Duquesne’s football team is getting an early start on the season as it prepares to defend its Northeast Conference title.
The Dukes open the 2024 campaign with a nonconference game at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Toledo.
Led by two returning all-conference players and 11 starters overall, the Dukes again are favored to win the NEC. But before they embark on conference play, they will have some challenging FBS foes to face.
Duquesne is playing an FBS opponent for the 10th time in program history, including five times in the season opener. The Dukes also will play Boston College in Week 2.
“It’s a great opportunity for our kids to go play at a higher level, play an FBS team, play a team that has such a great tradition,” reigning NEC Coach of the Year Jerry Schmitt said of playing Toledo.
Toledo will be a test after it finished 11-3 last season, including 8-0 in the MAC. The Rockets lost in the MAC championship game to Miami (Ohio) and lost to Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl. They return six all-conference players, including WR Jerjuan Newton (52 catches, 696 yards, 9 TDs).
Toledo has not lost to an FCS team since 1988.
“It’s a great challenge for us, but we’re going to go have fun,” said Schmitt, who is entering his 20th season as head coach and has a 148-104 career record. “I heard the place is sold out. Can’t wait to see it. We’re excited to go play in front of that crowd. We’ll keep fighting to play Dukes football.”
The Dukes had six players picked to the preseason all-conference list: quarterback Darius Perrantes, wide receiver Tedy Afful, tight end Noah Canty, offensive lineman Vincent Lumia, defensive lineman A.J. Ackerman (Elizabeth Forward) and linebacker Gianni Rizzo (Norwin).
Perrantes, a first-team all-conference honoree last season, was named to the Walter Payton Award watch list for National Offensive Player of the Year in the FCS after being a finalist in 2023 when he threw for 2,324 yards and 21 touchdowns.
“He’s been a confident kid. He has a quiet confidence,” Schmitt said of Perrantes. “Through the season, I think he just started to really connect with this receivers. … He just got in a rhythm the last three, four games and developed a connection with those guys.”
Perrantes said he grew in all areas last season, especially when it didn’t involve his arms or legs.
“Just becoming a leader, just leading the team when we were down, being able to push my teammates,” Perrantes said. “Football is a hard game. There’s always ups and downs. But just being even-keeled, just knowing we have another play ahead of us.”
Redshirt juniors Taj Butts (569 yards, 3 TDs) and JaMario Clements (457 yards, 3 TDs) return in the backfield, though second-team all-conference running back Edward Robinson transferred to Southern Illinois.
Two of the Dukes’ top four receivers are back: grad student Joey Isabella (18 catches, 371 yards) and Afful, a senior who had 26 catches for 455 yards and five touchdowns a year ago.
“Tedy Afful has worked really hard. He will take a back seat to no one,” Schmitt said. “He wants the football. He practices with an anger to himself. He’s such a perfectionist. He wants to be so good. I love watching that about him. I think he’s ready to step into a higher role.”
Receivers Jermaine Johnson and Ian Sheehan return as well, and the Dukes added transfers John Erby and Ty Arrington.
Canty was a second-team All-NEC tight end last season at Stonehill and can impact the offense.
Up front, Lumia has returned to Duquesne after two seasons at Louisville. Gary Satterwhite III, Chris Oliver and Michael Fallah also return on the offensive line.
On defense, Rizzo is back after earning second-team all-conference honors at linebacker; along with defensive backs Antonio Epps (South Allegheny), CJ Barnes and Jaelen Carson; plus veteran defensive linemen Kevin Kurzinger and Ackerman also return after injuries last season.
The promising roster has led to Duquesne receiving votes in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and AFCA FCS Coaches Poll in the preseason, adding to the expectations for the Dukes to retain their spot atop the NEC.
“This season, same expectation,” said Rizzo, who had 68 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, last season. “We brought in a lot of new guys, a lot of good transfers. We brought a lot of starters back. We have the same expectation as last year. We’ll take it game by game, but we, obviously, know what this team can do.”
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Columnist Tim Benz contributed.
Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.