The Northwestern Wildcats play host to the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon from Ryan Field in a crucial non-conference showdown. Duke dominated Temple at home last weekend, coming off of a 30-0 win and easing some of the concerns during the offseason. For Northwestern, they turned quite a few heads in the opener against Nebraska, winning 31-28 two weeks ago. With both teams picked to finish near the bottom of their respective conference standings, a 2-0 start for either could be crucial.
Duke might have been picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC standings but after a dominant win in the opener last week, this group might be primed to surprise quite a few teams. Going on the road will be a challenge, especially as they take on a Big Ten opponent, but if this group wants to make a run at a bowl game, Saturday will be crucial towards making that happen. Bringing in new head coach Mike Elko put an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball and that was evident in pitching a shutout against Temple last week. The offense wasn't too shabby either, putting together 500 yards of total offense. It'll take another strong effort in this one though to spring the upset.
It helps that Duke navigated the preseason and week one without any notable injuries to worry about. Hitting the road in this one, especially with a slight advantage when it comes to depth, should help.
Only one way to celebrate the first win as a head coach!
Congrats @CoachMikeElko! pic.twitter.com/ftaABZdVPb
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) September 3, 2022
The offense was expected to take a step back with David Cutliffe's departure after years of being one of football's best offensive minds, though that wasn't the case against Temple. The balance between the two sides was crucial, generating just over 300 yards through the air and another 172 yards on the ground. If they have provided a similar effort in this one, it could be crucial towards springing the upset. Riley Leonard tossed two touchdowns, while not throwing an interception and only being sacked once. If the offensive line can replicate that protection scheme against a tougher Northwestern team, they could be in business.
Defensively, it's already evident that this team has flipped a switch when it comes to their mindset on that side of the ball. Temple was held to under 200 yards of total offense, as the Blue Devils continued to fly around the field. Having only generated one sack is a concern, as putting pressur e on the Wildcats in the backfield will be a necessity in this one, while winning the turnover battle is a priority as well.