opener in Brookings, with South Dakota State claiming a 51-13 victory. It was the first of 11 wins last season for John Stiegelmeier's Jackrabbits.

Duquesne also hosted the Jackrabbits on Nov. 11, 1932 with the Dukes claiming a 34-12 victory at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The Dukes went on to finish with a 7-2-1 ledger that season under head coach Elmer Layden.

Duquesne Notables:

The Dukes advance to the second round of the FCS Playoffs at South Dakota State after posting their first FCS Playoff win in program history with a 31-10 victory at No. 16/19 Towson last week. They also earned their first win over a ranked opponent with the victory at Towson, improving to 1-5 in those games.
Duquesne has won six straight games and is 9-1 against non-FBS opponents.

RB A.J. Hines finished with 246 yards from scrimmage with a pair of touchdowns in the victory. Hines is fourth in the country in rushing yards per game, averaging 136.3 yards per contest. The Dukes are 7-0 this season when RB A.J. Hines has at least 100 yards rushing.
The Dukes limited Towson - the top scoring team in the CAA (36.7 ppg) - to a season-low 10 points. DU is 9-0 when scoring at least 30 points and 8-1 when holding its opponent to 30 points or less.
The Dukes are making their second trip to the FCS postseason after also qualifying in 2015. Duquesne earned the Northeast Conference's automatic bid as the Dukes secured their fifth NEC title. Northeast Conference teams are 2-8 all-time in the FCS Playoffs. Wagner earned the other win with a 31-20 victory over Colgate in 2012. They are looking to become the first team from the NEC to advance to the FCS quarterfinals. Wagner dropped a 29-19 decision at Eastern Washington in 2012 after defeating Colgate at home.
DU has enjoyed a great deal of success in NEC play, claiming five conference titles since 2011. Duquesne won a share of the league crown in 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2018 while capturing the outright title in 2015, earning the NEC's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs along with this season.
Duquesne is receiving votes in both the STATS FCS Top 25 & AFCA Coaches' Poll.
The Dukes are 1-1-2 all-time in December. Saturday is just their second game in December since 1939, as Duquesne fell to Sacred Heart in the 2001 ECAC Classic. The Dukes' lone win in December came at Mississippi State in 1937.

Dukes' Players to Watch
OFFENSE
QB Daniel Parr (#7, JR, 5-10, 180): First-year starter for the Dukes after transferring from FAU ... Named NEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after tallying 277 passing yards and three total touchdowns in the win at CCSU ... Threw for career-best 333 yards with three touchdowns in the win over Dayton ... Played in 17 games with four starts in two years at FAU with four touchdown passes and 694 passing yards.

RB A.J. Hines (#, JR, 5-11, 225): 2018 Walter Payton Award Finalist ... 2018 NEC Offensive Player of the Year ... 2016, 2017, 2018 All-NEC First Team ... 2016 STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award ... 2016 NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year ... Ranks fourth in school history with 3,828 rushing yards ... Has 38 career rushing touchdowns, good for second in school history ... Has recorded 20 100-yard rushing performances in two seasons, including six straight this season ... named the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) FCS National Player of the Week, the organization announced following the first round ... Hines finished with 246 yards from scrimmage with a pair of touchdowns in Duquesne's 31-10 victory in the FCS Playoffs at No. 16/19 Towson.

WR Nehari Crawford (#, SR, 5-11, 170): Duquesne's all-time leader in receptions (186) ... Ranks second in school history with 2,688 career receiving yards, just eight yards behind the all-time leader ... Has posted his second straight 1,000-yard season ... 2017, 2018 All-NEC First Team ... 2017 All-ECAC Second Team ... Closed out the 2017 regular season as the FCS leader in receiving touchdowns (15).

DEFENSE
LB Brett Zanotto (#3, JR, 6-1, 230): Maryland transfer who has started all 23 games at linebacker in his first two seasons with the Dukes ... Leads the team with 86 tackles including 53 solo stops ... Moved to middle linebacker for the 2018 season, replacing All-NEC performer and DU leading tackler Carter Henderson ... Ranked second on the team with 59 total tackles including 41 solo stops, 11 tackles for loss in 2017 ... Finished the season tied for fifth in the NEC with 11 tackles for loss and 20th in the league with 59 tackles.

