FROM JOSEPH F. RISHEL'S "THE SPIRIT THAT GIVES LIFE" (1997)
"In 1891, football, which at the time was called 'American rugby,' was among the first team sports organized. In the first few years of competition, the school played athletic clubs, YMCA teams, as well as other local colleges. The regulations that were later to characterize
intercollegiate athletics had not yet been formed when the college hired a football coach in 1898.
"The Holy Ghost father's ideal, according to the Pittsburgh College Bulletin, was 'to keep the body in a sound state to compensate for the strains of study.' "
OVERALL RECORD
314-244-19 (in 75 seasons)
* Record does not include unavailable results from 1891- 1901.
* Duquesne did not field a team for a total of 36 seasons: 1904-12, 1915-19, 1943-46, 1951-68.
* Complete team records and coaches are not available from 1891-1901.
YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORDS
| YEAR | W | L | T | COACH
| 1902 | 1 | 6 | 0 | Captain Hickson
| 1903 | 3 | 5 | 0 | T.A. Giblin
| 1913 | 3 | 5 | 1 | Dr. Budd
| 1914 | 1 | 5 | 0 | Dr. Budd
| 1920 | 3 | 3 | 1 | E.A. Jake Stahl
| 1921 | 0 | 4 | 1 | E.A. Jake Stahl
| 1922 | 0 | 8 | 0 | Hal Ballin
| 1923 | 4 | 4 | 0 | Hal Ballin
| 1924 | 2 | 4 | 2 | Mike Shortley
| 1925 | 0 | 7 | 0 | Frank McDermott
| 1926 | 2 | 5 | 1 | Frank McDermott
| 1927 | 4 | 4 | 1 | Elmer Layden
| 1928 | 8 | 1 | 0 | Elmer Layden
| 1929 | 9 | 0 | 1 | Elmer Layden
| 1930 | 7 | 3 | 0 | Elmer Layden
| 1931 | 3 | 5 | 3 | Elmer Layden
| 1932 | 7 | 2 | 1 | Elmer Layden
| 1933 | 10 | 1 | 0 | Elmer Layden
| 1934 | 8 | 2 | 0 | Joe Bach
| 1935 | 6 | 3 | 0 | Christy Flanagan
| 1936 | 8 | 2 | 0 | Clipper Smith
| 1937 | 6 | 4 | 0 | Clipper Smith
| 1938 | 4 | 6 | 0 | Clipper Smith
| 1939 | 8 | 0 | 1 | Buff Donelli
| 1940 | 7 | 1 | 0 | Buff Donelli
| 1941 | 8 | 0 | 0 | Buff Donelli
| 1942 | 6 | 3 | 1 | Buff Donelli
| 1947 | 2 | 8 | 0 | Kass Kovalcheck
| 1948 | 2 | 7 | 0 | Kass Kovalcheck
| 1949 | 3 | 6 | 0 | Phil Ahwesh
| 1950 | 2 | 6 | 1 | *Phil Ahwesh / Doc Skender
| 1969 | 2 | 4 | 0 | Joe Nicoletti
| 1970 | 4 | 3 | 1 | Dan McCann
| 1971 | 4 | 4 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1972 | 7 | 1 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1973 | 10 | 0 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1974 | 5 | 2 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1975 | 5 | 4 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1976 | 6 | 2 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1977 | 7 | 2 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1978 | 5 | 3 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1979 | 5 | 4 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1980 | 4 | 5 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1981 | 4 | 5 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1982 | 6 | 3 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1983 | 5 | 4 | 1 | Dan McCann
| 1984 | 3 | 5 | 1 | Terry Russell
| | 1985 | 3 | 6 | 0 | Terry Russell
| 1986 | 5 | 3 | 1 | Terry Russell
| 1987 | 2 | 7 | 0 | Terry Russell
| 1988 | 2 | 7 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1989 | 6 | 4 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1990 | 1 | 8 | 1 | Dan McCann
| 1991 | 0 | 9 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1992 | 5 | 4 | 0 | Dan McCann
| 1993 | 4 | 6 | 0 | Greg Gattuso
| 1994 | 6 | 4 | 0 | Greg Gattuso
| 1995 | 10 | 1 | 0 | Greg Gattuso
| 1996 | 10 | 1 | 0 | Greg Gattuso
| 1997 | 7 | 3 | 0 | Greg Gattuso
| 1998 | 8 | 3 | 0 | Greg Gattuso
| 1999 | 8 | 3 | 0 | Greg Gattuso
| 2000 | 10 | 1 | 0 | Greg Gattuso
| 2001 | 8 | 3 | 0 | Greg Gattuso
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* - Ahwesh was called to active duty for the Korean War one week before the start of the season. Doc Skender served as acting coach in 1950.
