After a disappointing 24-14 home loss to Wake Forest last week, Duke improve to better than .500 again against Northwestern at Ryan Field. The Blue Devils carry a 13-3 record in their last 16 true road games into the contest, and will try to avenge a 19-10 loss to the Wildcats last year. Here are three keys to the game:
Smother Justin Jackson
The Demon Deacons exposed Duke's suspect defensive front last week to the tune of 239 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per carry. Three different Wake Forest players piled up more than 50 yards on the ground, but Northwestern has one primary weapon the Blue Devils will need to focus on—junior running back Justin Jackson.
With quarterback Clayton Thorson struggling to mount a threatening air attack, Jackson has been the focal point of the Wildcat offense and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first two seasons. Jackson stands just 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, but still packs quite a punch—as Duke should remember from the 120 yards he gained against the Blue Devils last season.
Stretch the field
Duke's offense sputtered for most of the game against Wake Forest, mustering just seven points after its opening-drive touchdown. As was the case last year with Thomas Sirk at the helm, the offense rarely tried to go down the field vertically and moved very methodically down the field.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Jones' arm has looked solid through his first two starts, and offensive coordinator Zac Roper would do well to dial up a few deep balls in the first quarter—both to gain some momentum, and to open up the Northwestern defense to create space for the Blue Devils' strong running game.
Don't get caught up in the schedule
Following a demoralizing home loss, it would be easy to anticipate Duke coming into this game still licking its wounds and trying to regroup. Throw in a road game in South Bend, Ind., versus No. 18 Notre Dame next week, and it becomes even easier to see how Duke could be a bit distracted against the Wildcats.
Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald—now in his 11th season at the helm—will have his team raring to go as it tries salvage its season from a disappointing 0-2 start. Blue Devil head coach David Cutcliffe will have to make sure his club is ready to match the Wildcats' intensity and focus without getting bogged down in the trajectory of its season.
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