PITTSBURGH – Duquesne, coming off a 2011 Northeast Conference co-championship, announced its 2012 football schedule today.

      The Dukes, who will return nine starters from a team that finished with five consecutive wins to go 9-2 in 2011 (7-1 in the NEC), will open at Old Dominion on Sept. 1. It will be the second time in three years that the Dukes will play a Colonial Athletic Association team on the road (DU lost at No. 11/12 Delaware in 2010).

      The Monarchs went 10-3 and 6-2 in the CAA (2nd place) in advancing to the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. ODU finished the season ranked tenth nationally  in just the third year of the program’s existence. ODU, the winningest start-up program in FCS history with a three-year record of 27-8, has sold out all 21 home games since reinstating football in 2009.

      Duquesne opens at home against Pioneer Football League member Dayton on Sept. 8. This will be the fifth consecutive season the Dukes and Flyers, who have posted 34 winning seasons in the past 35 years, will meet. DU has won four of the past five - including a 22-13 win at Dayton last season - to take a 5-4 lead in the series.

      DU will travel to Indiana to face another Pioneer League opponent in Valparaiso on Sept. 15.

      The Dukes, who are beginning their fifth season as an associate member of the NEC, begin defense of their co-championship at Bryant on Sept. 22.

      DU’s NEC home opener is against Saint Francis, Pa. on Sept. 29. The SFU game will be part of Duquesne’s Homecoming Weekend.

      The Dukes follow an off week with a  trip to Central Connecticut State on Oct. 13 before returning home for back-to-back games with Sacred Heart (Oct. 20) and Monmouth (Oct. 27).

      The month of November opens with the short trip to Moon Township to face cross-town rival Robert Morris on Nov. 3.

      Duquesne hosts 2011 co-champion Albany, which earned last year’s NEC’s FCS Playoff berth by virtue of its 38-10 win over DU last year, on Senior Day (Nov. 10).

      DU closes out the regular season at Wagner on Nov. 17.

      DU, under seventh-year head coach Jerry Schmitt, opens spring practice on March 14. The 15 practice sessions will culminate with the annual spring game slated for Saturday, April 14 on Rooney Field.

            For ticket information regarding the 2012 season, fans are encouraged to call 412-232-DUKE (3853).

2012 SCHEDULE QUICK NOTES

OPENING ON THE ROAD: DU opens at Old Dominion on Sept. 1. ODU, a fourth-year program, played before an average crowd of 19,818 for its seven home games last season. The Monarchs finished 10-3 including a 55-48 loss to Georgia Southern in the FCS Playoffs.

YOU AGAIN?: This will be the fifth consecutive season Duquesne will face Dayton in non-conference play. The two schools compete annually in a number of other sports as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. DU has won four of the past five meetings to take a 5-4 series lead over the Flyers who compete in the Pioneer Football League.

FIVE AT HOME: The Dukes will play five times at home and six times on the road.

OFF TO INDIANA: Valparaiso which, like Dayton, is member of the Pioneer League is on the schedule for the second-straight year.

NON-CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: DU’s three non-conference games will be against a representative of the Colonial Athletic Association (Old Dominion) and a pair of Pioneer League schools (Dayton & Valparaiso).

Duquesne University head football coach Jerry Schmitt announced the addition of 20 student-athletes to the Dukes football program today.

            The incoming class covers seven states ranging from Maryland to Florida to Nevada and California.

            This is the fifth season Duquesne has offered scholarships in the sport of football in the modern era.

            “This is the largest group we have welcomed in recent years yet the quality of this class remains high on academic commitment and athletic ability while filling our positional needs,” said Schmitt.  “I applaud our staff for working diligently through the recruiting process and educating the recruits and their families about Duquesne.

            “I also want to thank President Dougherty and Greg Amodio, our Director of Athletics, for the support they give to our student-athletes and athletic programs. The quantity of talented student-athletes we bring in continues to grow because of their vision to develop our football program at the FCS level.”