CB Jonathon Istache (#, SR, 5-10, 180): Ranks fifth in the FCS with 18 passes defended ... Led the NEC with four interceptions on the season ... 2017, 2018 All-NEC selection ... Ranks fifth on the team with 41 tackles (29 solo) on the year.

Game-by-Game Recap (From Duquesne, 9-3, NEC: 5-1):
Nov. 24 - PLAYOFF GAME 1 at No. 16 Towson (W, 31-10): Duquesne scored 31 unanswered points and held No. 16/19 Towson scoreless in the second half, as the Dukes won their first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoff game in program history with a 31-10 victory over the host Tigers on Saturday in a steady downpour.

RB A.J. Hines finished with 246 yards from scrimmage with a pair of touchdowns to lead the Dukes in the triumph. Duquesne won its sixth straight contest and now one of 16 teams remaining in the FCS Playoff field. The victory over Towson also marks Duquesne's first over a ranked team in the FCS era.

The Tigers gained a 10-0 first half lead in the first quarter before adding a 26-yard field goal with just over seven minutes to play in the first half. Towson was on the doorstep again on its next drive, looking to extend its advantage when DB Brandon Stanback forced and recovered a fumble on the Dukes' one-yard line.

Forcing a punt on the Tigers' next possession, the Dukes gained some momentum into the break, marching 65 yard in nine plays as PK Mitch MacZura connected on a 32-yard field goal as time expired. A 27-yard reception by WR Kellon Taylor from QB Daniel Parr in addition to 42 rushing yards by Hines set up the field goal.

Duquesne continued that push into the second half, as RB Daquan Worley broke off a 48-yard touchdown run to knot the score at 10-10. The Dukes dominated the ground game on the scoring march, as Hines and Worley rushed a combined six times for 79 yards.

The Duquesne defense would force a three-and-out before Hines hauled in a screen pass from Parr, taking it 71 yards to pay dirt to give the Dukes their first lead of the contest at 17-10 with just under 10 minutes to play in the third quarter.

Duquesne continued its ground-and-pound approach in to the fourth quarter as a three-yard Parr touchdown run extended the Dukes' advantage to 24-10. A 21-yard run by Hines on the previous play set up the score. All told, Duquesne rushed 10 times for 72 yards on the scoring march, eating up over five minutes of clock.

After the Dukes forced a Tiger turnover on downs in their own territory later in the quarter, Hines found the end zone for the second time on the day, this time on a three-yard rush to push the Duquesne lead to 31-10 with just over three minutes to play.

The Dukes held Towson scoreless in the final 37:07 of the contest, limiting the Tigers to 33 yards in the third quarter. Outside of the Tigers' final 73-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, Duquesne limited Towson to 36 second-half yards.

Hines finished with 28 carries for 175 yards and a rushing touchdown to go with the 71-yard touchdown reception. Worley added eight carries for 78 yards while RB P.J. Fulmore chipped in seven rushes for 24 yards. Parr completed 6-of-19 pass attempts for 144 yards with a touchdown in addition to the rushing score.

The Duquesne defense racked up four sacks and seven tackles for loss in the win. The Dukes limited the Towson quarterback – who came into the game third in the FCS in total offense at 348.0 yards per game – to 127 passing and 38 rushing yards, the lowest total output of the year.

Nov. 17 at Central Connecticut (W, 38-31): The Duquesne football team earned a 38-31 victory over Central Connecticut State on Saturday to earn its fifth Northeast Conference (NEC) title in eight seasons and secure its second automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs in program history.

With the score knotted 31-31 with under a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, QB Daniel Parr hit WR Nehari Crawford with a strike across the middle before Crawford shook off a pair of Blue Devil tackles, sprinting into the end zone for the 56-yard touchdown. Leaving CCSU with just 17 seconds to drive 81 yards, Duquesne forced three straight incomplete passes to seal the NEC title, knocking off the defending conference champions.

