Duquesne earned its first shutout of the 2025 season, beating NEC rival Mercyhurst 37-0 on Saturday night at Saxon Stadium in Erie.

Duquesne’s game plan was clear from the beginning, as the Dukes came out with nine straight runs split between feature backs Ness Davis and Taj Butts. The two picked up 55 yards to get Duquesne in the red zone, where quarterback Tyler Riddell found star receiver Joey Isabella for a 20-yard touchdown on the head of a Laker defender for the Dukes’ first score.

Mercyhurst wasn’t able to muster any response, falling behind the sticks due to a false start and going three-and-out. The rushing game proved to be Duquesne’s strongest asset, as Davis broke free for a 51-yard score on the first play of the drive, giving the Dukes an early 14-0 lead.

The Lakers once ag

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