TEN-TIME MAAC CHAMPIONS • 1995 • 1996 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 QUICK FACTS • 2007 Preseason Prospectus • THE UNIVERSITY DUQUESNE DUKES FOOTBALL Location ___________________________ Pittsburgh, Pa. Founded _____________ 1878 by the Holy Ghost Fathers The 2007 season marks the end of an era for the Duquesne football program, as the Dukes Enrollment _________________________________ 10,000 embark on their final campaign as a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference President ___________________ Dr. Charles J. Dougherty Football League. Last January, the DU administration renewed its commitment to the Director of Athletics ____________________ Greg Amodio program by accepting an associate membership in the Northeast Conference Football Affiliation _____ NCAA Fooball Championship Subdivision (Mid-Major) League starting in 2008. With the Conference _________ Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference move, Duquesne will grant 18 schol- ___________________________ Football League (MAAC) arships beginning in February of 2007 DUQUESNE FOOTBALL Home Field ______ Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field (4,500) game times subject to change Playing Surface ____________ AstroPlay (field is lighted) 2008 and will increase that number by two for the ensuing three years. School Colors _______________ Red (200) and Blue (282) Date Opponent Time Nickname __________________________________ Dukes Duquesne granted only need-based Sept. 1 BUCKNELL 6:00 University Website ____________________ www.duq.edu financial aid for football playing stu- Athletics Website ______________ www.GoDuquesne.com Sept. 15 at Brown 12:30 dent-athletes as a member of the Sept. 22 at Sacred Heart 1:00 THE TEAM MAAC. Sept. 29 FROSTBURG STATE (HC) 1:00 Head Coach __________ Jerry Schmitt (Westminster '83) Third-year head coach Jerry Oct. 6 at Marist* 1:00 Schmitt's Overall Record _____ 42-27-0, .609 (7 seasons) Schmitt, the two-time MAAC Ana- Oct. 13 at Saint Francis, Pa. 1:00 Schmitt's Record at Duquesne ______ 14-6-0 (2 seasons) Oct. 20 ROBERT MORRIS 1:00 Record in 2006 _________ 7-3 (3-1 in MAAC - Champions) conda Sports Coach of the Year will National Titles _________ 2003 I-AA Mid-Major (consensus) be looking to extend DU’s streak of Oct. 27 at Iona* 1:00 Nov. 10 LA SALLE* 1:00 MAAC Titles ___________________________________ 10 league titles to nine in the Dukes’ (1995, ‘96, ‘99, ‘00, ‘01, ‘02, ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06) Nov. 17 at Monmouth Noon MAAC Record ________________ 73-8-0 (.901) since 1994 MAAC swan song. * - Denotes MAAC Football League games MAAC Home Record _________________________ 37-4-0 Schmitt, who guided the HC - Homecoming game vs. Frostburg State MAAC Road Record __________________________ 36-4-0 Dukes to a 7-3-0 mark in 2006, wel- Basic Offense _____________________________ Multiple Basic Defense ________________________________ 4-3 comes back 18 starters from last 2007 SCHEDULE QUICK NOTES year’s team (9 offensive and 7 de- 2007 ASSISTANT COACHES AND STAFF fensive in addition to the starting FOUR AT HOME: The Dukes will play four Joe Bernard _____________ Def. Coordinator/Secondary punter and placekicker) which fin- times at home, with two coming in the month Harry Carter ___________________________ Linebackers of September. Chuck Froehlich _____________________ Defensive Line ished the season ranked No. 6 in The Bill Hurley ________________________ Defensive Backs Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major NON-CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: DU’s seven Niel Loebig ___________________________ Quarterbacks Top 10. Dave Loya _____________________________ Receivers non-conference games will be against four Terry Russell _______________________ Running Backs Duquesne, which has the sec- Northeast Conference schools (Robert Morris, Mike Silianoff _______ Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Line ond-best winning percentage of all at Sacred Heart, at Saint Francis, Pa. & at Jon Tekac ______________________________ Tight Ends FCS schools this decade (.773 trails Monmouth), one Patriot League school John Rosato ______________ Dir. of Football Operations/ only Montana’s .808), will be look- (Bucknell), one Ivy League school (Brown) and Recruiting Coordinator one Division III program (Frostburg State). MEDIA RELATIONS ing to put together its 14th consecu- Associate AD/Media Relations (FB contact) _ Dave Saba tive winning season. BYE, BYE: The Dukes will have two byes during Saba's Office Phone ___________________ 412-396-5861 Among the priorities for the season (Sept. 8 & Nov. 3). Saba’s Cell Phone _____________________ 412-225-5317 Schmitt and the 2007 Dukes is the Saba's E-Mail Address _________________ [email protected] A LATE SWITCH: The Robert Morris at SID Office/Fax _________________ 412-396-6560/x6210 retooling of a Duquesne defensive backfield which lost three veteran Duquesne game was a late switch from Sept. 8 to Duquesne University Athletics, A.J. Palumbo Center, Oct. 20. The move was made as part of a three- starters from a unit that ranked No. 