            The 2012 season will be Duquesne’s fifth as an associate football-playing member of the Northeast Conference.

            Last year, the Dukes finished 9-2 in tying for the NEC title with a 7-1 record. Duquesne, which received 26 points in the final Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top 25 College Football Poll (which translated into a No. 34 final ranking) will return nine starters - five on offense and four on defense - in 2012. 

            DU will open four weeks of spring practice on March 14. The annual spring game will take place on Saturday, April 14 on Rooney Field. The time of the game is to be announced.

2012 DUQUESNE FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS

NAME                                  POS        CL        HT       WT          HOMETOWN/LAST SCHOOL (TRANSFER)

Anthony Alimenti                DB          FR        5-9       185          Churchville, Pa./Council Rock South

Franklin Balmaceda            OL          JR        6-2       300          Miami, Fla./G. Holmes Braddock (ASA Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Dillon Buechel                    QB          FR        6-4       175          McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour

Adam Clopton                     DB          FR        6-0       175          Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central

Kevin Enright                      TE          FR        6-3       235          Stow, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit

Larson Graham                   OL          FR        6-4       275          Wyoming, Ohio/Wyoming

Mike Hutchings                   DL          JR        6-3       265          Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman (Feather River College, Calif.)

Josh Jordan                        DB          FR       5-10      170          Hueytown, Ala./Hueytown

Chris King                           WR         FR        6-4       205          Crofton, Md./DeMatha Catholic

Sean Lacinski                      OL          FR        6-3       290          Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette

Sam Martello                        LB          FR        6-1       212          Westlake, Ohio/St. Edward

Reggie McKnight               WR         FR        6-2       175          Dania, Fla./Hollywood Hills

Jordan McNally                   OL          FR        6-3       285          Loveland, Ohio/Loveland

Xavier Nelson                      DB          FR       5-10      160          Sliver Spring, Md./Springbrook

Dane O’Driscoll                   DL          FR        6-4       255          Hudson, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit

Jake Radziukinas                DL          FR        6-2       270          Upper St. Clair, Pa./Upper St. Clair

Aaron Reed                          LB          FR        6-0       200          McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour

Jalen Snyder-Scipio          WR         FR        6-3       192          Emmaus, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic

Zach Zidian                         DL          FR        6-2       285          Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman                                                      

Mid-Year                                                                        

Nick Floyd                           DB          JR       5-10      180          San Diego, Calif./Grossmont (Southwestern College)

* - Additional commitments to be announced at a later date

ANTHONY ALIMENTI - Was a running back/linebacker for 12-2 Class 4A Council Rock South ... was named Suburban One National League second team running back and third team at linebacker ... had touchdown runs of 90 and 53 yards in a win over Abington  ... had a 52-yard TD run in a 17-0 win over arch rival Council Rock North to gain a share of the conference championship ... carried 14 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the Golden Hawks’ 34-7 district playoff win over Upper Dublin ... high school coach Vince Bedesem.

FRANK BALMACEDA - Miami, Fla. native comes to the Dukes by way of ASA Institute in Brookly, N.Y. ... offensive captain for coach Dennis Orlando at ASA where he started at left guard ... was a three-year starter and two-year team captain for G. Holmes Braddock High School ... was an All-Dade County selection as a senior ... played in the Dade vs Broward All-Stae game ... high school coach Frank Rojas.

DILLON BUECHEL -  Finished his career as the second-leading passer in WPIAL history with 6,898 yards ... also threw 75 touchdown passes ... passed for 2,811 yards (189-of-292, 64.7%) and 41 touchdowns in leading Montour to its first WPIAL championship since 1964 in 2011 ... led the Spartans to the PIAA Class 3A state championship game ... was named Associated Press Class 3A first team all-state as a senior and second team as a junior ... was named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Teriffic 25 two times ... was one of four finalists for the Pittsburgh Athletic Association’s Mercury Award which is presented annually to the Western Pennsylvania high school football Player of the Year ... threw for six scores in a win over Chartiers Valley and five in a victory over Canon-McMillan as a senior ... completed 60.3 percent of his passes (158-of-262) for 2,221 yards and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions in leading Montour to a 12-1 record as a junior ... threw for at least 115 yards in each of the Spartans’ 13 games ... had four games with four touchdown passes ... completed 143-of-257 passes (55.6 percent) for 1,872 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore in leading the Spartans to the WPIAL AAA playoffs ... chose Duquesne over the University of Maine ... plans to study pharmacy ... also is a standout basketball player for the Spartans ... high school coach Lou Cerro.

