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NO. 1 vs. NO. 2:

Duquesne (3-0, 1-0), who extended its winning streak to nine games with a 33-23 victory over Butler last week, takes on undefeated Dayton (3-0) in a match-up of the two top-ranked teams in this week’s Sports Network Poll of I-AA Mid-Major schools. Kickoff is set for 1:35 p.m. at Rooney Field on the Duquesne campus

The Dukes, who have held the No. 1 ranking since Sept. 3, own victories over VMI (41-18) and Saint Peter’s (28-10) as well as Butler. Dayton, a 42-22 winner at Morehead State last weekend, also owns wins over St. Francis, Pa. (70-0) and Robert Morris (37-9).

Dayton’s 49.7 points per game average ranks second nationally. Duquesne, winner of four of the last six MAAC titles (1995, 1996, 1999, 2000), is attempting to become
the first league team to win three consecutive league championships.

TWO OF THE BEST TEAMS

The Duquesne vs. Dayton game matches two of the three most successful teams in NCAA Division I-AA over the last six seasons.

Entering this year, Duquesne had won .815 of its games since 1995 (53-12-0), while Dayton went 49-14-0 (.778) over that same span.


NCAA DIVISION I-AA TOP WINNING PERCENTAGES
Last Six Years (1995-00)



Duquesne began the 2001 season with the best winning percentage – over the last six seasons – of all NCAA Division I-AA schools. Here are the Top 5 with their record entering 2001:

DUQUESNE ______ 53-12-0 __ .815
Montana _________ 65-16-0 __ .802
Dayton __________ 49-14-0 __ .778
Georgia Southern __ 63-19-0 __ .768
Southern _________ 55-17-0 __ .764



TWO OF THE BEST COACHES

In addition, the Duquesne/Dayton clash features two of the most successful coaches in NCAA Division I-AA. Entering this season, Dayton’s Mike Kelly had a 185-39-1 (.824) record in 20 seasons as a head coach, while Duquesne’s Greg Gattuso began the year with a .741 winning percentage (63-22-0 in eight seasons).

According to the 2001 NCAA Football Records book, Kelly’s winning percentage ranked first, and Gattuso’s fifth among I-AA coaches with a minimum of five years as a I-A/
I-AA head coach.

STREAKING

Duquesne’s current nine-game win streak is the longest in NCAA Division I-AA ... DU has also won its last 10 MAAC Football League games, with the last loss coming at Iona (62-50) on Oct. 23, 1999 ... the Dukes have also won 14 in a row at home and nine in a row on the road.


STREAKING DUKES
– NCAA Division I-AA –

LONGEST CURRENT WIN STREAKS
9 __ DUQUESNE__________ 9/29 vs. Dayton
8 __ Georgia Southern _________ 9/29 at VMI

LONGEST CURRENT HOME WIN STREAKS
34 _ Georgia Southern 10/6 Western Carolina
14 _ DUQUESNE__________ 9/29 vs. Dayton

IMPRESSIVE DEBUT
Redshirt freshman QB Niel Loebig (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) was impressive in the first start of his career vs. VMI on Aug. 30. The 6-3, 215-pounder completed eight of his first nine passes for 126 yards and one TD in leading the Dukes’ to an early 14-3 lead.

Loebig’s lone first quarter incompletion was a drop by wide receiver Yardon Brantley (career high 7 catches for a career high 123 yards).

For the game Loebig, who is attempting to fill the shoes record setting three-year starter Tony Zimmerman, went 22-of-31 for 303 yards and two TDs. Loebig, who learned of his starting assignment the Sunday before the Thursday night game vs. VMI, completed passes to seven different receivers on the evening. On Sept. 8, Loebig completed 5-of-14 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns (53, 19) to lead the Dukes to a 28-10 win over Saint Peter’s. Loebig was named MAAC Rookie of the Week for his effort.

Last week at Butler, Loebig connected on 20-of-41 pass attempts for 279 yards and 4 TDs (12, 12, 67, 19) in winning MAAC Rookie of the Week honors for the second time. He currently ranks 25th nationally with a pass efficiency rating of 141.7. Loebig won a three-way battle with freshman transfer (Chris Siegle Pittsburgh,Pa./Shaler/U.//Cincinnati) and junior Jerry Troop (Erie, Pa./Central) for the starting job. Siegle is currently the No. 2 quarterback and Troop has moved to the defensive side of the ball where he is receiving considerable playing time at outside linebacker.

