Duquesne Dukes Fan Forum / YOUNGSTOWN STATE PREVIEW

**Posted by Judge Jack McVay Jr** 9/13/2019 5:46 pm

Our Dukes travel a short car ride to Youngstown State and Stambaugh Stadium for 2 pm tee time tomorrow. This will be the best or 2nd best team that we face all year coming off a ground pounding of Howard scoring 6 rushing TDs and forcing 3 turnovers. As many of you are aware they would beat a lot of FBS teams and have a win against Pitt and and an overtime loss in recent years. They also dismantled Samford earlier this year the team that produced the Walter Peyton award winning Duck Dynasty Devlin the Steelers 3rd team Q. Look forward to seeing how our Dukes matchup this year and if the O line blocks it will be competitive and hopefully a surprise like Towson! Go Dukes and I will be there and follow up with a game report! Thanks everyone

**Posted by coffee** 9/14/2019 8:46 am

Great preview. Playing well today may finally convince the football world that hanging in against Hawaii and beating Towson were no flukes and that the Dukes are a legitimate Top 25 team.

YSU always has been a quality program and having them play Pitt one year and the Dukes the next is a great tie-in.

**Posted by PhoenixRising2** 9/14/2019 12:31 pm

The Dukes are 17 point underdogs. Would be a huge win for the program.

**Posted by coffee** 9/14/2019 3:17 pm

Duquesne belongs on the field with this team... they just can't take costly penalties and turn it over.

The score doesn't reflect the play.

**Posted by pressurecooker** 9/14/2019 5:04 pm

Dukes O line was over matched in the first half. Run game had trouble getting going. QB had a sub-par day, forcing some throws. On the radio show coming back from the game, the announcers kept stating that we are as good as YSU, but simply did not execute. In my view they are a superior team. I think they have a chance to go far.

**Posted by Face** 9/14/2019 5:25 pm

Early season was always going to be rough with four new starters on the line. I’m confident in this team. And also happy that we don’t play at the level where you MUST go undefeated or be irrelevant. NEC is what matters. This is for clout, exposure, and tuning up.

**Posted by PhoenixRising2** 9/14/2019 5:40 pm

It appears that the Dukes have a way to go to get to the next level of the FCS. Looking at the stats, it was a pretty dominant performance by YSU. When you are outgained 377 to 206 yards and you give up touchdown drives of 80, 80, 79 and 73 yards and your top player is held to 42 yards rushing on 16 carries, it is pretty hard to spin this performance.

They need to set it aside and go beat Dayton on the road.

**Posted by Judge Jack McVay Jr** 9/15/2019 9:41 am

Thanks for all the posts and good points all.I understand the point that announcers were apparently making in that the Dukes missed a scoring opportunity for touchdown that was wide open ( and then didn't even get a field goal) that would have made it 7 point game at the half. Also Dukes were driving right down the field first drive of second half to cut it to 7 and then fumbled it into a possession for YSU and 7 points. Time of possession was equal and the difference was the Dukes young O line and costly turnovers. I would say the Dukes certainly looked more competitive than in the past and the gap between the Dukes and top FCS teams like YSU has closed some, but the better team overall won and we're not there yet either! Again thanks everyone for your insights!

Last edited by Judge Jack McVay Jr (9/15/2019 8:13 pm)

**Posted by A83** 9/15/2019 12:31 pm

Went to the game and had a good time. I had no idea YSU had a large stadium. I agree with everything that was said. It could have been a different game if our dbs don’t collide on the 60 yard pass in the first quarter

Or if we would have scored to make it 21-14.

I wonder why YSU doesn’t try to go FBS. They have a large following that probably beats MAC schools

Sorry to bring this up again but we need a marching band.