With Northwestern clinging to a late 13-10 lead Friday night in Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy trotted out for a two-minute-drill. Not a soul in the temporary facility remained seated as the chilled Lake Michigan breeze provided the backdrop for one more potential twist in a turbulent night.
The Wildcats (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) had played nearly four quarters of lights out defense, but they needed one more stop to send the Blue Devils (2-0, 0-0 ACC) home empty-handed.
“A couple weeks in a row now where we had opportunities to really open a lead up on somebody and start to put the game away in the second half,” coach David Braun said. “Something we pride ourselves on so much here at Northwestern (is) to be able to close out a game and find ways to win.”
As the game clock ticked well under a minute, redshirt sophomore defensive end Anto Saka — a pass rush specialist with a game-breaking burst off the line of scrimmage — keyed in on Murphy ahead of a Duke first down from the NU 22-yard-line.
Just as he’d done during last season’s bout with the Blue Devils, Saka broke free from the Duke protection, pummeling Murphy behind the line of scrimmage for a sack and stripping the ball loose. It was yet another signature pass rush maneuver from the Phoenix, Maryland, native who racked up six quarterback pressures against Miami (Ohio) in Week 1.
With the ’Cats coming up with possession, the 6-foot-4, 247-pound Saka danced and flexed as he celebrated a play that seemed to put the game on ice. Perhaps, defensive coordinator Tim McGarigle’s unit had become judge, jury and executioner, snapping a five-game losing streak to the team’s ACC foe in cold blood.
Instead, an official review overturned the fumble, Duke kicker Todd Pelino sent the game to overtime and Saka’s high school teammate — Blue Devil wide receiver Jordan Moore — hauled in 47 receiving yards in double overtime to propel Duke to a 26-20 victory.
Now, the Blue Devils danced on NU’s home turf, handing Braun his first loss since becoming the permanent head coach.
“We had an opportunity to win at the end of the game, up 13-10,” graduate student linebacker Xander Mueller said. “They drove down the field and got a field goal on us, so we (have to) do better there.”
While the ’Cats surrendered six points on Duke’s second offensive drive in overtime, the defense did its job on the 2-point-conversion. The result shifted in graduate student quarterback Mike Wright’s hands. First-year offensive coordinator Zach Lujan looked to dial up his first real signature drive at his new perch.
Graduate student running back Cam Porter pounded the rock throughout NU’s first overtime possession, and the Blue Devils had no answers for the one-man wrecking crew Friday night.
The scheme seemed simple — feed the hot hand and let the two-time captain will the ’Cats to a victory. On four straight plays, Lujan called Porter’s number. No. 1 marched NU to the Duke 3-yard-line, where the ’Cats stared down third and short.
With 120 scrimmage yards and a pair of touchdowns to his name, Porter appeared a shoo-in to punch in a game-tying and score and set up a 2-point-conversion to win the contest. But, Lujan dialed up a quarterback keeper for Wright, who went down after an 8-yard loss.
“We felt like we had a good call, and it ended up just not going our way,” Porter said. “That’s just how football goes.”
An incomplete fourth-down endzone heave later, NU’s night was spoiled just before midnight.
“Coach Lujan would be the first to tell you that the way Cam Porter was running the ball at that time, he’d like to have that play call back,” Braun said.
Failing to execute at a pivotal juncture, individual and collective heroics on the defensive end proved all for naught in the ’Cats’ first defeat of the young season. Despite a subpar 20-of-36, 158 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception from Wright, NU’s gutsy defense and special teams units kept the team within striking distance.
Now, for the second consecutive season under Braun, the ’Cats must reckon with a bitter result against the Blue Devils.
Email: [email protected]
X: @jakeepste1n
Related Stories:
— Rapid Recap: Duke 26, Northwestern 20 (2OT)
— Football: Northwestern looks to break multi-year losing streak against Duke in primetime clash
— Football: Week 2 Notebook: Northwestern set for nighttime Duke duel on Lake Michigan
