After week one’s loss to #7 Penn State, West Virginia University will look to make a comeback against the Duquesne Dukes. The schedule is only increasingly difficult, especially with a highly anticipated Backyard Brawl vs. the University of Pittsburgh in week three. Neal Brown and the Mountaineers will try to gain some confidence from this week two matchup.
What To Expect from WVU vs. Duquesne
The History Behind WVU & Duquesne
The Dukes are a Division I football program out of Pittsburgh, PA. For football purposes, Duquesne plays in the FCS Northeastern Conference, (they are in the Atlantic 10 for other sports). This non-conference opponent could put up a fight against WVU in week two. They beat Edinboro 49-7 in their season opener, making them one of two schools in their conference to pull out a win in week one.
The last time WVU and Duquesne met was in 1935. The Dukes made a trip to Morgantown, where they won 19-0. From 1914 to 1935, the pair met eight times. The all-time series is 4-4-1. While things have certainly changed in the 88 years since their last matchup, this WVU vs. DU meeting shouldn’t be taken lightly.
DU Offense vs. WVU Defense
The Dukes’ offense utilized three different quarterbacks during the season opener. Darius Perrantes looks like the main quarterback. He was seven for 13 with 135 passing yards. With two touchdowns and one sack, he contributed heavily to the Dukes’ win. Their run game is a big part of their offense. Taj Butts had nine carries for 104 yards, JaMario Clements had seven carries for 47 yards. Edward Robinson had six for 43 yards, Malik Thomas contributed with four for 28 yards, and the last double-digit addition is Jermaine Johnson Jr. with two carries for 24 yards.
With several weapons in the arsenal for running the ball, the program also has some tricks up its sleeve on the receiving end. Keshawn Brown had two receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown. DJ Powell Jr. had three catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns, and Alex Gochis had one for 11 yards.
An offense like this, with plenty of options for getting down the field, could be a workout for the WVU defense. After the Mountaineers struggle against #7 ranked Penn State, the Dukes could give them a run for their money.
While the Mountaineers struggled against the Penn State offense, they have a chance for improvement this Saturday. The defense has several players putting up steady numbers, but the most impressive seems to be Lee Kpogba. With 13 tackles, (seven solo, and six assists), Kpogba will be looking to make a bigger splash this weekend.
Aside from Kpogba, the defense is stacked with potential. Despite the performance against Penn State, the ability to improve upon the efforts of week one is very real. Beanie Bishop Jr., Trey Lathan, Jared Bartlett, and Anthony Wilson have the opportunity to be a problem for the Dukes. Between these five athletes, there are 36 tackles total. After these five, 12 Mountaineers contributed to the defense with 27 tackles. In addition, Tomiwa Durojaiye managed one sack for a loss of six yards for the Nittany Lions.
WVU Offense vs. DU Defense
The Mountaineer offense had a rocky start in week one, but they held their own to stave off a blowout. This wasn’t Garrett Greene’s first start, but his first game as the official QB1 didn’t go to plan. He was 16 for 27 with 162 passing yards and one touchdown. With 15 rushing attempts for 71 yards, Greene could be an effective dual-threat quarterback with more time.
In addition to Greene’s play, CJ Donaldson and Jaylen Anderson contributed to the rushing offense. Donaldson had 18 attempts for 81 yards and one touchdown, while Anderson was five for seven yards. Devin Carter, Kole Taylor, and Anderson rounded out the offense and led the team in receiving yards. Carter had six receptions for 90 yards, Taylor with two for 31 yards, and Anderson with two receptions for 15 yards. Other notable mentions include Jeremiah Aaron, Traylon Ray, Preston Fox, Donaldson, and Treylan Davis for six receptions for 26 yards total.
The ball was spread between several players on offense. But the WVU output needs improvement before Saturday, after seeing the offense struggle against Penn State. Not one of the Dukes’ defensive players had double-digit tackles, but 34 had tackles.
The program had 55 tackles, with Ty Howard accounting for five tackles, three solo, and two assists. Howard had one sack for 13 yards, Dayvia Gbor for 11 yards, Nick Curci and Kevin Kurzinger with a sack for eight yards, Gianni Rizzo for 14 yards, and Jack Dunkley with one sack for seven yards.
Not to mention, the program had three interceptions against Edinboro. Ayden Garners had one interception for 27 yards, Ezekiel Daure for 42 yards, and Tim Lowery with one interception. Including two forced fumbles, this defense has the potential to make this a challenging game.
Photo courtesy: Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