After hauling in 10 catches on Saturday, Crawford became Duquesne's all-time leader in career receptions with 182. He tallied 124 receiving yards in the win, moving into second place in school history with 2,642 career receiving yards. RB A.J. Hines finished with 31 carries for 125 yards and two touchdowns while Parr recorded 277 yards through the air on 23-of-33 attempts with a pair of touchdown passes and a rushing score in the win.

Duquesne held a 21-17 advantage after the first half, before the Dukes made it a two-score game with a three-yard rushing touchdown by Parr on the opening drive. Parr completed 6-of-7 pass attempts for 73 yards on the scoring march.

A DU fumble late in the third quarter gave the ball back to the Blue Devils, which resulted in an 18-yard touchdown from Jacob Dolegala to Tyshaun James to shrink the deficit to 28-24.

Duquesne would respond with a 23-yard field goal by PK Mitch MacZura, pushing the Dukes' lead to 31-24 early in the fourth. Seeking a share of the NEC crown, the host Blue Devils answered once again, tying it up at 31-31 on the ensuing drive with a five-yard touchdown rush.

The two teams traded punts, with the Dukes taking over at their own 42-yard line with 1:41 showing on the fourth quarter clock. On the third play of the DU drive, Crawford's touchdown sealed Duquesne's fifth NEC championship.

Success on third downs proved to be crucial for Duquesne, as the Dukes converted on 11-of-18 attempts – including the game-winning score – compared to CCSU's 3-of-12 rate on third down. Duquesne was 4-for-4 on trips inside the red zone and also possessed the ball for 34:29, while the Blue Devils posted a time of possession of 25:31.

Nov. 10 vs. Sacred Heart (W, 28-24): Duquesne handed first-place Sacred Heart its first Northeast Conference defeat of the season with a 28-24 victory on senior day on Saturday afternoon at Arthur J. Rooney Field. The Dukes celebrated senior day with their fourth straight triumph, moving into a three-way tie for first place in the NEC. This sets up a pivotal matchup next Saturday on the road at Central Connecticut State. Duquesne would claim at least a share of the conference title and the league's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs with a win over the Blue Devils.

On Saturday, RB A.J. Hines rushed for 213 yards on 31 carries with a touchdown, his fourth consecutive game with over 200 yards from scrimmage. Eclipsing the 1,000-mark for the season in the contest, Hines becomes just the second player in program history to post three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He and Duquesne's all-time leading rusher Larry McCoy (2009-12) are the only two players in school history to do so.

The Dukes got things rolling early, as DB Jassir Jordan returned the opening kickoff 76 yards to the SHU six-yard line. This set up a four-yard touchdown rush by QB Daniel Parr to give Duquesne an early edge. The Dukes doubled their advantage on the next drive when Hines took a handoff 32 yards to pay dirt for Duquesne.

The Pioneers would get on the board in the second quarter when they broke off a 71-yard touchdown run, cutting the Dukes' lead in half. Duquesne answered right back when Parr hit WR Kellon Taylor in stride up the right sideline for the 36-yard touchdown, putting the Dukes ahead 21-7.

The two teams traded scores in the third quarter as Sacred Heart responded with a one-yard touchdown rush before RB Daquan Worley added a one-yard rushing score of his own for Duquesne, pushing the DU advantage to 28-14.

Nov. 3 at Wagner (W, 47-30): RB A.J. Hines rushed for a season-high 232 yards as Duquesne outscored Wagner 26-7 in second half to earn a 47-30 NEC road win over the Seahawks on Saturday afternoon at Hameline Field. The Dukes pick up their third straight win to improve to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

Hines tallied a career-high 33 carries in the contest, finishing with over 200 yards from scrimmage for the third consecutive game to lead Duquesne. After Wagner built a 23-14 advantage over the Dukes in the second quarter, a one-yard touchdown run by Hines in the final minute of the opening half cut the deficit to 23-21 heading into locker room.

