Andy Starnes, Post-Gazette Duquesne's Kyle Postell returns an interception for a TD with 4 seconds left in the first half to put the Dukes ahead, 23-13. Click photo for larger image. DUQUESNE.....30 FORDHAM.....13

In a game that lasted three hours with 121 snaps from scrimmage, a play that took 10 seconds triggered Duquesne's 30-13 victory against Fordham at Rooney Field yesterday.

Duquesne cornerback Kyle Postell stepped in front of the receiver, intercepted Derric Daniels' pass near the sideline and raced untouched 62 yards for a touchdown with four seconds left in the second quarter to give the Dukes a 23-13 halftime lead.

"It was huge. That's all we talked about in the locker room," senior defensive lineman Josh Antinopoulos, an All-American from Monaca who had two of Duquesne's six sacks. "Their heads dropped. They really didn't want to play any more. You could see it in their eyes."

He smiled, then added, "That fired us up even more."

Jerry Schmitt, 2-0 in his first season as the Dukes' coach, agreed.

"Psychologically, it was a tough thing for them to come back from. It emotionally lifted us."

Schmitt, however, was concerned that his players weren't emotionally ready to play during pregame warmups.

"My staff assured me we were serious. They went to work."

Duquesne's swarming defenders, who were giving away pounds per man across the front, more than held their own against the Rams, a formidable foe expected to challenge for the Patriot League championship. The Rams were held to 45 yards rushing on 40 carries, and Daniels completed 19 of 39 passes for 205 yards and was intercepted once.

"I could tell their game plan was to wear us down," Schmitt said of the Rams (0-2). "But we're in very good condition and we used our speed and quickness to our advantage. Eventually, we wore them down."

The Dukes rode the strong right arm of Scott Knapp, a redshirt freshman quarterback from Perry Traditional Academy who completed 12 of 23 passes for 265 yards and touchdowns of 65 yards to Bruce Hocker and 66 yards to Conrad Carter.

The victory was tempered by a shoulder injury to Hocker, who left the game for good after he fell hard following a 29-yard reception in the second quarter that carried to the Fordham 7 and set up Jeremy McCullough's 2-yard touchdown run for a 17-10 lead.

Asked about Hocker's condition and status for the game at the University of Pennsylvania next Sunday, Schmitt said, "I don't know."

Hocker spent the second half pacing the sideline with his right shoulder in a sling.

The Dukes avenged a 41-34 loss to Fordham last season in which Daniels threw five touchdown passes.

"You don't forget games like that. We wanted to solidify things, especially in the secondary," Antinopoulos said.

"We wanted to physically dominate them. This is definitely the best defense I've played on since I've been at Duquesne. We really weren't sure what we were capable of, but we've all played together and know we can rely on each other. There's a lot of trust."

Duquesne's 'D' has made a believer out of Schmitt.

"They are impressing me more and more," he said. "They've taken the talent they have and are very disciplined. They're even better than I expected."