ADAM CLOPTON - Had 71 tackles and three interceptions as a defensive back/strong safety for 2011 conference champion and state runner-up Pickerington Central (11-3) ... totaled 60 tackles in helping the team to a 9-0 regular season record and regional runner-up finish as a junior ... named second team All-Ohio Capital Conference as a senior ... high school coach Jay Sharrett.

KEVIN ENRIGHT - Three-year letterman ... caught 31 passes for 473 yards and three TDs as a senior and 28 passes for 412 yards and four scores as a junior ... named second team Northeast Inland District as a senior ... high school coach Gerry Rardin.

NICK FLOYD -  Was a second team all-conference pick as a high school senior and as a college sophomore ... had 59 tackles including three sacks, forced two fumbles and broke up 12 passes as a sophomore for Southwestern College ... had 54 tackles and 11 pass break ups as a freshman ... played in high school for head coach Judd Hulbert.

LARSON GRAHAM -  Was named second team All-CHL as a senior ... high school coach Bernie Barre.

MIKE HUTCHINGS -  Nevada native played last season for Feather River College in Quincy, Calif. where he had 54 tackles (29 solo) including 16.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks ... also showed his athleticism by returning an intercepted pass 68 yards ... helped FRC to wins in four of its last five games to finish 5-5.

JOSH JORDAN - Had 52 tackles including five tackles for loss for 13-1 Hueytown as a senior ... also broke up 15 passes and forced a pair of fumbles during his final season ... named honorable mention all-state ... added 48 tackles and 10 BPUs as a junior ... was also a member of the track team ... high school coach Matt Scott.

CHRIS KING - was named first team Gazette All-County as well as to the All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference first team ... had 37 catches for 576 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior ... named honorable mention Big School All-State ... high school coach Elijah Brooks.

SEAN LACINSKI - Played on both the offensive and defensive line for South Fayette ... two-time all-Century Conference ... team captain as a senior ... was named second team Class 2A all-state by the Pennsylvania Football News ... helped protect record-setting quarterback Christian Brumbaugh during South Fayette’s run to the WPIAL title in 2010 ... the 2010 Lions advanced to the PIAA state championship game ... high school coach Joe Rossi.

SAM MARTELLO -  Comes to the Dukes from one of the most respected programs in the state of Ohio ... had 107 tackles including nine tackles for loss and five sacks and recovered a pair of fumbles as a senior for an 8-4 team that advanced to the second round of the playoffs ... was the leading tackler with 121 stops for St. Edward’s 15-0 Ohio Division 1 State Championship team in 2010 ... added 10 tackles and three sacks for a 2010 Eagles team that finished the season ranked among the nation’s Top 5 teams by a number of media outlets ... served as a team captain as a senior ... considered Toledo, Ohio, Columbia, Dartmouth and William & Mary in addition to Duquesne ... high school coach Rick Finotti.

REGGIE McKNIGHT - Averaged 14.1 yards per catch as a senior (31-444) on the way to earning second team all-district honors ... named honorable mention 6A-4A All-Broward County by the Miami Herald ... represented Broward in the inaugural Miami Dade vs. Broward All-Star Football game ... also considered the University at Buffalo ... high school coach Scott Barnwell.

JORDAN McNALLY - Named offensive team MVP and first team All-Fort Ancient Valley Conference ... was second team all-conference as a junior ... also participated in track and lacrosse ... made official visits to Robert Morris and Morehead State ... high school coach Andrew Marlan.

