Bulldogs welcome Duquesne Saturday

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team closes the 2017 season on Saturday when it welcomes Duquesne to Beirne Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

Prior to the game, the Bulldogs will honor their 18-member senior class.

The Particulars

Opponent: Duquesne (7-3, 4-1 NEC)

Location: Beirne Stadium | Smithfield, R.I.

Kickoff: Noon

Watch Live: NECFrontRow

Listen Live: WOON 1240 or onworldwide.com

Live Stats: Sidearm

Series History

• Bryant and Duquesne will be meeting for the 10th time in program history.
• The Bulldogs own a 5-4 lead in the all-time series, having won three of the last four meetings.
• Last season, Bryant built a 24-7 lead in the second quarter but the Dukes scored the next 21 points and held on for a 35-31 victory in Pittsburgh.
• Keenan Thompson set a single-game program record with four touchdown receptions.
• Bryant is 3-2 against the Dukes in Smithfield.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant enters Saturday's season finale on a three-game winning streak. It is the first time the Black and Gold have won three-straight games since they won five-straight during the 2014 season.
• The Bulldogs are also in search of their first winning season since the 2014 season. Bryant has finished 5-6 each of the last two years.
• Bryant's win last week secured a .500-or-better season in NEC play. The Bulldogs have finished .500 or better all nine years they have played a full league schedule.
• Junior Thomas Costigan (Stamford, Conn.) enters Saturday's game with 87 tackles, 11 sacks, 16.5 tackles for a loss and four forced fumbles. He ranks second nationally in sacks per game after picking up three at Robert Morris.
• Over his last 14 games, Costigan has 122 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 24.5 tackles for a loss and seven forced fumbles. The stretch started last year at Duquesne when he had 10 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.
• Redshirt junior Price Wilson (Marietta, Ga.) enters Saturday's game with the chance to become the first 3,000-yard passer in school history. He would be just the second to accomplish the feat in NEC history.
• Senior Tom Kennedy (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and redshirt sophomore Jean Constant (Delray Beach, Fla.) have combined for 11 touchdowns over the course of Bryant's three-game winning streak.
• Kennedy and Constant are second and third in the NEC this season in total touchdowns.

A bit about the Dukes

• The Dukes enter Saturday's game following a heartbreaking loss to Central Connecticut last weekend. The loss ended the Dukes chances of earning the league's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.
• Duquesne ranks second in the NEC in total offense, averaging 417 yards per game.
• The offense is led by the three-headed monster of QB Tommy Stuart, RB A.J. Hines and WR Nehari Crawford. Stuart has thrown 25 touchdowns, Hines is averaging 116 yards per game on the ground and Crawford is tied for the national lead with 13 reception TDs.
• Defensively, the Dukes are surrendering 22.4 points per game and 350 yards of offense per game.
• Carter Henderson leads the team with 75 tackles, while Nathan Stone has 47 tackles, 9.0 TFLs, 4.5 sacks and eight QB hurries.

Canned Food Drive

• Fans are encouraged to bring canned food items to Saturday's game against Duquesne.
• All items received will be donated to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
• The effort is being run by the Bryant University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).