Duquesne drops wild playoff game to William & Mary

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Duquesne scored two touchdowns in the first six minutes in its first-round FCS playoff game against 13th-ranked William & Mary, then allowed 28 unanswered first-half points by the Tribe, before valiantly fighting back, only to lose a wild 52-49 decision Saturday.

Trailing 52-41 with under 1:30 remaining in the game, quarterback Dillon Buechel found Wayne Capers for a 42-yard scoring pass. Chris King's conversion catch cut the lead to 52-49 with 1:11 remaining. But the ensuing onside kick was unsuccessful, and the Tribe ran out the clock, but only after a crucial 2-yard gain by Kendell Anderson on third-and-2 from the Duquesne 36 with 54 seconds left.

Buechel finished with 423 passing yards on 33 completions and six touchdowns, tying a Duquesne record.

“I'm proud of our players. We showed great resiliency but just ran out of time,” said Dukes coach Jerry Schmitt, whose team was aiming for the second FCS playoff victory by an Northeast Conference team. “It says a lot about our program and how the NEC has grown that we can come in here and play a No. 13 team hard like that.”

The key turnover for Duquesne was a blocked field goal, which was returned for a touchdown by William & Mary, resulting in a 10-point swing.

With 5:34 left in the third quarter and trailing 31-24, the Dukes (8-4) failed to convert a first-and-goal situation and opted for a 24-yard field-goal attempt by Austin Crimmins. However, Crimmins' kick was blocked by Tyler Claytor and picked up by DeAndre Houston-Carson, who returned it 65 yards for the score.

With the change in momentum, a possible 31-27 deficit became 38-24.

The visiting Dukes went to work from the opening kickoff. Starting at their 29, Buechel found King streaking down the right sideline and caught him mid-stride to complete a 71-yard touchdown on the game's first play.

After the Tribe's first possession stalled, Duquesne constructed an eight-play, 54-yard scoring drive, culminating with a 6-yard pass in the right corner of the end zone from Buechel to Nehari Crawford to build a 14-0 lead.

But the Tribe put together a six-play, 64-yard drive, capped with a 38-yard scoring pass over the middle from Steve Cluley to DeVonte Dedmon.

The Tribe scored three more touchdowns, but the Dukes came back in the final four minutes of the first half. King (12 catches, 221 yards) caught three passes, and a 16-yard run by Klartel Claridy also was instrumental in the 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive which ended with Crawford's second touchdown, a 9-yard reception.

Carter Henderson's interception at the W&M 38 set up Crimmins' 39-yard field goal, which closed the gap to 28-24 at halftime.

“I knew that we were the underdogs. But I'm still proud of my team,” King said.

After a William & Mary field goal to open the second half, King continued to haunt the Tribe defense, catching two long balls (26 and 28 yards) on Duquesne's ensuing drive. With the Dukes on the Tribe 5 with third-and goal, Capers caught a pass, but was dropped on the 1. Duquesne drew a penalty on the next play and set up the botched field goal attempt.

Capers caught an 18-yard touchdown pass, but a 38-yard touchdown reception by Dedmon, his third, gave the home team a 45-31 advantage early in the fourth quarter.

Duquesne continued to fight back. Capers scored again, grabbing Buechel's fifth touchdown pass, from five yards cut the Tribe lead to 45-38 with 10:27 left.

Jim McGrath is a freelance writer.