NCAAF

Central Connecticut Blue Devils at Duquesne Dukes

· NCAA - Football
Final
33 - 38
6-5, 5-1 Home

Butts runs 254 yards, Duquesne wins shootout with Central Connecticut 38-33

Taj Butts rushed for a career-high 254 yards and scored three touchdowns, Antonio Epps intercepted a deflected pass in the end zone with less than 30 seconds to go and Duquesne defeated Central Connecticut State 38-33 on Saturday.

Brady Olson, who threw for 423 yards and four touchdowns, gave the Blue Devils a 33-32 with two long touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

Butts, who had missed several games with an injury, burst up the middle for a 59-yard score with 3:19 to play. Olson guided the Blue Devils down field but his last pass was broken up by Henry Pickens III and Epps was there to grab the loose ball.

Butts carried only 14 times for the Dukes (6-5, 4-2 NEC) ,with his other two scoring runs covering 29 and 57 yards. Duquesne quarterback Tyler Riddell had three touchdown passes, two to Joey Isabella.

Elijah Howard had 113 yards and a touchdown on the ground for the Blue Devils (7-4, 5-1), who could have clinched a playoff berth with a win. Olson was 28 of 45 with two picks. Peter Cleary had five receptions for 111 yards and a score, Michael Trovarelli had two scoring catches and Donovan Wadley had the fourth.

Wadley had a 50-yard scoring catch and Trovarelli a 40-yarder on consecutive possessions for a 33-32 lead with four minutes to go.

CCSU had 588 yards of offense to 525 for the Dukes.

How To Watch

How can I watch Central Connecticut Blue Devils vs. Duquesne Dukes?
  • TV Channel: Blue Devils at Dukes 2021 College Football, week 12, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Scoring Summary

DUQ TD 1st Period 13:21 Taj Butts 29 Yd Run (Matt Clark PAT failed)
CCSU TD 1st Period 11:26 Elijah Howard 1 Yd Run (Jack Hennessey Kick)
DUQ TD 1st Period 1:42 Joey Isabella 32 Yd pass from Tyler Riddell (Matt Clark PAT failed)
CCSU TD 2nd Period 10:15 Peter Cleary 25 Yd pass from Brady Olson (Jack Hennessey PAT failed)
DUQ TD 2nd Period 4:40 Taj Butts 57 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
DUQ TD 2nd Period 1:15 Ryan Petras 37 Yd pass from Tyler Riddell (Matt Clark Kick)
CCSU TD 3rd Period 13:28 Michael Trovarelli 10 Yd pass from Brady Olson (Jack Hennessey Kick)
DUQ TD 4th Period 9:21 Joey Isabella 4 Yd pass from Tyler Riddell (Matt Clark Kick)
CCSU TD 4th Period 7:07 Donovan Wadley 50 Yd pass from Brady Olson (Jack Hennessey Kick)
CCSU TD 4th Period 4:05 Michael Trovarelli 40 Yd pass from Brady Olson (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
DUQ TD 4th Period 3:19 Taj Butts 59 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2115.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCCSU https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2184.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originDUQ
24 1st Downs 19
6-16 3rd down efficiency 1-9
1-2 4th down efficiency 1-2
588 Total Yards 526
423 Passing 182
28/45 Comp/Att 14/22
9.4 Yards per pass 8.3
165 Rushing 344
30 Rushing Attempts 32
5.5 Yards per rush 10.8
5-32 Penalties 8-50
2 Turnovers 0
0 Fumbles lost 0
2 Interceptions thrown 0
30:44 Possession 29:16

Game Information

Venue: Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field

Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Attendance: 1,150 · Capacity:
Full Standings

College Football News

Tim Tebow: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Texas won't come down to QBs

Tim Tebow: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Texas won't come down to QBs

SEC Network's Tebow says the difference in the top-five matchup will be the players around the QBs, from the O-line to Texas transfers getting open for Arch Manning.

Hart details how No. 8 Texas A&M can chase national title behind Reed

Hart details how No. 8 Texas A&M can chase national title behind Reed

EPSN's Tom Hart joins The Paul Finebaum Show to discuss what a win for the Aggies against the Sun Devils will mean for postseason positioning and how Marcel Reed can evolve his game.

Holly Rowe mentions what celebrities could be at Ohio State vs. Texas

Holly Rowe mentions what celebrities could be at Ohio State vs. Texas

As the No. 4 Longhorns will face the top-ranked Buckeyes at home, ESPN's Rowe details to Paul Finebaum what megastars could show up to Austin, Texas.

SEC Nation duo insist Kentucky will keep things interesting vs. Alabama

SEC Nation duo insist Kentucky will keep things interesting vs. Alabama

Chase Daniel calls out Bama's rushing needs and praises Will Stein's "NFL-style plays" as Matt Barrie adds how the young coach has "brought some fire" to the UK program.

McElroy dissects what he sees in Bama QB Russell

McElroy dissects what he sees in Bama QB Russell

ESPN's Greg McElroy tells Paul Finebaum what he likes from Keelon Russell and what improvements the promising quarterback must make to succeed for the Crimson Tide.