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Wednesday, October 23, 2002

By Phil Axelrod, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Duquesne Coach Greg Gattuso has been lobbying Athletic Director Brian Colleary the past several years to schedule a game against an Ivy League school.

Colleary would smile and go about his business.

But the Dukes started to get Colleary's attention with a victory against Lafayette three years ago. They opened his eyes wider this season with victories against Bucknell and Dayton.

Duquesne's success also caught the attention of the University of Pennsylvania, which had an opening on its 2003 football schedule because Lafayette dropped its game against the Quakers. All it took was a phone call or two for Duquesne and Penn to get together.

Duquesne will play against a member of the Ivy League for the first time when the Dukes travel to Philadelphia in September to meet Penn at Franklin Field.

"It gives us credibility," Colleary said. "How about our kids walking into a 55,000-seat stadium?"

It's a one-game deal.

"It was the right time and the right place for us," he said. "Penn has a tremendous tradition, and the Ivy League has quality programs."

Said Gattuso: "We've been waiting for this forever. It's prestigious."

It's also the biggest step up in class for Duquesne, a member of the lightly regarded Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The wins against Lafayette and Bucknell were important to the growth of the program because both schools are from the Patriot League, which is a cut above the MAAC.

The Ivy League is a notch higher than the Patriot League and not far behind the NCAA Division I-AA scholarship schools such as Youngstown State.

"I can't wait; it's a big challenge," Gattuso said. "Our kids feed off challenges like this. We'll compete."

In addition to receiving a lucrative financial guarantee for playing Penn, Duquesne will receive national media exposure and a huge recruiting boost.

"It definitely will help us," Gattuso said. "Kids want to play against the best teams."

The Dukes (7-0), ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major and on their way to a fourth consecutive MAAC title, will play a demanding non-league schedule in 2003 with games against Robert Morris, Butler, Bucknell and Penn.

"I don't know how we'll do against Penn," Colleary said. "We'll find out. We've made tremendous strides."

Enough to give him the confidence to schedule Penn.

"In the beginning when I would go to Colleary, I think he felt I was a little wacky for wanting to play these teams." Gattuso said.

Moving on up

Duquesne (7-0), which stayed No. 1 in the Sports Network NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major poll, jumped five notches to 33rd in the Sports Network I-AA poll that includes scholarship schools, partial scholarship schools and non-scholarship schools such as Duquesne. The Dukes remained 34th in the ESPN/USA Today I-AA poll. The polls go a long way in determining the eight teams that will receive at-large bids to the 16-team I-AA playoffs.

The rankings

Youngstown State (4-3) dropped out of the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll. ... IUP (7-1) stayed at 10th in the American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II poll. Washington and Jefferson (5-1) climbed four spots to a tie for 14th in the AFCA Division III poll. IUP, winner of seven consecutive games, still is fifth in the Northeast Region. The top four teams will receive bids to the playoffs.

Eyerman update

IUP senior quarterback Brian Eyerman (North Allegheny) is doubtful for the game Saturday against visiting Lock Haven because of a concussion he got in the second quarter of a 20-9 victory against California last week. He will be replaced by redshirt freshman Kevin Weidl (Mt. Lebanon), who played the second half against Lock Haven.

The Big Game

Waynesburg (4-2, 2-1) at Washington and Jefferson (5-1, 4-0), 2 p.m.-- W&J can clinch its 16th Presidents Athletic Conference title in the past 17 seasons. W&J has defeated Waynesburg 12 consecutive times, winning seven of those games by 40 or more points.