Perrantes Sets TD Record in NEC Opener Win over LIU, 47-21

The NEC Blitz Game of the Week between LIU and Duquesne ended up being far less competitive than predicted, as Duquesne dominated from the opening whistle to secure a decisive 47-21 victory. Duquesne set the tone early, and LIU simply couldn't keep up with the relentless pressure.

From the first quarter, it was clear that Duquesne was in full control. Quarterback Darius Perrantes wasted no time making his presence felt, connecting with Tedy Afful on an 18-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. Perrantes continued his strong play with a 9-yard rushing touchdown, and by the end of the quarter, he launched a 45-yard bomb to Joey Isabella, leaving LIU stunned as Duquesne raced out to a 19-0 lead.

The LIU Sharks had put a ranked Albany team on the ropes, and had fallen to #6 Villanova by only two scores. Another loss had come against Big 12 opponent TCU. When playing against FCS teams heading into the game, LIU hadn’t won- but they’d only lost by more than one score once, and it was a two score game against #6. The Sharks are clearly better than their record.

All of this is to say that the rest of the NEC should pay very, very close attention to what’s happening in Uptown Pittsburgh.

In the second quarter, the situation went from bad to worse for LIU. Duquesne scored again after their offense fumbled and Daniel Tarabrella recovered in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 26-0. LIU, desperate to get something going offensively and rotating quarterbacks to get some juice, finally found a spark when Ethan Greenwood connected with Michael Love on a 67-yard touchdown pass. However, Duquesne quickly answered with another long drive, capped off by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Perrantes to Isabella, pushing their lead to 33-7 by halftime.

The third quarter offered little relief for LIU. Perrantes continued his dominant performance, hitting Afful for another long touchdown—this time a 44-yarder—to extend the lead even further. While Greenwood managed to throw a second touchdown pass, an 11-yarder to Evan Brooks, the Sharks still found themselves down 40-14, unable to close the gap.

Duquesne's final dagger came in the fourth quarter, as they methodically marched down the field on a clock-chewing, 8-minute drive that ended with Perrantes' fifth touchdown pass of the day, an 11-yard strike to John Erby. LIU's Cory Nichols managed a late 1-yard rushing touchdown to give the Sharks one more score, but by then, the game was well out of reach.

Several things stood out from this one-sided affair. First, Darius Perrantes had a career day, throwing for five touchdowns and running for another. A fumble of his own on the half yard line, which Duquesne fell on for a touchdown, was the sole score not credited to him. His connection with Afful and Isabella was on full display, as both receivers consistently made big plays. On the other side, LIU struggled mightily on defense, unable to contain Duquesne’s high-powered offense. Although Greenwood showed flashes of promise, especially on the deep ball to Love, LIU just wasn’t able to keep pace with the Dukes. Despite their record, the result is a shocking one and goes to show exactly how good Duquesne really is.

As the game ended, Duquesne advanced to 3-2 on the season, and more importantly, started conference play 1-0. LIU, now 0-6, opens NEC play at 0-1. They’ll get to travel back home before facing Stonehill next weekend to continue their conference schedule. The Dukes will travel to Loretto to face off against Saint Francis, also coming off of a win this weekend.

The performance leaves any informed observer with only one thought: it’s time to rank Duquesne.