RECORD BY OPPONENT
| OPPONENT | W | L | T | First | Last
| Alabama | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1947 | 1949
| Albion | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1929
| Allegheny | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1990 | 1991
| Allegheny A.A. | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1902 | 1914
| Allegheny C.C. | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1972 | 1974
| Alliance | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1948
| American | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1973 | 1976
| Ashland | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1926 | 1934
| Assumption | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1979
| Bethany | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1913 | 1993
| Boston U. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1950
| Broaddus | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1923 | 1927
| Bucknell | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1933 | 2000
| Buffalo | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1991
| Butler | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2001 | 2001
| California (Pa.) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1902 | 1903
| Canisius | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1921 | 2001
| Carnegie-Mellon | 6 | 13 | 1 | 1931 | 1991
| Catholic | 15 | 6 | 2 | 1929 | 1992
| Central Conn. St. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1993
| Chattanooga | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1949 | 1950
| Clemson | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1947 | 1950
| Cleveland State | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1972
| Crafton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1903
| Davis & Elkins | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1924 | 1925
| Dayton | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1920 | 2001
| Denison | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1922
| Detroit | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1920 | 1950
| E. End Lyceum | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1903
| Edinboro | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1926 | 1929
| Fairfield | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1979 | 2001
| Federal City | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1969 | 1977
| Ferrum | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1985
| Florida | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1950
| Fordham | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1969 | 1970
| Fort Lauderdale | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1979
| Frostburg | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1981 | 1990
| Gallaudet | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1979
| Gannon | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1989 | 1996
| Geneva | 11 | 17 | 0 | 1902 | 1992
| Georgetown | 7 | 9 | 1 | 1931 | 2001
| Georgia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1949
| Grove City | 6 | 10 | 0 | 1921 | 1992
| Haskell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1929 | 1934
| Holy Cross | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1931 | 1949
| Howard | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1930 | 1931
| Ill. Wesleyan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1935 | 1939
| Indiana (Pa.) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1902 | 1913
| Iona | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1994 | 2001
| John Carroll | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1925 | 1987
| Juniata | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1925
| Kansas State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1935 | 1942
| King's | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1970 | 1975
| Kiski | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1913
| Lafayette | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1999 | 2000
| Lakehurst Navy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1942
| La Salle | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1999 | 2001
| Louisville | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1950
| Lowell | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1977
| Loyola (Md.) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1928
| Loyola (Ill.) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1929 | 1971
| Manhattan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1939 | 1942
| Mansfield State | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1978 | 1980
| Marietta | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1914 | 1923
| Marquette | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1936 | 1941
| Marist | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1993 | 2001
| Maryland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1947
| Mattatuck C.C. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1973
| Mercyhurst | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1981 | 1993
| Miami (Fla.) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1933 | 1938
| Mississippi | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1940
| Mississippi St. | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1936 | 1947
| MIT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1978
| Mt. St. Mary's | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1920 | 1924
| Mulhenberg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1949
| Muskingum | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1920
| Niagara | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1924 | 1977
| North Carolina | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1942
| North Carolina St. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1939 | 1948
| North Dakota | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1930 | 1931
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