Brackett, Brown lead Bryant to home win
Bulldog defense dashes Duquesne’s Northeast Conference title hopes
SMITHFIELD — It doesn’t matter who’s coaching the Bryant football team. It doesn’t matter who’s quarterbacking the Bulldogs. It doesn’t matter if the game’s played in Pittsburgh or in Smithfield, the Bulldogs find a way to beat Duquesne.
The defending Northeast Conference champion Dukes came into Saturday’s game at Beirne Stadium needing a victory to setup a de-facto conference title game next Saturday against Trevante Jones and Central Connecticut State, but the Bryant defense wouldn’t allow it.
Bryant junior defensive back Andre Brackett produced a third-quarter interception to help the Bulldogs open up a 17-point advantage that proved to be just enough. Senior linebacker Robert Brown tied the program record with 17 tackles, Brackett produced 15 tackles and Daniel Onyemem picked off Duquesne reserve quarterback Brett Brumbaugh at the Bryant 29 with 13 seconds left to lock up a 20-16 senior day victory.
“This is a great feeling, especially against a team like that,” Brown said in his final game at Beirne. “We did manage to have their number, but
it’s a great feeling because the biggest thing about our team is that the defense hasn’t stepped up to win a big game for us in our career so far. So to do that, moving forward for this team, that can be really good.”
“Duquesne is a tough football team, but I said to these guys Tuesday ‘I want to break hearts,’ Merritt said. “I wanted these guys to pour everything on the field and break hearts because if they beat us, they’re playing for the conference championship next week. We played the role of spoiler today, but more importantly for our guys, we played the role of sending our seniors out the right way.”
Bryant (3-8, 2-4 Northeast Conference) knows the big challenge in the offseason after Saturday’s regular-season finale against Wagner on Staten Island is improving the offense. The Bulldogs held the ball for just 21:55 and recorded just 11 first downs, while the Dukes produced 27 first downs and 370 yards of total offense.
The Bulldogs, who have beaten the Dukes in six of the last seven meetings, really only made two big plays on offense – one was a touchdown and the other allowed the home side to bleed precious minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter. Receiver Hunter Hill scored 39-yard touchdown on a jet sweep in the second quarter to send the Bulldogs into halftime with a nine-point lead.
“We saw some stuff on film where we felt that sweep play [would work],” Merritt said. “It was a read play where we felt we could get the numbers on the edge as long as the quarterback read the play right, he did. He gave the ball to Hunter, Hunter made a great cutback and solid blocking down field by the receivers. Couldn’t have asked for a better time for that play.”
Duquesne (6-4, 4-2) only recorded a Mitch Maczura field goal in the first half, but the Dukes had the ball to start the second half. Instead of relying on running backs Mark Allen (26 carries for 119 yards) and A.J. Hines (32 carries for 103 yards), the Dukes put the ball in the air to start the third quarter.
On third-and-6, Brackett intercepted an errant pass in
front of the Bryant bench and went 50 yards to the Dukes 3 to help the Bulldogs go up by 17 points. Running back Daniel Adeboboye scored on a two-yard touchdown run and then quarterback Kory Curtis converted the twopoint chance to make the score 20-3.
“I just wanted to play physical with [receiver Kellon Taylor], as soon as I saw the ball, I turned my back and caught it,” Brackett said. “I thought I was going to score. I just feel like I can be a great playmaker for this team and I wanted to do what I can for the seniors to win on senior day.”
Outside of 30-yard reception by Hill late in the fourth quarter on a Curtis scramble, the final 28 minutes were a battle between Allen, Hines and the Duquesne offensive line and the Bryant front seven. The Dukes drove 67 yards in 7:48, but had to settle for a field goal on fourth-and-1 at the 6 to make it a 14-point game.
The visitors closed the gap to seven on Hines’ 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, and they were in position to tie it later in the quarter when they faced a third-and-1 on the Bryant 2. Hines lost a yard on third down and veteran coach Jerry Schmitt opted to kick a field goal, which meant the Dukes still needed a touchdown to win the game.
After Hill’s big catch, the Bulldogs punted the ball away again and Duquesne took possession at its own 26 with 2:10 left and no timeouts.
“We knew coming in, especially with a back-up quarterback, what their gameplan was,” Brown said. “Even though they were down, they weren’t going to try to get out of their element of running the ball. With the time, we knew they would have to start throwing the ball. At the same time, it was in the back of our heads that they were still going to try to give the ball to [Hines and Allen].”
The Dukes moved the ball into Bryant territory, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty brought them back to the Bryant 40 with less than 30 seconds left. After an incompletion, Onyemem ended the game with an interception.