Duquesne head coach, players speak prior to Florida State matchup
It's officially game week for Florida State and head coach Mike Norvell as the Seminoles host Duquesne in Week 0.
The Dukes are Division I, but part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), similar to Jacksonville State, who the Seminoles fell against 20-17 in 2021. Duquesne defeated its first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program in school history last season, beating Ohio 28-26.
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Jason Mackey spoke with head coach Jerry Schmitt and multiple players about Duquesne's opportunity ahead of its season opener in Tallahassee.
“It’s a great opportunity for our young men to go into that kind of environment and play against a team like that,” Schmitt said. “We want to play well and get better. We hope it helps us as we move through the season.”
According to Mackey, Schmitt has attempted replicating the Doak S. Campbell Stadium environment by playing the war chant and a guest appearance from the Marching Chiefs.
Duquesne junior defensive lineman Noah Palmer transferred from Pittsburgh and played for the Panthers when they beat the Seminoles in Tallahassee 41-17 in 2020.
While the Dukes prepare for FSU, Palmer commented on their aspirations and goals in Week 0.
“You want to go out there, have a good game and upset them,” Palmer said. “If you don’t go in there with that mindset, what are you doing? The crowd and tomahawk thing, it’s fun to see how other people react to it. I’ve seen it before. It’s pretty cool. But we definitely want to shut that down early.”
Junior defensive back Jeremiah Josephs, a Miami-Ohio transfer, echoed the same message as Palmer and mentioned Duquesne's belief in itself against Florida State.
“It’s exciting,” Josephs said. “Everybody is ready. [Florida State] is a bigger school, and people might think that we’re coming in scared. But I feel like our team is bought in. We know we can shock the world. We look at it like an experience and an opportunity.”
Sophomore offensive lineman Michael Dorundo started all 10 games at center for the Dukes in 2021 and was a part of an offense that averaged 29.5 points per game. Dorundo said the difference in program sizes between Florida State and Duquesne provides extra motivation.
“When you’re playing big teams, you always have a little bit of a chip on your shoulder,” Dorundo said. “For smaller schools to show that you can compete with the bigger programs, there’s a responsibility that comes with that. We want to represent ourselves well. That’s what we’re gonna go down there and do.”
Mackey's full story can be found here.
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