The Duquesne football team finished the 2018 season ranked in the Top 25 of two major FCS polls for the first time in program history.
The Dukes are No. 21 in the final STATS FCS Top 25 and No. 24 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Poll, the first time in program history that the Dukes have appeared in those two polls, and the first time they have been nationally ranked since 2002.
It was a historic year for the Dukes, as they went 9-4 overall while also collecting their fifth Northeast Conference championship in the previous eight years. This year’s strong performance qualified the Dukes for the FCS playoffs, where they earned their first ever victory with a 31-10 win against Towson.
The Dukes have now won 59 games during their span of five NEC championships in eight years, which is at least 10 more than any other team in the conference.
Head coach Jerry Schmitt, in his 14th seasons, was named co-NEC Coach of the Year, while also being placed on the ballot for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award for FCS Coach of the Year.
