The Duquesne Dukes missed out on an automatic bid for the FCS Tournament on Saturday, losing 21-14 to the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, and losing their chance at a second straight outright Northeast Conference.
Although their offense melted down and turned over the ball eight times, including seven interceptions and a fumble from quarterback Darius Perrantes, the Dukes (8-3) held possession in Blue Devils territory twice late in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie the game or take the lead.
De facto title game or not, it became clear during the first quarter that sloppy play would determine the championship bid: the two teams combined for six punts, a turnover on downs and an interception in the first fifteen minutes of play alone.
The Blue Devils got on the board first after Perrantes’ second pick of the day set them up near midfield, leading to a 49-yard field goal from kicker Jack Barnum.
Duquesne answered with a surgical drive from Perrantes, who found receiver Joey Isabella for a 36-yard deep shot touchdown that saw his defender trip in coverage.
As messy as both teams looked during the first quarter, they turned into offensive savants during the middle frames. CCSU responded with a three play, 69-yard touchdown drive that took just 70 seconds off the clock, culminating in a four-yard tote from running back Elijah Howard.
Another Perrantes interception turned into a 24-yard field goal for Barnum, and a 13-7 CCSU lead at the break.
Duquesne roared back on the first play of the third quarter, when Perrantes found Isabella over the middle for an 85-yard catch and run touchdown that gave the Dukes a one-point lead.
The Blue Devils pulled ahead 21-14 early in the fourth quarter on a six-yard run from Howard, with the ensuing two-point try giving them a full touchdown’s worth of breathing room. Perrantes fumbled on the next snap, giving CCSU a chance to put the Dukes away, but a missed field goal from Barnum kept their chances alive.
Duquesne drove to the CCSU 18-yard line with just under four minutes to play before another Perrantes interception. While their defense managed to force a stop with just over a minute to go, the Dukes’ eighth and final turnover of the afternoon put them away for good.
Duquesne (8-3, 5-1) will share the NEC title with CCSU (7-5, 5-1), but the Blue Devils will earn the tiebreaker for the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