The Duquesne defense would force two straight three-and-outs to start the second half before QB Daniel Parr's two-yard touchdown run gave the Dukes the lead for good. Parr faked a handoff before rolling out to the right side, trotting untouched into the end zone. The score was set up by a 45-yard reception by WR Nehari Crawford to the Wagner one-yard line just two plays earlier.

Duquesne pushed its lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter when Crawford took a handoff from RB P.J. Fulmore on the reverse play, rushing 37 yards for the score, putting the Dukes ahead 33-23. A 38-yard run by Hines on the final play of the third quarter put Duquesne in Seahawk territory.

Just over two minutes later on the ensuing Wagner drive, DB Leandro DeBrito picked off a pass and returned it 68 yards up the sideline to the end zone, pushing the Duquesne lead to 40-23 with just over 12 minutes showing on the clock. The Seahawks responded by ending their scoring drought with a one-yard touchdown rush by Linta, minimizing the Dukes' edge to 40-30 at the 9:47 mark of the fourth quarter.

Duquesne would be forced to punt on its next drive, but the Dukes' defense stood tall on the next Wagner possession, forcing a Seahawk turnover on downs.

Oct. 20 at Saint Francis U (W, 27-20): RB A.J. Hines recorded 256 yards from scrimmage with two touchdowns as Duquesne overcame a slow start to earn a 27-20 comeback road win over Saint Francis U on Saturday afternoon at DeGol Field. Trailing 13-6 at halftime, the Dukes outscored the Red Flash 21-7 in the second half en route to the Northeast Conference victory. Hines finished with 165 yards on the ground with a touchdown on 28 carries to go with three catches for a team-high 91 yards and a receiving score.

Saint Francis jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, keeping the Dukes off the board in the first quarter for the first time this season. In the closing seconds of the opening period, DB Harvey Clayton Jr. picked off a pass and returned it 35 yards to the Red Flash 17-yard line. This set up a 33-yard field goal by PK Mitch MacZura to shrink the deficit to 10-3.

The two teams would trade field goals in the second quarter, as MacZura moved to 7-for-7 on field goals on the season with a 19-yarder late in the half to cut the Red Flash's advantage to 13-6. After the Duquesne defense held Saint Francis to a combined 12 yards on its first two drives of the third quarter, the Dukes found the end zone for the first time on the afternoon on a 26-yard touchdown completion from QB Daniel Parr to Hines on the screen play, knotting the game up at 13-13.

SFU would retake the lead, responding with a touchdown of its own on a 56-yard pass to go ahead 20-13 with 2:33 to play in the third quarter. On Duquesne's next march, the Dukes took advantage of a Red Flash unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to go with a 15-yard completion to WR Nehari Crawford to move into SFU territory. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Parr found Crawford in the back left corner of the end zone to even the score at 20-20 after MacZura's extra point went through the uprights.

The DU defense forced two Red Flash three-and-outs in a row as the Dukes took over at their own 10-yard line with 8:51 remaining following a Saint Francis punt.

Duquesne used a pair of completions to Taylor and WR Kareem Coles Jr. for a combined 35 yards as well as a defensive holding penalty to move into Red Flash territory. Two plays later, Hines spun out of a tackle and bounced out to the left side 37 yards for the Dukes touchdown, giving Duquesne its first lead of the afternoon at 27-20.

The Red Flash threatened on the ensuing drive by moving to the DU 25-yard line, but the Dukes defense would not allow SFU to move any closer than that, forcing three incompletions and a rush for a loss of one yard to secure the turnover on downs.

Duquesne drained 3:18 off the clock on the next drive, with a MacZura punt pinning the Red Flash at its own 10-yard line with 38 ticks to play and no timeouts. The Dukes were able to keep SFU out of the end zone, securing the NEC road win.

Oct. 13 vs. Robert Morris (W, 48-24): RB A.J. Hines and RB Daquan Worley combined for 278 rushing yards and five touchdowns, while Duquesne forced three turnovers in a 48-24 Northeast Conference (NEC) victory over visiting local foe Robert Morris on Saturday night at Arthur J. Rooney Field. Hines matched a career-high with three rushing scores, registering 27 carries for a season-best 182 yards on the ground. Worley, a defensive back, logged his first career touches on the offensive side of the ball, finding the end zone twice. He totaled seven carries for 96 yards on the night for Duquesne.

