‘Weathered’ Duquesne soccer gamers balancing enjoyable of taking part in at Acrisure Stadium with problem of going through Pitt

Duquesne defensive lineman A.J. Ackerman remembers the primary time we spoke concerning the matter. 

What’s the extent of pleasure surrounding the Dukes’ 2025 season opener at Acrisure Stadium towards Pitt?

“I think the last time you asked me that question, I gave you a much more muted answer,” Ackerman mentioned. “I will say now you can feel a buzz across everybody. It’s at the forefront of our mind at the moment.”

Now the sport towards the Panthers is allowed to be lodged within the entrance of Ackerman’s mind. It’s the subsequent factor on the agenda. When the long-rumored, highly-anticipated announcement was made that the Dukes and Panthers could be renewing soccer relations for the first time since 1939, it was early January.

A brand new semester was simply beginning. Offseason conditioning wanted to happen. Spring observe. Summer camp.

But now, Saturday’s recreation is simply every week away. Finally, Ackerman and his teammates are embracing the anticipation of this matchup that has been fascinating the fanbase’s consideration for seven months.

“A couple of months ago, I wasn’t even close,” Ackerman mentioned of turning his focus to the Pitt recreation. “I’ve got this, I’ve got that, I’ve got camp. And now it’s like, ‘Oh, OK, we’re a week away.’ Yeah, let’s go.”

For veterans of the Duquesne program, taking part in in a giant venue comparable to Acrisure Stadium will not be a brand new factor. In current years, the Dukes have traveled to play big-time FBS faculties comparable to West Virginia, Boston College, Texas Christian and Florida State.

So the pure scope of taking part in in a 68,400-seat stadium gained’t be as daunting for this Dukes staff as it could be for another FCS golf equipment who’ve needed to step up in competitors as an early-season opponent for a FBS power-conference staff.

“I think it was more of a shotgun to play TCU (Sept. 4, 2021) for the first time. That was our first big FBS game,” middle Cameron McLaurin mentioned. “That was kind of surreal for a lot of the guys, because we’ve never been somewhere like that before or seen something like that. A lot of guys on this team have been here for a while. We’re kind of weathered to that environment. I think we’re going to be ready to just go and play.”

In truth, McLaurin is one of some Pittsburgh-area gamers on the roster who’ve performed at Acrisure Stadium earlier than. He did in order a highschool freshman when his Montour Spartans misplaced to Thomas Jefferson in a WPIAL championship recreation (2017, 4A).

At least this time, McLaurin is anticipating the situations to be nicer.

“It was a rainy night. We were the last team to play. The field was destroyed,” McLaurin recalled. “Everyone in ponchos, umbrellas. The sideline was just soaked. Real backyard football, to be honest.”

Another profit Duquesne gamers have on this contest could also be seeing extra of their very own followers than they’re used to greeting.

Not simply in comparison with venues like those they traveled to in Texas, Florida and Morgantown.

Defensive again Antonio Epps (South Allegheny ‘21) is expecting to see far more Duquesne supporters turn out than normal as “road fans” because of the unique nature of the opponent and the stadium’s proximity to the alumni base.

“It’s going to bring a bunch of people to fill that stadium — fans from all over for both teams. It’s going to be really exciting. At Duquesne, our stadium isn’t that big,” Epps mentioned. “In an FBS environment, being able to play in an atmosphere like that, with thousands of screaming fans while we are playing football, is something we are all looking forward to.”

To Epps’ level, the Dukes’ house stadium, Arthur J. Rooney Field, solely seats 2,200. You can positively anticipate extra Duquesne followers than that subsequent Saturday.

Ackerman (Elizabeth Forward, ‘19) is hoping his grandmother, who’s in her 80s, might be a kind of motivated to make the journey to the North Shore.

“She’s never seen me play in any big venues yet,” Ackerman mentioned. “She’s seen me play in high school. She’s seen me play at Duquesne. She’s never seen any of these big stadiums that we’ve traveled to. She’s not much of a football person. She likes watching me.”

That mentioned, Ackerman isn’t anticipating to exit of his strategy to take any further time throughout warm-ups to absorb the atmosphere of being within the house of the Steelers and Panthers.

“I’ll probably think about it after maybe a year or two down the line,” Ackerman insisted. “I just want to be prepared. I want to feel good. I want to feel loose. I’ll probably think back and look at a picture someday and be like, ‘That’s cool as (heck). I played there.’ But until that day comes, I’m just worried about playing.”

Conversely, Ackerman’s coach, Jerry Schmitt, admits he’ll take a beat. A 1978 graduate of Keystone Oaks, Schmitt has been teaching Western Pennsylvania excessive faculties, or native faculty soccer, since 1983.

Specifically at Duquesne, he’s been answerable for the soccer program since 2005.

“Being a hometown guy here, born and raised in Pittsburgh, it’s really exciting. I’ve watched the Steelers and Pitt Panthers play games there for years and years on television. Personally, I think it’s outstanding to see Duquesne University have an opportunity to go play the Pitt Panthers.”

One factor Schmitt would like to neglect from a few of these different video games when Duquesne has traveled to play FBS opponents is the ultimate rating:

• A forty five-3 loss at TCU in 2021.

•A 47-7 loss at Florida State in 2022.

•A 56-17 defeat at WVU in 2023.

•A 56-0 shutout at Boston College final 12 months.

The monetary advantages to this system are price it, although. And, as Schmitt sees it, for an FCS program like his, so is the expertise for the gamers.

“It’s a great opportunity for our young men,” Schmitt mentioned. “We’re really dialed in and focused on our first football game. The fact that it’s here locally and it’s against the University of Pittsburgh is just extra icing on the cake for us.”

LISTEN: Jeff Erickson of RotoWire and Tim Benz have fantasy football tips for you in advance of your draft in this week’s podcast.