By Ben Deihl
staff writer | deihlb1@duq.edu

Winter coats and scarves filled the stands at Rooney Field for Duquesne’s first winter-like weather game of the season, as loyal fans braved the 34-degree windchill to watch their Dukes face crosstown rival Robert Morris.

Duquesne fell to Robert Morris at home for the first time since 1996, losing 13-10 Saturday afternoon. The Dukes dropped to 3-2 in conference play and 4-5 on the season, now in need of outside assistance to win the NEC and earn a playoff berth.

“Tough football game today,” Duquesne Head Coach Jerry Schmitt said. “A lot of things weren’t going our way, and we weren’t able to make enough plays to come out on top. All across the board, we all could have done something a little bit different.”

The Dukes’ 10-piece was the least amount of points they’ve scored on Rooney Field since 2021, when they lost to then-Division I Saint Francis 17-10.

Robert Morris started the game scorching hot, scoring in just five plays to set the tone for the rest of the game. A 44-yard pass from Carson Haggard to Keino Fitzpatrick set the Colonials up on the 11, and two quarterback runs got them the rest of the way for an early 7-0 lead.

Duquesne was able to respond with a scoring drive of their own, with running back Ness Davis carrying the offense on a 44-yard drive before stalling and settling with a 39-yard Matt Marcinko field goal.

The Colonials then went on two straight long drives totaling 25 plays and 12 minutes of game time, with both ending in field goals. Duquesne’s defense was constantly on the field, unable to slow Robert Morris’ passing attack that shredded its zone drops.

“Initially, Robert Morris did a good job scheming [the defense] up, and Coach Nesselt and his staff made adjustments,” Schmitt said. “They absolutely kept us in the football game because they had to defend a lot of possessions.”

Duquesne’s passing attack had one of its most ineffective outings since its first two games against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents, as quarterback Carson Camp completed 50% of his passes for 114 yards and one interception.

Camp only found three different receivers against Robert Morris. His new favorite target, Ryan Petras, went out with an apparent ankle injury on Duquesne’s first possession and did not return to the game. Schmitt did not have any update on Petras postgame.

In a frustrating game for the passing offense, Khiryn Boyd was Duquesne’s most effective receiver after Petras’ early exit. Boyd caught seven balls for 83 yards, accounting for 73% of Camp’s passing yards.

Duquesne’s defense was the only way the Dukes stayed in the game for as long as they did, holding Robert Morris to just 74 yards in the second half and forcing a turnover. Defensive back Dallas Harper intercepted Haggard off a Caleb Jones pass breakup that popped the ball high in the air.

The defense forced two Colonial turnovers, Harper’s interception and a Will Martin forced fumble that was recovered by Zion Patillo. Defensive lineman Dashawn Fields had a career day, posting 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

The short field from the interception set backup running back Dazhaun Hopkins up for a 2-yard touchdown rush, as Duquesne’s most efficient offensive drive only had to go 12 yards to reach the end zone.

Facing just a 3-point deficit, the Dukes had an opportunity to grab the lead with almost the entire fourth quarter to play.

The Dukes forced a quick three-and-out from Robert Morris, giving them the ball back with 10 minutes left to go and a red-hot Davis. He carried the ball four times for 37 yards before his final carry of the possession.

Fighting for extra yards, a perfectly placed peanut punch knocked the ball from Davis’ arm, halting the Duquesne drive with one fist and drastically changing the game’s momentum.

Still, Davis finished with his second 100-yard game this season and his seventh as a Duke, rushing for 127 yards on a 5.3 yard average.

“You hope that kind of running that he gives us opens up the play action and some other aspects of our offense, and it was a tough day on offense,” Schmitt said. “But the offensive line took it on themselves to get the ground game going, and I thought they did a good job with it.”

Davis’ fumble ended up being the final nail in the coffin for Duquesne, as Schmitt chose to punt the ball with three minutes left, allowing Robert Morris to run the clock out and seal their upset victory at Rooney Field.

With one home game left this season, Duquesne has now lost two home games for the first time since 2022 after going 10-1 at Rooney over the past two seasons.

The Dukes will look to right the ship with their last home game of the season against Mercyhurst on Saturday at noon. Duquesne will close their season at NEC-leading Central Connecticut State Nov. 21.