Duquesne to Face Pitt After 86 Years in Rivalry Showdown

Pittsburgh, PA — Defensive back Antonio Epps and the Duquesne Dukes football team are set to face their crosstown rival, the Pitt Panthers, for the first time in 86 years. The highly anticipated game will kick off this Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.

The matchup comes after a tough ending to the Dukes’ 2024 season, where they suffered a heartbreaking 21-14 loss to Central Connecticut State. This loss not only cost them the Northeast Conference (NEC) championship but also a chance at the FCS playoffs. Epps described the bus ride home as the quietest he has ever experienced. “You could hear a pin drop,” he said. “It hit everyone really hard.”

Despite a strong start with five consecutive conference wins, the Dukes struggled in the finale. Quarterback Darius Perrantes, an All-NEC player, threw eight turnovers, allowing the Blue Devils to clinch victory. Coach Jerry Schmitt, in his 21st season, acknowledged the difficulty in moving past that game. “It’s hard to apply a ‘24-hour rule’ to a wait of almost nine months,” he said.

With Perrantes graduated, the Dukes have turned to Gardner-Webb transfer Tyler Riddell as their starting quarterback. The team retains 16 of the 21 starters from last year, many of whom have learned from the disappointment. Epps shared his determination to avoid a repeat of last year’s ending: “That loss was something we don’t want to feel again.”

The Dukes, entering as 37.5-point underdogs against Pitt, are eager to reignite a local rivalry that has been dormant since 1939. “The environment is going to be loud, and it is going to be fun,” said defensive lineman A.J. Ackerman. He added that valuable lessons learned from past games against major programs will prepare the Dukes for the challenge ahead.

As the kickoff approaches, the anticipation within the Duquesne community continues to grow. Regardless of the outcome, the bus ride back to campus is expected to be far more enjoyable than the one from Central Connecticut State.