Imagine the roar of the crowd, the tension in the air, and the weight of an entire season resting on one kick. That's exactly what Duquesne Dukes kicker Matt Clark faced, and he delivered in spectacular fashion! Clark's clutch, game-winning field goal as time expired secured a nail-biting 20-17 victory over Robert Morris University.
The game, played at Joe Walton Stadium, was a rollercoaster of emotions. Robert Morris (RMU) initially took control, building a 10-7 lead by halftime. Duquesne rallied to tie the score in the third quarter, but RMU quickly responded with a 63-yard punt return early in the fourth, regaining a 17-14 advantage. But here's where it gets controversial... some might argue that RMU should have played more conservatively with the lead, focusing on running the clock instead of risking a punt return. What do you think?
With just over eight minutes left on the clock, Clark nailed a 34-yard field goal to tie the game once again, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Then came the moment of truth! As the clock ticked down to zero, Clark stepped up and booted a 42-yard field goal – his longest of the season – to win the game.
But the victory wasn't just about Clark's heroics. The Dukes dominated the stat sheet, out-gaining Robert Morris 421 yards to 259 and controlling possession of the ball for an impressive 35 minutes and 22 seconds. Running back Ness Davis had a career day, rushing for 179 yards. Wide receiver Joey Isabella also had a standout performance, hauling in 108 receiving yards and a touchdown. And this is the part most people miss: Isabella's touchdown was significant because it made him only the fifth Duke ever to reach 30 career receiving touchdowns!
Quarterback Tyler Riddell also had a memorable game, passing for 214 yards and two touchdowns, surpassing 10,000 passing yards for his collegiate career. But it wasn’t just the established stars shining; Tight end Garrett Harrold also celebrated his first career touchdown.
With this hard-fought win, Duquesne concludes the season with a solid 7-5 overall record and a 5-2 mark in conference play. Robert Morris, on the other hand, finishes with a 3-9 overall record and a 2-5 record in the NEC.
More on the Dukes' Dominance:
- Duquesne's 5-2 record in NEC play marks the fifth time in the last six seasons they've had two or fewer league losses. Their consistency is remarkable – they've had winning overall records in 30 of their 33 FCS seasons and winning NEC records in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
- The Dukes now hold a 15-8 all-time record against Robert Morris, having won eight of their last nine matchups, including the last two seasons.
- Duquesne's ability to maintain a lead is evident in their 16-game winning streak when leading after the first quarter, including a perfect 5-0 record in such situations this season.
Individual Player Highlights:
- Matt Clark: Beyond the game-winner, Clark's performance was stellar. His two field goals and two extra points accounted for eight points. He also added a touchback, bringing his season total to 19, the most by a Duke since 2015. His game-winning kick was the first for Duquesne as time expired since 2009!
- Ness Davis: Davis's career-high 179 rushing yards on 25 carries (averaging 7.2 yards per carry) marked his fifth 100-yard game of the season.
- Tyler Riddell: Riddell's 214 passing yards marked his fifth 200-yard game and seventh multi-touchdown game at Duquesne. He finished his career with 10,069 passing yards, making him only the second active FCS quarterback to surpass 10,000 yards, and 77 career touchdown passes.
- He ended the season with 2,053 yards and 26 touchdowns, the seventh-most touchdowns in a season in Duquesne history.
- Riddell and Darius Perrantes are the first Duquesne duo to record 25+ passing TD seasons in back-to-back years with different QBs. Perrantes actually tied the single-season record with 29 last year.
- While Riddell is not in the career records for Duquesne as a graduate transfer, it's worth noting that only two Dukes have ever reached 10,000+ yards and 75+ touchdowns: Dillon Buechel (10,320/75) and Niel Loebig (10,254/103).
- Joey Isabella: Isabella becomes just the fifth Duke with 30 career receiving touchdowns and finishes third all-time in career receptions (163), surpassing Joe Rosato (159) and Bruce Hocker (162). He now trails only Chris King (175) and Nehari Crawford (190).
- He had 5 catches for 108 yards and a 71-yard touchdown on Duquesne's first drive, his sixth career 100-yard game and third this season.
- He ends the season with career highs in yards (839), receptions (63), and touchdowns (13).
- He closed his career with multiple receptions in 21 straight games.
- Alex Gochis: Recorded a career-long 31-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
- Ryan Petras: The freshman tied his season high with 3 catches for 58 yards, including a 38-yard reception to set up the Dukes in the red zone for the game-winning kick. Talk about clutch!
- The 71-yard Riddell-to-Isabella TD was Duquesne's longest pass of the season.
- Garrett Harrold: Scored his first career touchdown, giving Duquesne a 14-10 third-quarter lead.
- Antonio Epps and Avery Morris with seven tackles apiece. Morris added 1.5 tackles for loss. Both Epps and Morris have led the defense in tackles three times this season.
- On the defensive line, Jack Dunkley matched a career-high with five tackles and forced a first-quarter fumble, which Joel Kpassou recovered, extending Duquesne's streak to nine straight games with a takeaway.
- Punter Michael Berarducci set a new career long with a 69-yard punt in the third quarter, the fourth-longest in program history.
What a way to end the season! What are your thoughts on Duquesne's performance? Do you think they have the potential to make an even deeper run next year? And what about Clark's game-winning kick – was it the most clutch play you've seen all season? Let us know in the comments below!
