After a dominating performance over Army in the season opener, Duke used a stout defensive effort and a dazzling first half performance from Daniel Jones to defeat Northwestern for the second year in a row, 21-7.
The Blue Zone gives three key takeaways and stats and looks forward for the Blue Devils:
Three key takeaways:
1. Injury bug takes its toll
It’s an understatement to say that this win was a costly one for the Blue Devils, as two key players suffered serious injuries. Junior cornerback Mark Gilbert, who led the ACC in total passes defended last season, dislocated his hip when he got tangled up with a Wildcat receiver in the second quarter. Then, redshirt junior Daniel Jones fractured his clavicle after being sacked. Gilbert’s season is officially over as a result, and while it’s possible that Jones could return later this year, he is expected to miss a significant amount of time.
2. Michael Carter II’s time to shine
With Gilbert out for the remainder of the season, Duke needs to find a steady presence in its secondary. If Saturday’s game is any indication, Michael Carter II can step up for the Blue Devils’ defense. The sophomore corner racked up eight tackles and an interception against Northwestern and showed Duke fans that the loss of Gilbert might not be a disaster.
3. Struggles defending the run
Although the scoreboard indicated a dominating performance for the Blue Devils, Northwestern had an easy time finding gaps in Duke’s defensive line, as Wildcat halfback Jeremy Larkin took 24 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown. Luckily for Duke, All-ACC linebackers Joe Giles-Harris and Ben Humphreys, who had 10 and 15 tackles respectively, were able to keep Larkin from making too many big plays.
Three key stats:
1. Zero points allowed after first drive
Northwestern carved up Duke’s defense on its first drive of the game, with 79 yards on 11 plays for a score. However, the Blue Devils tightened up and stopped the Wildcats from scoring for the remainder of the contest.
2. 1-5 on fourth down
Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald took a very aggressive approach throughout the game, going for it on fourth down five times. However, Duke’s defense stayed strong and was able to shut down any opportunity to keep Wildcat drives alive, which hurt Northwestern’s chances of getting into any sort of rhythm.
3. Three passing touchdowns
Before leaving the game, Daniel Jones was lighting up Northwestern’s defense in a performance which included a 52-yard strike to redshirt senior Jonathan Lloyd. Similar to last year’s win over the Wildcats which saw Jones rack up 413 total yards and four touchdowns, the Blue Devils’ signal caller ran the offense to perfection.
Looking forward:
Duke will travel to Waco, Texas next week to take on Baylor. While the Blue Devils are still 2-0, optimism has certainly taken a hit after the injuries to Jones and Gilbert. The offense will certainly turn to a rush dominant approach with redshirt junior backup Quentin Harris taking over behind center. If the Blue Devils fail to move the ball well without a passing attack, then look for the possibility of head coach David Cutcliffe giving redshirt freshman Chris Katrenick or true freshman Gunnar Holmberg a chance to air it out.
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