NCAA DIVISION I-AA – MOST TD PASSES
Tot. _ Player, School ____________________ G ___ Cl.
10 __ Rocky Butler, Hofstra _______________ 3 ___ Sr.
8 __ NIEL LOEBIG, DUQUESNE __________ 3 ___ Fr.
8 __ Robert Kent, Jackson St. ____________ 2 ___So.
7 __ Fred Salonoa, Eastern Wash. _________ 2 ___ Sr.
7 __ Doug Baughman, Idaho St. ___________ 2 ___ Jr.
7 __ Jeremy McDowell, Southeast Mo. St. ___ 4 ___ Fr.


TWO DUKES NAMED MAAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK FOR SECOND WEEK IN A ROW


MAAC CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

TRENT WISSNER, Duquesne University
Junior * Linebacker * 5-11 * 225 * Beaver Falls, PA/Blackhawk
Wissner recorded 12 tackles, including eight solo stops during Duquesne's 33-23 win at Butler. He also added one sack and one fumble recovery.

MAAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

NIEL LOEBIG, Duquesne University
Freshman * Quarterback * 6-3 * 215 * McDonald, PA/South Fayette
Loebig, a freshman quarterback, threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns in helping the Dukes to a 33-23 win at Butler. He completed 20-of-41 passes, including scoring strikes of 12, 12, 19 and 67 yards. Leobig has now thrown at least two touchdowns in each of his first three collegiate games.


DUQUESNE VS. DAYTON
all-time (1994-current)

1920 __ W ___H ___ 20-0
1923 ___ L ___H ___ 0-27
1924 ___ L ___ A ___ 0-28

Overall: Dayton leads 2-1
At Pittsburgh: Tied 1-1
At Dayton: Dayton leads 1-0


• Full press release (.pdf file)

#2 DAYTON TRAVELS TO #1 DUQUESNE SATURDAY


The 3-0 University of Dayton football team faces its toughest test of the season Saturday when the Flyers travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Duquesne University Dukes. It will be a matchup of the top two teams in NCAA Division I non-scholarship football. Duquesne is ranked atop of both the Football Gazette and Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major polls, while Dayton is ranked second. And the two teams' rankings this season are no surprise. In the seven-plus years NCAA Division I-AA non-scholarship football has been in existence, Dayton and Duquesne are also 1-2 in winning percentage. Dayton is #1 (.784, 69-19), and the Dukes are second (.733, 64-23-1).

The Flyers moved to 3-0 after last week's 42-22 win at Morehead State, while Duquesne improved to 3-0 with a 33-23 win at Butler. Duquesne will be the second of three defending conference champions UD will play on the road this season. Robert Morris won the NEC in 2000, Duquesne won the MAAC, and Drake shared the PFL title.

The Flyers were 8-3 in 2000, including 3-1 in the Pioneer Football League. Dayton won its sixth PFL championship in the eight-year history of the league, sharing the championship with Drake and Valparaiso. UD also had its school-record 24th straight winning season. UD is 102-20 over the last 11 years, and since moving to non-scholarship football in 1977, has the third-best winning percentage in all of college football.

A total of 39 letterwinners and 12 starters (five offense, five defense, two specialists) are back from last year's title team, including senior co-captains Jermaine Bailey, Marty McNamara and Jeff Swanson.

The Game At A Glance

DAYTON (3-0) DUQUESNE (3-0)
Mike Kelly (21st Yr., 188-38-1) Greg Gattuso (9th Yr., 66-22-0)
Avg. Pts. O/D: 49.7/10.3 Avg. Pts. O/D: 34.0/17.0
Avg. Rush O/D: 255.3/103.3 Avg. Rush O/D: 142.3/131.0
Avg. Pass O/D: 189.7/121.7 Avg. Pass O/D: 249.0/150.0

Tale Of The Tape
.Averages of the starting lineups:
Dayton O-Line 6-3/260
Duquesne D-Line 6-2/245

Dayton D-Line 6-0/234
Duquense O-Line 6-3/259

Series Stuff
Dayton leads the series 2-1. This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 1924. Dayton and Duquesne are hardly strangers, however. Both are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference in all sports other than football.

The Dukes Are...3-0, and have won nine straight games, the longest winning streak in NCAA I-AA. Senior running back Donte Small is one of the best running backs at the I-AA Mid-Major level. He gained 1,294 yards in 2000. Defensively, senior linebacker James Antinopoulos led the MAAC in tackles last year. Straddling the fence between offense and defense, so to speak is senior Josh Rue, who starts at fullback but is also inserted as a rush end on defense. Freshman QB Niel Lobig has already been named MAAC Rookie of the Week twice in 2001.

