The Duke Blue Devils and Northwestern Wildcats are set to square off in an all-academic Big Ten vs. ACC duel on September 6, 2024, at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. Both teams enter this game with a 1-0 record, but their first performances were far from flawless. Duke comes into this matchup after a convincing 26-3 win over Elon, where their defense held strong but their offense showed areas needing improvement. Quarterback Maalik Murphy led the way, throwing for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. However, Duke’s ground game struggled, managing only 24 rushing yards from their leading rusher, Jaquez Moore. The Blue Devils will need to establish a more balanced attack to challenge Northwestern’s stout defense.

On the other hand, Northwestern’s 13-6 win over Miami (OH) wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done. The Wildcats relied heavily on their defense to secure the win, with quarterback Mike Wright completing 18 of 30 passes for 178 yards and adding 65 rushing yards with a touchdown on the ground. Northwestern’s offense, however, needs to find more consistency moving the ball and finishing drives to have a better shot at defeating Duke. Their defense, which finished the first game with two interceptions, will aim to continue forcing turnovers and limit Duke’s passing attack. This matchup is expected to be closely contested, with both teams’ defenses likely playing a significant role. Duke will look to leverage their superior passing game, while Northwestern will need to find more offensive rhythm to support their defensive efforts. The game may come down to which quarterback can make the fewest mistakes and which defense can hold up under pressure.