DURHAM, N.C. – Randy Walker said it wasn’t that bad after the game, but think back to those moments, those two minutes when the Wildcats were advancing downfield in the third quarter. Sure, they marched quickly and confidently, but they did so without running back Damien Anderson.
Scary, wasn’t it?
It happened on a 6-yard dash midway through the third quarter with the Cats up 30-7. It was the first play on a drive primed to roll over a tired Blue Devils defense.
Some clumsy Duke defender stepped on Anderson’s foot, leaving what he described as a “deep bruise.” He limped off, assisted by trainers, and then was placed on the bench.
Anderson was back two minutes later to cap off a 51-yard drive with his fourth touchdown of the night. But those were still two long minutes for the Cats.
Coach Randy Walker said he was able to see the play on which Anderson was stepped on.
“I thought, ‘Let’s hope we’re lucky and it’s not too serious,'” he said.
Backing up Anderson at tailback was Kevin Lawrence, who rushed for 41 yards on 14 carries.
Anderson said after the game that his two-minute break was more of a precaution than a necessity.
“I could have come right back in,” he said.
QUICK STARTERS: The Cats’ rushing game dominated Duke to start the second half. It was a quick start that seemed to put the Blue Devils on their heels, making them look much like the UNLV team that NU ran over following the intermission in their Sept. 7 game.
While Anderson rushed for 89 yards on 15 carries in the first half, he went for 92 yards on his first four carries of the second half. Those runs gave the Cats a 30-7 edge and sent Duke fans trudging up the aisles.
“We had something to prove offensively in running the ball,” Anderson said. “Two weeks ago against UNLV, they were a great team, but we weren’t as consistent. Today was a great day to showcase our abilities.”
KEEPING PACE: Billy Silva was watching the receiver the entire time and running right with him. So when Duke quarterback D. Bryant threw, all Silva had to do was step forward.
“I felt the receiver running a curl, so I came up underneath him and they threw the ball right to me,” Silva said. “I don’t think he thought he was going to be there.”
Silva had a career game Saturday night, shutting down Bryant and Duke tailback Chris Douglas with a 12-tackle, two-interception performance. After NU’s defense allowed a Duke touchdown on its second possession, it silenced the Blue Devils offense for 50 minutes.
Silva said Duke’s lowly point total can be credited in large part to NU’s defensive line play.
“With the quarterback running as much as he did – he dropped back and ran a lot – our coverage up front must have been pretty good,” Silva said.
And Duke’s no-huddle scheme did little to faze the Cats.
“We’re running at no-huddle tempo all the time,” Silva said. “For the most part, I think we adjusted pretty well.”
MAKING HIS MARK: Starting free safety Sean Wieber sprained his ankle in practice last Tuesday, leaving an opening for second-stringer Mark Roush to start Saturday’s game.
“(Wieber) could go tonight, but we practiced with Roush,” Walker said. “And Mark has worked hard and earned the start.”
Roush, a sophomore, took advantage of the opportunity to show off, racking up three tackles and an interception. Walker said that Wieber’s injury is not a big concern for the future.
INCHES TO GO: The win gives Walker a winning record at NU, making him 13-12 since 1999. At the same time, Duke tied a school record with 15 consecutive losses, a mark well short of NU’s record of 34 straight losses. … Northwestern hadn’t started a season with back-to-back road wins since 1905. … The paid attendance of 18,427 was well over the actual total in the stands. Even 15,000 fans may have been a generous estimate of the crowd at Saturday night’s game.
