PITTSBURGH — Duquesne football knew that its Saturday matchup with in-state rival St. Francis was a must-win for the program. With fans packed into Rooney Field for Homecoming festivities, the pressure was on for the Dukes in a game with serious NEC conference implications.
Despite the pressure, Duquesne football (4-3, NEC 3-0) held off a late Saint Francis comeback effort (2-5, NEC 2-2) to win 38-35. The Red Flash attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, scoring 22 points in the game’s waning moments. But the Dukes’ early game dominance was just too much to overcome. Duquesne scored 31 points in the first half alone.
Duquesne head coach Jerry Schmitt said he was pleased to get a win against such a tough opponent in Saint Francis.
“We had to play every second [of the game],” Schmitt said. “It was two different types of halfs. But in the end, we got that W, which are hard to get in the conference. You’re playing the reigning champion [Saint Francis], really good program and so I’m just happy for the players and the coaches.”
Duquesne junior quarterback Darius Perrantes led the Dukes in the victory. The junior signal caller threw for 227 and three touchdowns. Schmitt said he was impressed with his quarterback’s performance and the progress he’s made over the season.
“His timing is getting better and better,” Schmitt said. “His command of the offense, his understanding [is getting better]. I know that he’s doing a much better job in not taking those risky shots that could get those interceptions.”
Duquesne began its first drive with excellent field position, as redshirt sophomore wide receiver Keshawn Brown returned the opening kickoff for a 37-yard gain. The Dukes quickly utilized the great field position to drive down the field. Brown once again stepped up to finish off the drive, hauling in a pass Perrantes for a 17-yard touchdown reception. Brown’s efforts put the Dukes up 7-0 early in the first quarter.
Perrantes said the team’s execution was on point in the opening drive, leading to the touchdown.
“That’s a great way to start the game,” Perrantes said about the touchdown. “That’s what we tried to do with every drive, go score. We just had great play calling on that first drive. We executed and did what we needed to do,”
Both the defense and offense were firing on all cylinders early for Duquesne. On Saint Francis’ first drive of the game, Duquesne graduate student cornerback Dayvia Gbor intercepted a tipped pass, giving the Dukes’ offense great field position again to start their second drive.
The Dukes’ next two drives ultimately stalled out, but the Duquesne defense continued to stymie the Red Flash. The Dukes’ defense held Saint Francis to just 24 yards in the first quarter.
With the defense dominating, the Dukes needed their offense to break through to take full control of the game. Perrantes caught fire right at the end of the first quarter, connecting with graduate student wide receiver DJ Powell on the edge of the sideline for a 22-yard gain. Perrantes’ passing efforts put the Dukes in striking position, but the drive fell flat in the red zone. Duquesne graduate student kicker Brian Bruzdewicz ultimately hit a 27-yard field goal to give the Dukes a 10-0 lead at the start of the second quarter.
But Saint Francis quickly rebounded following the Dukes’ field goal. On the drive’s third play, Red Flash redshirt junior quarterback Cole Doyle connected with redshirt sophomore tight end Jake Bruno, who sprinted past Duquesne defenders before finally going down at the one-yard line. Saint Francis redshirt freshman offensive lineman Mason Imbt ultimately punched it in for a one-yard touchdown, reducing the Red Flash’s deficit to just three with eight minutes left in the half.
Perrantes once again stepped up on the Dukes’ next drive with limited time in the second quarter. The junior signal caller connected on five passes for 48 yards on the drive, including a 29-yard touchdown pass to Powell. Perrantes’ efforts gave the Dukes a 17-7 lead with just over two minutes left in the first half.
Duquesnes’ defense quickly halted Saint Francis’s next drive, giving the Dukes’ offense the ball back with limited time to work in the first half. But Perrantes and the Dukes did not need much time to put an exclamation mark on their dominant first-half performance. On the second play of the drive, Perrantes lobbed up a pass to junior wide receiver Joey Isabella, who hauled it in, broke free of a defender and cruised into the endzone for a 69-yard touchdown. Duquesne now led 24-7 late in the second quarter.
And the end of the first half continued to get worse for Saint Francis. With just two seconds remaining before halftime, Saint Francis fumbled the ball during a punt attempt near its own endzone. Dukes graduate student safety Tim Lowery scooped up the fumble and cruised into the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown, giving Duquesne a 31-7 lead at the end of the half. Lowery said his success in the game came down to taking advantage of opportunities.
“For the block punt, a gap was open,” Lowery said. “[The ball] ended up hitting off his face mask. I saw the ball on the ground, saw an opportunity and took advantage of it,”
With the game nearly out of reach, Saint Francis continued making mistakes. On the opening kickoff, Saint Francis redshirt freshman Scott Raymond fielded the ball but fumbled it following a big hit. Lowery once again recovered the fumble, giving Duquesne possession on the first play of the second half.
But the Dukes weren’t able to capitalize off the crucial turnover. Perrantes tried to force a pass to Brown in the endzone, but Red Flash redshirt freshman linebacker Mercury Swaim jumped in front of the pass, intercepting it to end the Dukes drive.
Saint Francis finally clicked offensively following the interception. The Red Flash’s offense slowly drove downfield, utilizing short passes and runs to move the ball towards the endzone. Saint Francis redshirt sophomore runningback Jordan Jackson finished the drive off, rushing one yard into the endzone to breathe some life into a previously stagnant Red Flash offense.
At the end of the third quarter, Duquesne led 31-14.
While Saint Francis’s offensive adjustments finally worked, the defense still struggled. On Duquesne’s first drive of the fourth quarter, Perrantes connected with Isabella for a 41-yard gain. The Dukes then continued to push downfield before redshirt sophomore runningback Taj Butts punched the ball into the endzone for a four-yard touchdown rush. Butt’s touchdown put the Dukes up 38-14 with just under 12 minutes left in the game.
Then, the Red Flash began to rally.
Saint Francis continued to put up a valiant effort despite the large deficit. The Red Flash drove downfield again with just over eight minutes left in the game. Imbt finished off the drive, earning his second one-yard touchdown rush of the game and reducing his team’s deficit to 17.
The Red Flash continued to mount a comeback on Duquesne’s next drive. Saint Francis’s defense finally found its groove, halting the Dukes and forcing a punt. Then the Red Flash blocked the punt, allowing Saint Francis redshirt freshman Trey McLeer to return the fumble for a 40-yard touchdown. Saint Francis now trailed 38-28 with four and a half minutes left in action.
Then, with under a minute left, Saint Francis mounted another touchdown drive. The Red Flash offense cruised past a tired Duquesne defensive unit, moving the ball 80 yards downfield. Doyle then connected with freshman wide receiver Jayden Ivory for a three-yard touchdown.
To make matters worse for Duquesne, the Red Flash recovered an on-side kick, giving it a chance to win the game with under a minute left. But the Red Flash were dealt a major blow when Doyle exited the game with an apparent head injury following an illegal hit.
Still, the Red Flash continued to push. With 19 seconds remaining in the game, Saint Francis lined up for a game-tying field goal. But luck wasn’t on the Red Flash’s side, as redshirt sophomore kicker Mac Plummer missed the kick, allowing Duquesne to walk away with a 38-35 win.
The Dukes will hope to continue their NEC success next Saturday as they travel to Fairfield, Connecticut for a matchup against Sacred Heart. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m., and coverage will air on ESPN+.