All told, the Dukes, who snapped a two-game skid with the win, finished with 321 rushing yards in the contest, their first 300-yard performance since tallying 373 yards in a 47-7 triumph over Kentucky Christian on Sept. 15, 2015

After the Colonials jumped out to a 7-0 lead following a DU turnover, the Dukes responded with 24 straight points, including two touchdown runs by Hines to grab a 24-7 advantage in the second quarter. Hines evened the matchup at 7-7 with a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, after recording six carries for 30 yards on the scoring drive.

Duquesne would gain its first advantage of the night when QB Daniel Parr hit WR Nehari Crawford on a 43-yard touchdown connection with just over 11 minutes to play in the first half, putting the Dukes on top 14-7.

DU secured its second takeway on Robert Morris' next drive when LB Tom Jurkovec picked off a Colonial pass which was deflected at the line of scrimmage by DL Kam Carter. That set up a 10-yard Hines rushing score five plays later, giving the Dukes a 21-7 edge.

On the first play of the next RMU march, DB Jonathant Istache recorded his third interception of the season, this time with Jurkovec tipping the pass at the line. The Dukes' second forced miscue in as many offense plays led to a 30-yard field goal by PK Mitch MacZura to extend the Duquesne advantage to 24-7.

With just 39 seconds remaining in the stanza, Duquesne would march 69 yards in just 35 seconds, as Hines scored his third touchdown of the game on a 10-yard run to give the Dukes a 31-14 halftime lead.

In the end, Duquesne recorded 513 total yards of offense, its first 500-yard output since registering 542 yards in a win at Valparaiso last season.

Oct. 6 vs. Bryant (L, 21-20): Duquesne dropped a 21-20 decision to visiting Bryant in the Dukes' Northeast Conference (NEC) opener on Saturday afternoon at Arthur J. Rooney Field. Four first-half turnovers plagued the Dukes in the homecoming contest which featured five lead changes.

For the second straight game, the Dukes gained the early momentum, forcing a turnover on downs on Bryant's first drive of the game as the Bulldogs moved into Duquesne territory. On fourth-and-three, LB Brett Zanotto limited their QB to a one yard rush, giving the Dukes possession.

That allowed Duquesne to begin a five-play, 76-yard scoring drive capped by a 37-yard touchdown connection from QB Daniel Parr to TE Stew Allen to give the Dukes a 7-0 lead. Later in the quarter, the Bulldogs would even the score at 7-7 with a 51-yard touchdown.

Following a Duquesne punt, a bad snap sailed over Bryant's QB's head and was recovered by LB Jalen Booker at the Bulldogs' one-yard line. However, the Dukes could not take advantage of the miscue, as a DU fumble two plays later gave the ball back to Bryant.

The Duquesne defense would force a Bulldog three-and-out which gave the Dukes a short field on its next march. DU began the drive with three straight plays of more than 10 yards, to put the Dukes at the Bryant seven-yard line. Two plays later, RB A.J. Hines rushed five yards into the end zone to regain the lead for Duquesne. The extra point would be blocked by the Bulldogs, as the Dukes gained a 13-6 edge early in the second quarter.

After Duquesne forced another turnover on downs near midfield with just over six minutes showing on the clock in the second quarter, a fumble by the Dukes on first down would be recovered by Bryant and returned 46 yards for the touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 14-13 advantage.

Following an hour and 20-minute weather delay, play would resume as Duquesne would threaten to take the lead twice late in the half, but an interception and a fumble - each coming inside the Bryant 15-yard line - would preserve the one-point Bulldog lead at the break.

The Dukes would strike first in the second half when Parr found Allen in the end zone for the pair's second touchdown hook-up of the afternoon, this time on a one-yard pass, putting Duquesne ahead 20-14. Two plays earlier, Parr hit WR Nehari Crawford down the right sideline for a 40-yard gain to lead to the score.

