PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Despite posting over 400 yards of offense, the Long Island University football team could not get past Duquesne University on Sunday, March 21, falling by a 35-17 margin on the road.
 
LIU rushed for 287 yards as a team, including a career-high 123 yards on 20 carries by Jonathan DeBique. Domonhic Jennings added 54 yards on seven carries and Shemar Paul totaled 39 yards on four attempts. Connor Regan rushed for one touchdown and threw for another, finishing 11-for-19 passing for 115 yards. Derick Eugene hauled in four catches and one touchdown, his first touchdown in 1,289 days (Sept. 9, 2017).
 
Ricco Aaron, Jr. led the Shark defense for the third-consecutive week, totaling 12 tackles, including eight solo stops, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Jerome Brooks III added eight stops and Tariq Snead collected his second interception of the season.
 
The Sharks jumped on top late in the first quarter when Regan scrambled into the end zone from two yards out after having a touchdown run called back earlier in the quarter. The Dukes responded quickly, scoring less than two minutes later to level the scoring and added two more touchdowns to take a 21-7 lead into halftime.
 
LIU tried to shake up momentum out of the locker room, capping off a six-play, 63-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown strike from Regan to Eugene to make it a one-score game. It was as close as the Sharks could come, however, as Duquense scored on the ensuing possession and the Blue and Gold were only able to manage a field goal the rest of the way.
 
The Sharks will close out their shortened 2021 season on Sunday, March 28 when they host Merrimack College at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium at 12:00 p.m.