Duke vs Northwestern football first look: Series history, players to watch and odds
Duke couldn’t have asked for a better start to Mike Elko’s tenure as the Blue Devils head coach.
Having throttled Temple, 30-0, last Friday, the challenge now is to play just as well on the road against a better opponent.
Duke hits the road for the first time under Elko to play at Northwestern Saturday at noon.
“Like I told our guys, it’s on the next week,” Elko said Monday. “You know, we didn’t come here just to win a game. We’re here to build the program. And now we’ve got to take our show on the road and go up to Big 10 country and play a really talented Northwestern football team.”
The Wildcats (1-0) opened the season Aug. 27, beating Nebraska, 31-28, in Dublin, Ireland, before taking the Labor Day weekend off.
Despite going 3-9 last season, Duke did beat Northwestern, 30-23, in Durham last Sept. 18. That gave the Blue Devils a three-game winning streak in the series between the two schools. This will be the sixth time Duke and Northwestern have played in the last eight seasons and Duke has won three of the previous five.
Duke leads the overall series, which began in 1985, 11-10.
Three Northwestern players to watch
Ryan Hilinski, QB: The transfer from South Carolina, now in his second season with the Wildcats, started the season in strong fashion against Nebraska, throwing for 314 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Evan Hull, RB: The 5-11, 210-pound junior spearheaded the win over Nebraska with 119 rushing yards and a touchdown while also catching five passes for 55 yards.
Bryce Gallagher, LB: Led the Wildcats in tackles against Nebraska with 10.
Three Duke players to watch
Riley Leonard, QB: Starting his second career game, the sophomore completed his first 15 passes on the way to a 24 of 30 night against Temple. Leonard passed for 328 yards and two touchdowns in Duke’s opener.
Jordan Moore, WR: Converted to wide receiver in August after competing with Leonard for the starting quarterback job, Moore hauled in six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown in the season opener.
DeWayne Carter, DL: A force in the middle of Duke’s defense, he’ll face a stronger test against Northwestern than he did against undersized Temple. The ability of Duke’s front line to push the pocket will be a key factor in who wins this game.
Vegas betting odds
Northwestern opened as an 8.5-point favorite over the Blue Devils.
Duke at Northwestern game and TV info
Who: Duke (1-0) vs. Northwestern (1-0)
Where: Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois
When: Noon, Saturday
TV: FS1
Stream: Foxsports.com/live
This story was originally published September 5, 2022 at 7:09 AM.