Late in the third stanza, the Bulldogs would take the lead for good when their QB completed a 24-yard strike for the Bryant touchdown, giving the visitors a 21-20 advantage.

Sept. 22 at Hawaii (L, 42-21): Duquesne forced three first-quarter Hawaii miscues to jump out to a 14-0 lead over the FBS Rainbow Warriors, but the high-powered Hawaii offense would score 35 unanswered points en route to the 42-21 victory on Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.

Playing in front of the homecoming crowd of 26,175, the Dukes immediately gained momentum on the first drive of the game as DB Jonathant Istache picked off Hawaii's QB in the end zone with the Rainbow Warriors threatening early. It was McDonald's first career interception in 154 attempts, as the sophomore entered Saturday's contest as the nation's leader in passing touchdowns and yardage.

Following a Duquesne punt, the Dukes would force another Hawaii turnover when DB Leandro DeBrito forced a fumble by Rainbow Warrior WR which was picked up by fellow DB Spencer DeMedal at the UH 36-yard line.

This set up a six-yard touchdown pass from QB Daniel Parr to WR Nehari Crawford, giving the Dukes the early 7-0 edge. During the scoring drive, Duquesne converted on a fourth-and-four when QB Brett Brumbaugh connected with WR Kellon Taylor for a 29-yard gain, putting Duquesne inside the Hawaii five-yard line.

The ensuing kickoff by PK Jacob Gill would drop in between Rainbow Warrior players near the Duquesne sideline where it was recovered by LB Bryan Glover at the Hawaii 23-yard line. Three plays later, the Dukes took advantage of the short field as Parr hit WR Aidan Cain on a 20-yard scoring strike for the freshman's first career touchdown reception, giving the Dukes a 14-0 advantage just over seven minutes into the contest.

However, the explosive Rainbow Warriors, who came into the game averaging 495 yards of offense and 41.5 points per game, shook off their early mistakes and responded with 35 straight points, four coming off touchdown passes. Hawaii built a 21-14 halftime edge before pushing its lead to 35-14 in the fourth quarter following a one-yard touchdown pass with 7:48 to play.

Sept. 15 vs. Dayton (W, 31-26): WR Nehari Crawford posted career-highs of 11 receptions for 223 yards with a pair of touchdowns as Duquesne held off a late Dayton comeback in a 31-26 victory over the Flyers on Saturday afternoon at Rooney Field. The Dukes collect their third consecutive win to improve to 3-1 on the season while the Flyers drop to 1-2 with the loss.

Duquesne built a 31-13 third-quarter lead before Dayton answered with a pair of touchdowns to shrink the deficit to 31-26 with 9:28 to play in the game. Following an interception on the Dukes' next possession, the Flyers would drive inside the Dukes' 10-yard line with a chance to take their first lead of the afternoon in the closing minutes of the game.

That is when LB Brett Zanotto came up with three straight tackles, the first two limiting Dayton to no gain with a tackle for a loss of four yards on third down, forcing the Flyers into a fourth-and-goal from the Duquesne 10-yard line. On that play, Dayton's QB attempted to loft a pass up top to the TE, but DB Daquan Worley batted the ball down for the crucial pass breakup for the Dukes.

Duquesne was then able to run out the clock, sealing their third win in a row. The Dukes defense forced the Flyers to convert on just three-of-six trips inside the red zone, while Duquesne was a perfect three-for-three on the day.

Sept. 8 vs. Valparaiso (W, 23-21): RB A.J. Hines rushed for 137 yards and matched a career-high with three touchdowns to help Duquesne secure a 23-21 come-from-behind win over visiting Valparaiso in a non-conference matchup on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Arthur J. Rooney Field.

After three quarters of action, the Dukes owned a 17-14 edge over the Crusaders, before a 58-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter regained the lead for Valpo. Later in the quarter - following a Valpo punt - Duquesne took over at its own 26-yard line trailing 21-17 with just under seven minutes to play.