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15282 team shift (including Monmouth) caused by Saint 19 in total defense, 11th in scoring Peter’s late drop of the football program. defense, 13th in pass defense, and 2006 DUQUESNE RESULTS 11th in pass efficiency defense in Record: 7-3 MAAC: 3-1 Home: 3-2 Road: 4-1 the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Gone are three of the four first team All- Sept. 2 at Bucknell (OT) _____________ L ___ 28-31 MAAC performers from last year in three-year starter cornerback Kyle Postell, three-year Sept. 9 at Robert Morris ____________ W ____ 27-7 starter safety Todd Mills, and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and yet another three- Sept. 16 SAINT FRANCIS, PA. _______ W ___ 41-10 Sept. 23 SACRED HEART ___________ W ___ 24-21 year starter safety Michael Hill. In addition, Schmitt must find a replacement for starting Sept. 30 WEST LIBERTY STATE _______ L ___ 19-21 defensive end Ryan Esdale who was second on the team last year with 5.0 sacks. Oct. 7 at Fordham ________________ W ___ 20-17 Returning are seven first and second team All-MAAC performers from last year, Oct. 14 at Saint Peter’s* ____________ W ___ 35-21 Oct. 21 MARIST* __________________ W ___ 40-10 including all three linebackers in first-teamers John Simmons (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) and Oct. 28 IONA* _____________________ L ___ 13-17 Greg Hough (Gibosnia, Pa./Pine-Richland), and second-teamer Eric Halberstadt (Lansdale, Nov. 4 at La Salle* ________________ W ____ 38-0 Pa./North Penn). Simmons and Hough tied for second last season with 53 tackles each. * - MAAC opponents The pair also added 2.5 sacks apeice. Simmons is a two-year starter while Hough, who returned an interception a school-record 98 yards for a touch- down last season, just completed his first year at linebacker after playing DUKES AT A GLANCE fullback in 2005. as of March, 2007 - class listed is for upcoming season The linebacking corps will be bolstered by the arrival of Derron Thomas (Forestville, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) a graduate student transfer STARTERS RETURNING/LOST __________________ 16/6 from Pitt. The 6-1, 235-pound Thomas was good enough to start nine SPECIALISTS RETURNING/LOST _________________ 2/0 times and finish fourth on the team in total tackles as a sophomore for the ALL-MAAC RETURNING/LOST __________________ *13/6 * – totals include first and second team picks Panthers in 2005. A former first team All-Maryland pick in high school, Thomas is expected have major impact on the Dukes’ defense. OFFENSE: (starters returning/lost) ______________ 9/2 Also returning is first team All-MAAC defensive end Travis Decker +J.T. STEFANIK, Jr., 6-4, 265 ___________________ Left Tackle (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) who will be joined by second-teamers Ronnie +STEVE KUHNS, So., 6-3, 305 _________________ Left Guard Garvin (Aiken, S.C./Aiken), and Mykol Gardiner (Cleveland, Oh./ *MATT STANSFIELD, Sr., 6-1, 265 __________________ Center Benedictine) along the defensive line. Decker, an honorable mention Don HATIM CHAFI, Sr., 6-4, 295 ___________________ Right Guard Hansen FCS All-American last season, led the Duquesne in both sacks MATT KIKTA, So., 6-4, 280 ___________________ Right Tackle (8.0) and tackles for loss (12.0) despite not moving into the starting lineup *CALVIN GITTER, Sr., 6-2, 235 __________________ Tight End until game four. Garvin and Gardiner combined to win three MAAC *BRUCE HOCKER, Sr., 6-4, 190 ___________________ Split End JOE D’ORSIE, So., 6-0, 240 ______________________ Fullback Rookie of the Week honors last season as redshirt freshmen (two for *SCOTT KNAPP, Jr., 6-3, 230 __________________ Quarterback Gardiner and one for Garvin). Garvin tied for the lead with two fumble recoveries, while Gardiner was second on the team with 6.5 sacks. DEFENSE: (starters returning/lost) ______________ 7/4 Cornerback Aaron Strader (Pittsburgh, Pa./Westinghouse), the +TRAVIS DECKER, Sr., 6-2, 225 _____________ Defensive End 2005 MAAC Defensive Rookie of the Year and first team all-league pick +RONNIE GARVIN, So., 6-2, 270 ___________ Defensive Tackle last season, will anchor the new-look secondary. Strader tied for the team +MYKOL GARDINER, So., 6-2, 240 _________ Defensive Tackle lead in interceptions last year with three including a 96-yard return for a *JOHN SIMMONS, Sr., 6-1, 220 __________ Outside Linebacker score at Robert Morris. *GREG HOUGH, Jr., 6-1, 210 ____________ Outside Linebacker +ERIC HALBERSTADT, Jr., 5-10, 210 ______ Middle Linebacker Senior Paul Mulbah (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt), a pe- *AARON STRADER, Jr., 6-3, 185 ___________ Defensive Back rennial special teams standout who has seen action in 30 games in his first three seasons, is expected to inherit the other cornerback spot. Sopho- SPECIALISTS: (starters returning/lost) __________ 2/0 mores Randall Norton (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh) and John Guthrie MARK TROYAN, Jr. 6-0, 175 _______________________ Kicker (Bethel Park, Pa./Seton-La Salle) saw the majority of playing time at the +DAVID KOVALCIK, Sr., 5-10, 185 _________________ Punter two open safety spots in the spring.