PITTSBURGH, Pa. (October 16, 2010) – The
Sacred Heart football team suffered their sixth-straight loss
Saturday afternoon falling at Duquesne 37-17 in a Northeast
Conference match-up. The Dukes took advantage of a pair of
first quarter turnovers on special teams by the Pioneers to build
what would prove to be an insurmountable 21-3 early lead. The
Pioneers outgained Duquesne offensively but were hurt by three
turnovers in the loss.
The Dukes won the toss, taking the ball and using a 12-play
drive to put the first points of the game on the scoreboard.
Quarterback Sean Patterson connected on second and goal with
fullback Marek Lapinski for a four-yard score. The Pioneers
responded with a scoring drive of their own on their first
possession of the game, as SHU quarterback Dale Fink
(Swansea, IL) engineered a seven play drive to put his
team in field goal range. Place kicker Jesper
Fredriksson (Gothenberg, Sweden), who missed three field
goals a week ago, buried a 42-yard attempt with 5:54 left in the
first quarter.
From there, a pair of turnovers on special teams proved costly
for Sacred Heart. Facing a fourth and two on their own
48-yard line, the Pioneers lined up to punt but SHU punter
Robert Shepard (Groton, CT) mishandled the snap
and saw his fumble scooped up by defensive lineman Thaimu Bangura
and returned 38-yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead.
On the ensuing kick-off, special team's miscues reared
their head again for the Pioneers. Senior running back
Marcel Archer (Miami, FL) took the kick at his own
10 yard line and faking a reverse; he made his way out to the
49-yard line but was stripped of the football. The fumble was
recovered by Duquesne's Aaron Fitzpatrick and the Dukes
wasted no time in capitalizing. Patterson dropped back on the
first play and hit Dave Williams down the middle of the field for
six and a 21-3 lead in the blink of an eye.
Duquesne extended their lead to 24-3 thanks to an Eric Duale
27-yard field goal just over five minutes into the second quarter
before the Pioneer offense could find a spark. Fink hit on
his longest scoring touchdown throw of the season on the ensuing
drive, hooking up with wide receiver Garry Coles
(Southington, CT) on a 49-yard strike for six, pulling SHU
to within 24-10 with 7:39 left before half. The Dukes got the
final points of the half again of the foot of Duale as he buried a
23-yard attempt with just seven ticks left for a 27-10 lead at the
break.
SHU tried to get back in the game on their first drive of the
second half, taking the ball down to the Duquesne 40 yard
line. The Pioneers went for it on fourth and three but
Fink's pass for senior Tony Patterson (Groton,
CT) fell incomplete ending the offensive threat.
Duquesne took advantage as running back Larry McCoy capped an
eight-play drive with a seven-yard touchdown run making it 34-10
with 9:03 left in the quarter.
Sacred Heart was thwarted again on fourth down on their next
possession; this time Fink's throw for Coles missed its mark
at the Duquesne 23-yard line. The Pioneer defense held but
the turnover bug again cost Sacred Heart. Set up first and 10
on the SHU 24 yard line, Fink was dropped for an eight-yard loss
and coughed up the football as Duquesne's Alex Inda recovered
at the Pioneer 16. SHU kept the Dukes out of the endzone but
a 26-yard field goal off the foot of Duale pushed the lead to 37-10
with 13:25 left in the game.
Sacred Heart's Archer finished off the scoring on
Saturday, rumbling his way to a 34-yard touchdown, his team-leading
10th score on the year, with 2:39 left to produce the
final, 37-17. Archer finished with a productive afternoon,
rushing the ball 14 times for 84 yards while also adding 142 yards
on six kick-off returns.
Fink threw for 258 yards completing 24-of-42 passes with a
touchdown and an interception in the loss. SHU finished with
370 yards of total offense to Duquesne's 353. The
Pioneers finished six-of-14 on third down conversions while holding
the Dukes to just four-of-12. Duquesne did put up points on
all five of their trips into the Sacred Heart red zone on the
day.
The Pioneers return home next Saturday, October 23rd
when they play host to the Georgetown Hoyas on 2010 Sacred Heart
Family Weekend.
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