Under the lights on Friday night, the Wildcats get a chance to break one of the most inexplicable losses in Big Ten football. Northwestern welcomes the Duke Blue Devils to the shores of Lake Michigan, as the ‘Cats look to end a five-game losing streak against their ACC opponents. Here’s how our staff thinks tonight’s game will play out.

Adam Beck: Duke 20, Northwest 17

More than any other football game, this one will come down to the battle in the trenches. Northwestern will have to fend off a Duke run game that limited Elon to 30 rushing yards and a pass rush that had eight sacks against the Phoenix, the most of any team in Week 1. While Northwestern’s offensive line played well against the RedHawks, Manny Diaz’s creative schemes could spell trouble for a Northwestern team looking to end a five-game losing streak against the Blue Devils. It’s going to be close, but a last-minute Duke field goal hands the Wildcats their first loss of the season.

Charlie Jacobs: Northwestern 23, Duke 13

Yes, Duke won by 23. Yes, Duke has some offensive playmakers like Jordan Moore and Eli Pancol. Yes, Duke only gave up 140 total yards (30 rushing, 110 passing). And yes, Duke had eight sacks. For all the good, their opponent was an FCS school that isn’t very good. The Blue Devils also didn’t exactly pass the eye test, especially on offense. Keep in mind that Maalik Murphy has only started three games in his young career. He was a two-time starter for Texas last year behind one of the best offensive lines in 2023. His only start this year was against Elon. Murphy, like Brett Gabbert, is prone to throwing interceptions. In his small sample size, he’s thrown five touchdowns against four interceptions. There’s a good chance the ‘Cats can force him to make a mistake throwing the football. He’s also only had one sack in his career, and that sack was a fumble. Duke’s offensive line isn’t as good as Texas’ offensive line in 2023. If Northwestern can get past the blockers and get to Murphy, this game will go in the ‘Cats’ favor.

Natalie Wells: Duke 17, Northwest 10

I fear NU’s offense doesn’t have the firepower to keep up with a team led by the rocket-armed Maalik Murphy. It was a scrappy game for Mike Wright and the ‘Cats last week, and while some of those issues can be attributed to a new scheme, they’re not going to fix all of their problems in one week. Plus, Manny Diaz’s defense looks downright scary — the Blue Devils held Elon to just 140 total yards last week. Wright will throw his first touchdown (and his first interception), but it won’t be enough to match Duke’s pace.

Miguel Muñoz: Duke 20, Northwest 7

Northwestern looked solid defensively against one of the better teams in Group of Five in Miami (OH), allowing just seven points and 40 yards rushing while throwing two interceptions. Duke, however, is a different animal: the Blue Devils’ offense is led by Maalik Murphy, who threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns against Elon in Week 1. Throw in two receivers of concern in Jordan Moore and Eli Pancol (combined for 193 yards on 14 receptions last week), and a depleted NU secondary just won’t cut it. Offensively, Mike Wright still seems to be finding his stride, and I just don’t think things are going to come together against a team like Duke.

Ascher Levin: Northwest 17, Duke 13

Defensively, Duke was dominant in Week 1 with eight sacks, limiting Elon to just 140 total yards. However, Northwestern is a much different opponent than Elon (an FCS program). While the passing game wasn’t great against Miami (OH), Mike Wright’s 65 rushing yards and a touchdown made an impact. The Cats defense also excelled, throwing two key interceptions. Additionally, the weather could be a big factor, with temperatures forecasted to be in the 60s and winds gusting to 15-20 mph, likely to shift the focus to the ground game. This plays to NU’s strength, as they rushed for 150 yards in Week 1, compared to Duke’s 59. In what should be a low-scoring slugfest, I think Northwestern will do just enough to come out on top.

Ethan Weinberg: Duke 17, Northwest 14

There were encouraging signs across the board for Northwestern in last week’s win, particularly on defense. Tim McGarigle’s unit impressed against Miami (OH) last week, giving up just six points and forcing two crucial interceptions in the fourth quarter. Stopping Duke’s offense, however, will be a more difficult task. The Blue Devils beat Elon 26-3 in Week 1, and while I don’t expect Maalik Murphy to throw nearly 300 yards through the air again, his unit’s performance should certainly expose NU’s secondary in a way that Miami (OH) couldn’t last week. I do expect further improvement from Mike Wright in this game, but his efforts will surely be smothered by Manny Diaz’s defense, which looks dominant after forcing eight sacks and allowing less than 150 total yards from scrimmage last week. For personal reasons beyond football, I desperately want Duke to lose this game. However, if I look at this game objectively, I expect the Blue Devils to pull off a narrow victory in a low-scoring game.

Harris Horowitz: Northwest 21, Duke 14

Like Northwestern on Saturday, the Duke offense looked rusty against Elon in the season opener, especially in the first half. The Blue Devils simply couldn’t move the ball on the ground against a defense that was merely average for FCS football in 2023. I expect Duke to struggle on the ground again against a Northwestern defense that has looked like one of the better units in the Big Ten thus far. Maalik Murphy will make some plays against the young Northwestern defense, but the redshirt sophomore will also make some mistakes, especially if his guys can’t establish the run. If Northwestern can enter the turnover battle, the ‘Cats will be 2-0 for the first time since 2020.

Brendan Preisman: Northwest 24, Duke 21

I think you have to keep Duke’s rushing total from last week in mind. The Blue Devils managed just 59 yards on 27 carries against Coastal Athletic Association-class Elon. Sure, Maalik Murphy threw for nearly 300 yards, but it also took him 40 attempts to get there. In a home game against a non-power opponent, Duke was in real danger of tying the game at 3-3 with about a minute left in the first half. The reason for this is that the Blue Devils’ offensive line couldn’t get a consistent push. They’re now playing a Wildcats defensive front that allowed just 40 yards rushing last week and also sacked Miami (Ohio) QB Brent Gabbert five times. If Northwestern can even get Duke in the trenches (and nothing from last week suggests they can’t), home-field advantage and a few timely Mike Wright runs should be enough to get the Wildcats to 2-0.

Seasonal status:

1-0: Adam Beck, Brendan Preisman, Harris Horowitz, Charlie Jacobs, Ascher Levin, Natalie Wells, Ethan Weinberg