Rowan DuBois | staff writer

Duquesne dominated both sides of the ball in an emphatic 37-0 victory over Mercyhurst on Saturday, its fourth win in a row. The Dukes are now 3-0 in NEC play for the third consecutive year, moving to 5-3 overall. Mercyhurst fell to 3-5 (2-1 NEC), taking their first loss at home to Duquesne.

“This was a big game,” Duquesne Head Coach Jerry Schmitt said. “Both teams were 2-0, but we came in and were just going to play our football. I’m really proud of our guys for executing it that way.”

The Dukes running game was relentless, as they rushed for a team total 360 yards, their highest since 2018. Ness Davis led the team with 158 rushing yards on 16 attempts. It is Davis’ third 100-yard rushing game of the season, being awarded NEC Offensive player of the week for his performance. Four running backs reached 40 rushing yards for the Dukes on the day, including Taj Butts and Shawn Solomon Jr.

“Ness had an outstanding day,” Schmitt said. “He had to carry the load. The other two guys, Taj [Butts] and Shawn [Solomon Jr.] were banged up a little bit, but [Davis] carried the load and did an outstanding job.”

Duquesne started the game with nine straight rushing plays, split between Butts and Davis, before Tyler Riddell launched a 20-yard touchdown pass to Joey Isabella. Isabella has four straight games with a touchdown catch and is tied for first in the FCS with nine touchdown receptions on the season.

After a quick three-and-out from Mercyhurst, the Dukes got the ball back. On the first play of the second drive, Davis exploded for his longest rush of the day, a 59-yard touchdown.

“Shoutout to my o-line,” Davis said when asked about the play. “I went untouched. It was very easy. All I had to do was hit the hole in the gap and show my speed.”

The Dukes defense continued to stifle the Lakers, forcing three more three-and-outs, while the Dukes posted two long drives which both ended in Matt Clark field goals, making the score 20-0.

With under five minutes to go in the half, the Lakers picked up their first first-down. The next play, Dukes defensive lineman Ish Findlayter swiped the ball out of the hands of Mercyhurst running back Brian Tobel, and linebacker Avery Morris scooped up the ball, returning it for a 35-yard touchdown. It was Morris’ second defensive touchdown of the year, and Duquesne’s second week returning a fumble for a touchdown.

“When my teammates make plays, I’ve got to capitalize on it,” Morris said. “I always like to turn around in the end zone and turn up with my teammates.”

The Dukes went into the break with a 27-0 lead, with their defense only allowing Mercyhurst 27 total yards on offense. Duquesne finished the half with 146 rushing yards.

“I’m really happy with the way our guys came to play,” Schmitt said. “On the road, conference game, get a conference win. I’m so impressed with how they came out and set the tone early, running the ball,” Schmitt said.

Mercyhurst nearly broke through on their first drive of the second half as they reached the Duquesne 1-yard line after 15 plays. However, a chop-block penalty and a Kevin Kurzinger sack forced the Lakers to try a field goal, which they missed.

Duquesne added to its tally in the fourth quarter, as running back Dazhaun Hopkins took every rep on a 54-yard drive, including a 16-yard touchdown dash to cap off the scoring. The Duquesne offense has reached 400 total yards in each of its last four outings.

“If you want to stop the run, we’ll take it to the air,” Davis said, “and if you want to stop the pass game, we’ll run the ball. We have a lot of weapons on offense who are very versatile.”

The Dukes had been chasing a shutout over their last two games, as they held both St. Francis and Stonehill scoreless for the first three quarters of each game. This time, the Dukes defense stepped up in the fourth quarter, forcing two punts, and making a fourth down stop to keep the Lakers off the board.

With the win, Duquesne keeps their conference record perfect and aims their sights on a Nov. 15 matchup with Central Connecticut State that could decide the NEC champion. The Dukes have two stops in New York first, playing at Wagner and Long Island.

“We have 24 hours to celebrate,” Davis said. “Then, we’re going to throw it out the window and get ready for next week.”

Rowan DuBois can be reached at duboisr1@duq.edu