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Photo by: Tom O'Brien
Photo by: Tom O'Brien
Posted: Oct 24, 2013

Bryant welcomes Duquesne on Saturday (1p)

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Game Leaders
Bryant
Pa: M. Westerhaus - 160
Ru: Ryan Black - 64
Rec: Jordan Harris - 91
Duquesne
Pa: BUECHEL, Dillon - 200
Ru: HO, Ryan - 60
Rec: THOMAS, Dave - 83
Team Stats

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Looking to snap a three-game losing skid, the Bryant University football team welcomes Duquesne to Bulldog Stadium on Parents and Family Weekend this Saturday, Oct. 26. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT - Bryant 28 - Sacred Heart 56

Sacred Heart grabbed a 21-0 lead at the half on three touchdown receptions from Tyler Dube before the Black and Gold came to life in the second half. A pair of Jordan Harris (Lincoln University, Pa.) touchdowns cut the deficit to 21-14 and Jose Depadua (Hagerstown, Md.) returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to pull Bryant within 28-21 but the Pioneers were able to answer every score on their way to a 56-28 victory. Sacred Heart put up 500 yards of total offense on the afternoon and held Bryant to just four yards of rushing. Harris ended the day with 10 catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns, tying a single-game program record.

SCOUTING THE DUKES

Picked to finish second in the league in the annual preseason poll, the Dukes have lived up to their billing, starting the year 4-2 overall and 2-0 against NEC teams. Duquesne received three of the seven first-place votes given out by league coaches.

Duquesne enters today's contest coming off a big rivalry victory over Robert Morris last Saturday in Moon Township, Pa. The Dukes scored three times in the third quarter to erase a 7-0 halftime deficit and held on to defeat the Colonials, 21-20. Duquesne doesn't light up the scoreboard it doesn't allow its opponents to either. The Dukes are averaging 342 yards of total offense, while opponents have put up 335 per game. Dillon Buechel has been great in his first year under center, completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,550 yards and nine touchdowns. Gianni Carter is one of the top receivers in the league and has five touchdown catches on the year.
The Dukes defense is headlined by fifth year senior Dorian Bell, one of the top linebackers in the NEC. Bell has collected 30 tackles on the year, with one sack. Christian Kuntz has also been stellar for Duquesne, leading the team with 42 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and four sacks. Rich Piekarski has been great in the secondary, intercepting a pair of passes and also breaking up five others.
INSIDE THE SERIES

Bryant and Duquesne will be meeting for the sixth time when they take this field this afternoon. The Bulldogs opened the series with back-to-back victories but the Dukes have won the last three meetings. Bryant opened the series with a 24-10 victory in 2008 and then blanked Duquesne, 20-0, the following year in Pittsburgh. The Dukes, however, have rattled off three-straight wins, 37-29 in 2010, 31-28 in 2011 and 35-21 last year. The victory last year for the Dukes came on Homecoming and Reunion Weekend and spoiled Bryant's perfect record under coach Fine on homecoming.

HARRIS HAS NEC RECORD IN SIGHT

Thanks to 10-catch, 163-yard performance last Saturday vs. Sacred Heart, Jordan Harris enters this week's game with Duquesne with a chance to break the all-time receiving record in the NEC. He has caught 170 passes for 3,403 career yards, needing just 61 to tie Michael Caputo's record and 62 to break it.