PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Duquesne head coach Jerry Schmitt said he’s been asked for years ‘when are you going to play Pitt?’ He said from the day it was announced its been interesting watching everyone’s excitement. That’s not just with the fan base, but his players.
“I remember when it got confirmed, I was out here on the field,” said Duquesne senior Antonio Epps. “I was in the moment shocked, and kind of really excited. We’ve played big teams in the past, ACC teams-Boston College, Florida State, to finally get to play Pitt. The Pittsburgh team, the FBS program that’s right down the street. It’s a dream come true for a lot of us. A lot of us are from Pittsburgh, it’s going to be an exciting moment.”
“I don’t think anyone needs any motivation or pushing, we are all ready to go play,” said senior Cam McLaurin. “We are all excited for it.”
Both of those seniors led Duquesne to sharing their conference championship last year and both played in the WPIAL, Epps at South Allegheny and McLaurin at Montour. Neither have ever played at Acrisure Stadium, although they’ve been there.
For Epps, he was recruited by Pitt when he was a junior in high school, talked to a couple of coaches including head coach Pat Narduzzi, but as he said ‘it didn’t work out’ and he’s happy at Duquesne. He’s a two-time captain and first-team all-conference at safety last year. But this is an opportunity to show the Panthers, all of FBS, that FCS players can play.
“The confidence is real high,” Epps said. “We have a lot of experience and that will carry into this game. Go in with the mindset we belong. We got to go out there and just play football.”
“It’s always going to come with that chip on our shoulder. Everyone looking at it to be a blowout or us not be able to compete or them just being better in every aspect. We come in with the mindset that we do everything the same way they do. We put our 11 out there, they put their 11 out there and let’s just go play football.”
“We always preach faceless opponent,” McLaurin said. “It doesn’t matter who they are. It doesn’t matter if it’s Alabama or Sisters of the Poor, we are going to prepare the same way every time.”
That is the edict from Schmitt and the coaching staff. It’s something the Duquesne head coach, now in his 21st season and the winningest coach in program history, preaches for every single game and every play, that if they play their best they have a chance.
They’ve played enough FBS programs to know what they are up against. Schmitt said it’s the opportunity to play football at the highest level.
“It really is a different speed,” McLaurin said. “You play a lot faster. Guys are bigger, guys are stronger. You got to be ready to play. You got to be ready to bring it or you are going to be put on your butt.”
McLaurin is the starting center and two-time captain, he expects to see a lot of people at the game and said he will have a lot of family there. Epps said pregame he will take a moment, lie on the ground and soak it in. Epps had a number of cousins play at Pitt including Tyler Boyd. It didn’t work out for him, now it’s about controlling the emotions in playing against the Panthers.
Schmitt agrees with all of that, just getting beyond that initial excitement and make it a football game. A local as well, Schmitt has never coached in Acrisure Stadium, it’s a special opportunity for him too.
“I think it means a lot for us,” Epps said. “A lot of us take pride in this moment.”
These schools haven’t played football against each other since 1939. That year Pitt was number one in the nation and a Duquesne 21-13 win ruined Pitt’s season as the Dukes would finish 8-0-1 and land number 10 in the final AP poll. It’s not the same dynamics, but it will be emotional as the schools reunite on the gridiron.
Listen to the football City Game Saturday at noon on 93.7 The Fan. Panthers pregame begins at 9a with Bill Hillgrove calling play-by-play with Pat Bostick, Dorin Dickerson and Larry Richert.