Coach Mike Kelly

Is in his 21st season as head coach of the Flyers. Kelly was the Football Gazette NCAA Division I-AA Non-Scholarship and Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1997, and the PFL Coach of the Year in 2000. UD's win over Evansville in 1996 gave him 150 career wins, making him the third-fastest coach in NCAA history to reach 150 wins, and one of only four to reach 150 in his 16th season. The other three are three all-time coaching greats—Barry Switzer, Tom Osborne and Joe Paterno. Kelly is UD's winningest football coach, surpassing College Football Hall of Famer Harry Baujan in 1993. Kelly now has 188 wins, and his .827 winning percentage (188-39-1) is the highest of anyone currently coaching in Division I-AA or higher, the highest of any active coach with 20 years or more experience, and the fifth all-time (20 years or more).

Best At 200

Mike Kelly's 168-31-1 record (.843) after 200 games is the best 200-game mark by any coach in the history of college football.

Coaching Experience

The Flyers are fortunate to have an experienced coaching staff with three of the coaches at UD for at least 20 seasons: Mike Kelly, Head Coach (Manchester '70), 21st season as head coach, 25th at UD Dave Whilding, Off. Coordinator/Quarterbacks (Earlham '71), 24th Rick Chamberlin, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers (Dayton '80), 20th

New Look For PFL

The Pioneer Football League has expanded into two divisions for the 2001 season. Charter members Butler, Dayton, Drake, San Diego and Valparaiso comprise the North Division, while new members Austin Peay, Davidson, Jacksonville and Morehead State make up the South Division. The two divisional winners will meet for the league championship on November 17 at the site of the North Division winner.

PFL Stands For Pick The Flyers To Lead

Pioneer Football League coaches picked Dayton and Morehead to win the league's North and South Divisions, respectively. The Flyers received seven first-place votes and one second-place vote to get nine total points in a poll of the league's head coaches. In the first eight years of PFL play, Dayton has either won or shared the championship six times, and UD finished second in the two years it failed to win the title.

PFL Performers

Kicker Jesse Obert (9/1) and quarterback Kelly Spiker (9/8) have been PFL Players of the Week in the 2001 season.

Pre-Season Props
Tailback Jermaine Bailey, offensive tackle Eric Willman, defensive tackle Jeff Swanson and cornerback Marty McNamara have been all named First Team Pre-Season All-Americans by The Football Gazette. Cornerback Marcus Colvin was named to the second team. Duquense's Donte Small, Steve Lindsey, James Antinopoulos, and Leigh Bodden were also first team.

In-Season Props

DT Andy Bentley (9/1), PK Jesse Obert (9/1) and QB Kelly Spiker (9/8) have been named national Players of the Week by The Football Gazette in 2001.

We're Number 3

Since UD went non-scholarship in 1977, only Nebraska and Central Iowa have a higher winning percentage in all of college football. Dayton's .835 is third only to Nebraska's .849, and Central's .836. Over the last 11 seasons, UD has won nearly 90% of its games (.853, 107- 18-1).

But In I-AA Non-Scholarship

And in the eight years I-AA Non-Scholarship has been an option, UD has the best winning percentage (.784, 69-19). The Flyers have already beaten #4 Robert Morris (.701, 50-21-1), play at #2 Duquesne (.750, 66-22) this week and at #3 Drake (.733, 64-23-1) in two weeks--all on the road--in 2001.

PFL Power

The Flyers' 33-4 PFL record is the best in the league. UD has lost just one conference game at home since the PFL began in 1993, a 28-21 decision versus Drake in 1998.

Shutout String Continues

When you talk streaks, you should speak of Cal Ripken. Cal ended his streak in 1998, but the Flyers didn't. Dayton has not been shut out in a school-record 281 games. The last time the Flyers were shut out (versus Marshall in 1976), Cal Ripken Jr. was a 16-year-old high school student at Aberdeen High School in Aberdeen, Maryland. Putting it another way, Dayton has not been blanked in more than two decades. That's the second-longest active streak in college football behind Brigham Young (329). And while Ripken's Farewell Tour begins to wind down, the Flyer offense isn't going anywhere, having averaged 32.3 points a game during the streak.

