Courtesy of Duquesne Athletics
PITTSBURGH - Larry McCoy ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns and Sean
Patterson threw for 242 yards and a score as Duquesne opened Northeast
Conference play with a 28-17 win over Albany at Rooney Field.
The win, DU’s first in four tries over the Great Danes, upped the Dukes’
record to 3-1, Albany dropped to 1-2.
Dave Williams caught three passes for 106 yards and Connor Dixon added
seven catches for 79 yards for the Duquesne who outgained Albany 380-208.
Drew Smith led UA with 27 carries for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Duquesne got on the board first when Serge Kona forced a Smith fumble
that was recovered by Alex Inda at the UA 34. McCoy then took a
fourth-and-one hand off and raced 24 yards to make it 7-0.
Albany answered by going 66 yards in 15 plays to tie it on a three-yard
run by Smith.
The Dukes then drove to the Albany 17, but Eric Duale’s field goal
attempt sailed wide left from 34 yards out.
Patterson found Williams with a short pass in the right flat and watched
him turn it upfield and run 65 yards untouched down the sideline to give
Duquesne a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.
The Dukes made it 21-7 when Marek Lapinski ended an 83-yard drive with a
one-yard plunge. A 45-yard pass from Patterson to Akeem Moore was the big
play in the 10-play drive.
Kona picked off a Dan Di Lella pass at the Duquesne 33 with just under
three minutes left in the half, but Charlie Leventry’s punt was blocked
and recovered by Albany at the nine-yard line. The Great Danes converted
the miscue when Smith scored from three yards out to make it 21-14 at the
half.
Dionte Wade intercepted Di Lella at the UA 46 early in the third quarter.
Patterson found Dixon for back-to-back gains of 26 and 18 yards to set up
a one-yard McCoy run that made it 28-14.
Albany took advantage of a 14-yard Duquesne punt to drive 44 yards for a
40-yard Herb Glass field goal to pull within 11 after three quarters.
Neither team scored the rest of the way as Duquesne held Albany to 46
yards on 21 fourth quarter plays.
Kona and Nathan Totino led the DU defense with seven tackles each and
Inda added a sack for the Dukes.
Duquesne returns to action with a Homecoming game versus Monmouth on
Saturday, Oct. 2. Game time is 1:00 p.m.