Hines would rush six times for 44 yards on the Dukes' drive, capped by his third touchdown run of the afternoon from one yard out to give Duquesne a 23-21 advantage with 2:42 showing on the fourth quarter clock.

After the Duquesne kickoff and Valpo driving near midfield, a pair of sacks by DB Daquan Worley and DL Mike O'Malley for a combined loss of 15 yards left a long third-and-25 for the Crusaders with just under a minute to play. The Dukes would force two straight incomplete passes for Valpo, sealing the two-point non-conference victory at Rooney Field.

Sept. 1 vs. Lock Haven (W, 45-0): Duquesne posted its largest margin of victory since 2003 with a 45-0 triumph over visiting Lock Haven in the 2018 home opener on Saturday afternoon at Arthur J. Rooney Field.

The 45-point victory was the largest for the Dukes since a 62-14 win over La Salle on Sept. 27, 2003. In addition, Duquesne won its 11th-straight home opener and improved to 22-3 in home-opening games at Rooney Field.

WR Nehari Crawford hauled in five receptions for 140 yards and a pair of touchdown catches to go with a punt return for a touchdown to lead Duquesne in the win.

The Dukes, who would finish with 460 total yards on the day, jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead as junior RB A.J. Hines scored his first touchdown of the season on a 28-yard run followed by a 44-yard touchdown connection from QB Daniel Parr to Crawford later in the period. DU's second score was set up after a Lock Haven fumbled forced by DL Mike O'Malley and recovered by fellow DL Kam Carter.

Duquesne tacked on three more touchdowns in the second period, sparked by a 44-yard punt return for a touchdown by Crawford on just the second play of the quarter.

RB Lucas D'Orazio's first career touchdown on a one-yard run on the next drive gave the Dukes a 28-0 advantage, before Parr found TE Stew Allen for a nine-yard touchdown reception late in the quarter to put Duquesne on top 35-0 at the half.

On the Dukes' first march of the third quarter, QB Brett Brumbaugh threw his first career touchdown pass, hitting Crawford on a 36-yard touchdown strike to push the DU lead to 42-0. Duquesne would close out the big win on a 29-yard field goal in the fourth quarter from PK John Domit.

Parr completed 10-of-15 pass attempts for 197 yards and two touchdowns while Hines paced the Dukes on the ground, averaging 11.0 yards per carry, finishing with 77 yards on seven touches with a score. D'Orazio added 57 yards on 12 rushes with a touchdown for Duquesne. Crawford, who finished with 210 all-purpose yards, recorded two touchdown receptions in a game for the eighth time in his career and eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark for the eighth time, as well.

Aug. 25 at Massachusetts (L, 63-15): Playing in the first NCAA football game of the 2018 season on Saturday evening, Duquesne dropped a 63-15 decision to FBS Massachusetts at Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The Minutemen jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead before PK Mitch MacZura's first career field goal got the Dukes on the board late in the opening period.

A stop at the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-one on the previous UMass drive by DB Brandon Stanback gave Duquesne possession at the Minutemen 42-yard line to set up the first scoring drive of the year for the Dukes.

UMass would extend its advantage to 35-3 before QB Daniel Parr, who made his Duquesne debut on Saturday, found WR Nehari Crawford on a five-yard touchdown connection. Duquesne's two-point attempt failed but the Dukes minimized the deficit to 35-9 in the closing seconds of the first half on Parr's first touchdown pass for Duquesne. RB A.J. Hines rushed for 52 yards on five carries on the Dukes' scoring drive.

The host Minutemen added three third-quarter touchdowns to push their lead to 56-9 heading into the final period.

On the Dukes' first drive of the fourth quarter, Parr trotted into the end zone from two yards out to cap a 15-play, 71-yard scoring drive for Duquesne which cut the UMass advantage to 56-15. The Minutemen would close out the 63-15 victory with a 14-yard touchdown pass with just under eight minutes to play in the contest.

Saturday's game marked Duquesne's second matchup with an FBS opponent after facing Buffalo in 2014 and is the first of two contests against FBS foes this season as the Dukes will also travel to Hawaii on Sept. 22.

-GoJacks.com-

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