XAVIER NELSON - Had 95 tackles, forced four fumbles, recovered three fumbles and picked off a pair of passes as a senior for Class 4A Springbrook ... also rushed for 370 yards on 22 carries (16.8 ypc.) and caught seven passes for 135 yards (19.3 ypc.) and three scores ... was named first team all-league and first team all-county, second team All-Gazette and honorable mention all-state ... was a state qualifier as a member of both the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams ... his brother, Colin, played defensive back at the University of Maryland for two years and is currently with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena League ... high school coach Rob Wendel.

DANE O’DRISCOLL - Played both offensive and defensive tackle for 10-2 Walsh Jesuit ... was a team captain as a senior ... named second team Associated Press Northeast Inland All-District ... also played baseball ... high school coach Gerry Rardin.

JAKE RADZIUKINAS - Had 31 tackles including 2.5 sacks in earning first team Class 4A All-Great Southern Conference honors ... led an Upper St. Clair defense that surrendered just 10.1 points per game ...  helped clear the way for a USC offense that averaged 240.6 rushing yards per game ... high school coach Jim Render.

AARON REED - Named Class 3A All-Parkway Conference ... played both linebacker and tight end for Montour ... had 134 tackles and caught 32 passes as a senior ... had 15 tackles, forced two fumbles and caught four passes - including one for a touchdown - in a 25-21 PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal playoff win ... also plays basketball ... high school coach Lou Cerro.

JALEN SNYDER-SCIPIO - Caught 74 passes for 1,242 yards and 11 touchdowns in earning all-area honors from the Allentown Morning Call ... ended his season with six straight games with over 90 yards receiving in helping Allentown Central Catholic to the PIAA Class 3A semifinals ... high school coach Harold Fairclough.

ZACH ZIDIAN  -  Played on both sides of the line for Boardman ... named first team All-Federal League ... also earned a spot on the Associated Press Northeastern Inland All-District Division I Second Team ... was also named to the OHSFCA Academic All-Ohio Team ... high school coach Mark D’Eramo.

PITTSBURGH – Junior linebacker Zach Richert (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland), a secondary education/English major with a 3.88 grade point average, has been named to the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Start Team announced by the FCS Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA).

        Richert was one of 58 players - as well as one of three Northeast Conference players - honored. There were a total of 92 players nominated.

        Criteria for nomination included: a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study; being a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials; being in the second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. Nominees were also required to have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position.

        This is the 14th season the FCS ADA has selected its Academic All-Star Team.

        Richert, who played in all 11 games, finished tied for third on the team with 2.0 sacks as a third-down specialist for a unit that finished third nationally in total defense. The 6-0, 195-pounder added 19 tackles (10 solo) including 3.0 tackles for loss and also forced a fumble for the Dukes who led the NEC in total defense, scoring defense, pass defense and pass efficiency defense.

        Duquesne (9-2, 7-1), which just completed its seventh season under head coach Jerry Schmitt, finished tied for first in the NEC in just its fourth season as an associate member.

About the FCS ADA: Now in its 19th year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association’s mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 46th year. For more information on NACDA and the 12 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

DUQUESNE’S ALL-TIME

FCS ADA ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

2011        Zach Richert                    LB           3.88

2007        Dave Kovalcik                    P           3.88

                Matt Stansfield                 OL           3.46

2006        Ryan Esdale                    DL           3.65

                Dave Kovalcik                    P           3.87

2005        Josh Antinopoulos         DL           3.26

                Ryan Esdale                    DL           3.73

2003        Mike Hilliard                    RB           3.55

2002        Mike Hilliard                    RB           3.59

                Joe Pavlick                      DB           3.97

2001        Joe Pavlick                      DB           3.97

2000        Andrew Smulski              OL           3.52

                Tony Zimmerman           QB           3.23

1998        Orlando Bellisario             P           3.45

                Matt Fisher                       LB           3.35