WEEK 10: November 4th vs. Duquesne
HEAD COACH: Jerry Schmitt
2016 RECORD: 8-3
In week 10, the Flames will take a break from ‘conference’ play to face Northeast Conference member Duquesne. The Dukes were co-conference champions with Saint Francis in 2016 but missed out on the FCS playoffs as the Red Flash won the tiebreaker. While the two look to sit atop of the NEC again this season, Duquesne got the nod of preseason favorite. Other members of the NEC that the Flames have recently seen include Robert Morris and Bryant. Liberty won those games by a combined score of 79-28.
In 2016, Duquesne lead the NEC in a number of areas including scoring offense and total offense. They averaged 425 yards and 31 points a game. This was under the direction of both QB Dillion Buechel and RB A.J. Hines. Buechel had an impressive senior season, passing for 2865 yards and 23 touchdowns. With his graduation, the Dukes have Boise State transfer Tommy Stuart and redshirt sophomore Dylan Degroot working to take Buechel’s place. Hines returns for his sophomore season as a key player for the offense. In his first year, he lead the NEC in rushing with 1334 yards and 13 touchdowns. No doubt he will carry a bulk of the offensive production for the 2017 season. These numbers would not be possible without a stout offensive line. Duquesne brings a pair of all-conference linemen, Ben Huss and Matt Fitzpatrick, who will continue to be an anchor for the offense. The Dukes did lose their two leading receivers though, leaving Stuart and Degroot to build symmetry with younger talent.
Duquesne housed one of the Northeast Conference’s best defenses last season. They limited opposing offenses to 314 yards a game including an average of 190 passing yards and 25 points a game. It looks like they will be in a similar position this season. The line was the weaker position group for their defense last season, but they didn’t have a huge turnover of talent there coming into 2017. One of the biggest losses defensively for the Dukes is LB Christian Kuntz. Kuntz was a skilled blitzer who racked up 38 tackles, 11.5 sacks and forced three fumbles last season. Nathan Stone, an All-FCS LB, returns with his talent and experience to serve as a core for the defense. As for the secondary, the Dukes bring back a number of notable players including Malik Shegog, Abner Roberts, and Brandon Stanback who look to limit QBs like they did last season.
Important Points
The Dukes will likely be a playoff team this season. Don’t expect this game to be easy.
Liberty has been successful in recent match-ups against NEC opponents.
Duquesne has a talented offensive line. Liberty’s defense will have to commit to stopping the run game.
The Dukes return 13 position starters from last year’s team.
Players to Watch
RB A.J. Hines-Considering his performance as a freshman, Hines will be a prominent offensive leader for the Dukes this season.
DL Andy Struttmann-Struttmann had 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks last season.
LB Nathan Stone-2nd in tackles last season, this senior returns to be a defensive leader for the team.
Kickoff vs. Duquesne
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