26 Years At Welcome Stadium

The UD Flyers moved to Welcome Stadium in 1974. The word "Welcome" implies hospitality, but Dayton has been anything but hospitable to its opponents at home. UD is 156- 29-1 (.841) at home. The "Welcome" in Welcome Stadium is not a greeting, but honors the late Percival Welcome, longtime Director of Athletics for the Dayton Public Schools.

Jermaine To UD's Success

Tailback Jermaine Bailey had his first 100-yard day of 2001 at Morehead, getting 108 yards on 18 carries. A Football Gazette First Team Pre-Season all-American, he is second in the PFL in rushing (82.3). He had one of the best seasons any running back has had in UD history in 2000. For the season, he gained 1,373 yards, the third-best in UD history. He went into the season with 39 career rushing yards. In the Drake win, he broke Gary Kosins' 30-year-old school record by gaining 251 yards on 26 carries (Kosins gained 236 against Akron in 1970). Bailey had eight straight 100-yard games—the second-longest in UD history, behind Dave Jones' 11 in 1987.

Bailey's Big Season

In 2000, Jermaine Bailey led the PFL in rushing (126.9) and was 17th in Division I-AA. In addition to leading UD in rushing, he also led in receiving (14 for 203 yards, 14.5 avg., 1 TD) and was second in scoring (13 TD's, two 2-pt.).

We Like Spike

Kelly Spiker passed for a career-high 249 yards in the Robert Morris win, going seven-for-11 passing. He also ran for 66 yards. He was named PFL and Football Gazette Player of the Week. After three games, his QB rating of 232.69 is over 40 points better than the national leader, but he is far short (13 attempts to be exact) of the qualifying minimum. He was the first freshman QB at UD to start his very first college game, and is the first freshman to start any game at quarterback since 1979. The redshirt freshman completed 38 of 77 passes (.494) for 753 yards and seven TD's, and rushed for 719 yards on 121 carries with nine TD's. His 156.3 passing efficiency rating was the third-best for a season at UD. He was the fifth-leading rusher in the PFL in 2000.

I Wish That I Had Jesse's Foot

Placekicker Jesse Obert was named the Pioneer Football League's and Football Gazette's Special Teams Player of the Week after his performance in UD's 70-0 win over St. Francis on Saturday. Obert kicked eight PAT's and on a muffed snap from center, picked up the ball, drifted right and then passed the ball to holder Pete Mastendrea, who took it in. Obert's kickoffs also helped pin the Red Flash at or inside their 20-yard line six times.

Stretching The Field

Starting wide receivers Ben Winters and Ryan Jones are combining to average 33.4 yards per reception after three games. Both Winters and Jones have ten touches (runs, receptions, kick and punt returns) this season, and are averaging 29.8 and 30.8 yards per touch respectively.

Bragging Rights

UD has eight interceptions this season, six by defensive backs. But the DB's are two down when it comes to touchdowns. Both of the Flyer defensive TD's this season are by defensive linemen, DT Andy Bentley had a 26-yard return in the opener and MG Trent Karn made a diving interception in the end zone in the Robert Morris win.

Goin' for 25

In 1976, a winning season in Flyer football would be big news. Now, a school-record 24 straight winning seasons later, it's almost an afterthought. Still, it's worth noting that the second-longest string of winning seasons in UD history (7) was more than fifty years ago.

From "We Are UD, Baby" To "Just Win Baby"...Former Flyer quarterback Jon Gruden (1983-85) is in his second season as the coach of the Oakland Raiders. At 37, he is the youngest head coach in the NFL.

Super Stat

Five former members of the Dayton coaching staff own a total of 13 Super Bowl rings between them. They are the late Len Fontes (New York Giants, Super Bowl XXI), Jim Gruden (San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowls XXII & XXIV), John McVay (49ers, XVI, XIX, XXII, & XXIV), Tom Moore (Pittsburgh Steelers, XIII & XIV) and George Perles (Steelers, IX, X, XII & XIV). That total of 13 rings does not include the four earned by former UD co-captain and 1993 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Chuck Noll as head coach of the Steelers.

Pitching InProceeds from the UD game with Austin Peay that was cancelled in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack on the United States will be donated to the American Red Cross.

Players Of The Week

Defense: Sophomore DB Chris Fackler (Newark, OH/Newark Catholic); Offense: Senior TB Jermaine Bailey (Cincinnati, OH/Moeller); Special Teams: Junior Justin Willhoite (Centerville, OH/Alter); Scout: Freshman OL Robby Schwab (Middletown, OH/Fenwick), and Freshman LB Steve Norton (West Chester, OH/Lakota West).


• Full press release