PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – They play at Rooney Field, maybe it's not so odd that Duquesne football opens Sunday for the first of a four-game Spring season.
It hasn't been ideal preparing for this relocated season. Camp started in February, for those reading who weren't in Pittsburgh, there were inches of snow on the ground for every one of those days until game week.
Dukes kept their grounds crew busy blowing off the artificial turf field at one of the highest points in Pittsburgh. To which brings the next point, the field was clear, but they couldn't stop the wind.
When the wind chill is below 15 degrees, the rule is you can only practice for 30 minutes at a time. You then must go instead for a 'warming period' and then you can go back on the field for another half-hour.
Duquesne University
Due to spacing out players with COVID protocols, the locker room isn't big enough, so Duquesne football players were all over the place getting warm. Including by the pool, in hallways, anywhere on campus with heat preferably close to the field.
As if these teenagers and early twenty-somethings needed another obstacle. But Duquesne head coach Jerry Schmitt said he learned something about this team during these trying times.
"I know that they love the game of football," Schmitt said. "They are doing everything they can to get to Sunday and play the game. When we opened camp and had our first day in pads in approximately 13 months. The excitement on the field was unbelievable that they were back playing football with pads on."
"I learned that they loved the game because they are making a lot of sacrifices to stay healthy and keep the protocols amongst themselves and things they do as normal college students."
Coaches will tell you they are always not sure of what they have early in a season, especially this year. The normal long daily hours of a Fall camp were replaced by sporadic weekly hours because unlike August, the players have full class schedules.
Schmitt also has 16 new starters, gone are leaders in every major statistical category from last year.
They are at least familiar with Sunday's opponent, Sacred Heart has essentially the same coaching staff although you don't know what wrinkles will be thrown in or really how new players will react.
Duquesne University
The biggest fear now are positive COVID-19 test results. The team has three tests a week and Schmitt worries for every player who has worked so hard only to potentially sit with coronavirus.
Football coaches, like many of us, are control freaks. There is a lot this year that Schmitt can't control. That's tough to deal with. What he does know is that his team will come to play on Sunday.
"Will be happy for the players and the staff that have been through a lot," Schmitt said. "I'll be happy for each and every individual."
"When that ball kicks off, I'll be so happy."
