LIU unable to hold back Duquense in Pittsburgh
LIU football head coach Bryan Collins talks to his players after practice on Sept. 3, 2019. Credit: James Escher
The LIU football team’s comeback attempt ended abruptly Sunday afternoon.
With the Sharks driving in the fourth quarter and trailing Duquesne by 11, quarterback Conor Regan was picked off at the Dukes’ 13-yard line. Duquesne proceeded to go on a 5 minute, 12 second drive that ate up the clock and culminated with a Garrett Owens 1-yard touchdown run to seal a 35-17 Northeast Conference win at Rooney Field in Pittsburgh.
Regan, who completed 11 of 19 passes for 115 yards, opened the scoring with 2:02 remaining in the first quarter on a 2-yard TD rush on fourth-and-goal. Duquesne (3-0, 3-0 NEC) answered with a Joe Mischler 75-yard touchdown pass to Cyrus Holder on third-and-12 with nine seconds left in the quarter.
The Dukes scored the next two touchdowns and took a 21-7 lead into halftime.
Regan found Derick Eugene for a 12-yard TD to open the third quarter to bring the Sharks within a touchdown. The Dukes responded just 2:14 later with a 4-yard TD run by Owens and took a 14-point lead following the PAT.
Mischler completed 21 of 27 passes for three touchdowns and an interception, Holder caught seven passes for 211 yards and two scores and Owens rushed for 104 yards and two TDs on 23 carries. The Dukes had 509 total yards.
Jonathan DeBique rushed for 123 yards on 20 carries for the Sharks, who had 402 yards of offense. Ricco Aaron, Jr. led LIU with 12 tackles (eight solo).
LIU (1-2, 1-2) will host Merrimack College to close out its shortened 2021 season next Sunday at noon.
