Duke football faces its first road test Friday against Northwestern, and The Chronicle is here with an overview, stats to watch, x-factors and keys to the game: 

Overview

2024 record: 1-0

Head coach: David Braun (first full season)

Series history: Duke leads 13-10

Last meeting: 38-14 Duke, Sept. 16, 2023

Northwestern is coming off a 8-5 season, capped off by a 14-7 win against Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. 2023 was certainly a success for the Wildcats as they tried to improve on a dismal 1-11 record from their previous season. With a 5-4 record in conference play last season, Northwestern was a middle-of-the-pack Big 10 team. Its biggest win was a definitive 24-10 late-season matchup against tough divisional opponent Wisconsin. This season is off to a good start for the Wildcats, as they continued their positive momentum with a Week 1 victory against Miami (OH) by a score of 13-6.

Braun’s team has a new leading man this year, after losing erstwhile quarterback Ben Bryant to graduation. Graduate student transfer quarterback Mike Wright joins the squad after spending time as an undergraduate with Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. Besides Bryant, many of last year's starters have returned to play key roles on both sides of the ball. In total, according OurLads’s depth charts from last year and this year, 15 out of this season’s 22 starters were members of the team last season. 

Friday’s game is currently forecasted to be a rainy affair, making air attacks significantly more difficult. Both teams outclassed their opponents on the ground in their first games, with Northwestern gaining 4.84 yards per attempt while only allowing 1.67. On the other side, Duke averaged a less impressive 2.19, but held Elon to a miniscule 0.83 yards per attempt. If the Blue Devils perform consistently, the Wildcat offense will be thwarted. However, if they aren’t able to improve on an unimpressive outing last weekend, the stingy Northwestern front will force Maalik Murphy to carry the offense via the passing game. 

X-Factor 

Duke: Jordan Moore

The Blue Devil captain has already proved to be a reliable source of production in Duke’s fairly new offense. In the Blue Devil’s season-opening victory against Elon, the veteran emerged as a favorite target for Murphy’s strong arm, finishing with seven receptions and 112 yards. It’s clear new offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer plans to utilize Moore’s consistent and strong playmaking within Duke’s passing game. 

Having started 24 games during the past two seasons for the Blue Devils, the Sykesville, Md., native has the experience and expertise that Coach Diaz’s crew needs. Moore combines efficient route running and sure hands to execute explosive offensive plays. After tallying an impressive 62 receptions for 835 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, the wideout will surely aim to produce at a similar level in his fifth year. As evidenced by his 47-yard catch in Friday’s defeat of Elon, Moore could be a major deep-threat this season, which may be essential for quickly pushing the ball down the field through the forceful Wildcat defense.    

Against Northwestern Moore could prove to be crucial in the success of Brewer’s Air Raid attack. While the Blue Devils will surely look to improve their shaky running game from last week, the Murphy to Moore connection should also be weaponized to propel Duke’s scoring throughout the game. 

Northwestern: Xander Mueller 

An elite defense has been key to keeping the Wildcats afloat in past seasons, and will once again need to excel to compete with Duke’s fast-paced offense. With All-Big 10 second-team selection Bryce Gallagher leaving the program, graduate linebacker Xander Mueller will have to lead the team’s defensive efforts. Mueller led his team in solo tackles, tackles for loss and interceptions for the 2023 season. The 6-foot-3 veteran’s five total tackles in Northwestern’s season-opening matchup versus Miami (OH) certainly aided in a defensively-dominant victory. 

Having spent his entire collegiate career with the Wildcats, Mueller brings much needed consistency and experience to a team still overcoming the fallout of a hazing scandal under former head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The Wheaton, Ill., native continues to outperform himself each season, tallying a career-high 19 tackles against Iowa late last year and recording both 100+ total tackles and 10+ tackles for loss during the course of the season. Mueller will hope to show his talents Friday by stopping Blue Devil drives and halting the momentum of Duke’s revamped passing game. 

While Northwestern still finds itself in a developmental period, head coach David Braun should rely on his defensive crew — led by Mueller — to limit his opponent’s scoring. A strong performance from Mueller will be crucial if the Wildcats want to break their five-season losing streak against Duke. 

3 keys for Duke

Light the spark early: Last season, Northwestern boasted a strong run-stopping group. With so many players returning, it looks poised to continue making the run defense one of its strengths this season. Against Miami (Ohio), the Wildcats held their opponent to only 40 net rushing yards. Conversely, they allowed 227 passing yards, showing their weakness in defending against the air attack.

Duke’s star senior running back Jaquez Moore may face difficulty in finding an opening to run the ball against Northwestern, leaving Murphy to shoulder the brunt of the offensive burden. The quarterback briefly stuttered in the opening quarters of his first start as a Blue Devil but quickly recovered to put up a stellar performance. Against a Northwestern defense far less forgiving than Elon’s, Murphy will need to find his footing early to ensure that the Wildcats are not given the chance to capitalize on any offensive miscues. 

Capitalize on big plays: On the Phoenix’s opening drive, Duke’s Wesley Williams and Vincent Anthony Jr. sacked quarterback Matthew Downing for nine yards, handing the Blue Devils an easy three-and-out. However, on the resulting possession, despite advancing 68 yards down the field, the Blue Devils could not close out and ended up settling for a 32-yard field goal. The point difference between a field goal and a touchdown ended up not mattering against Elon, but Northwestern is used to forcing opponents to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. In what will assuredly be a much closer game this week than last, it is crucial that when handed the opportunity for big points, the Blue Devils capitalize. 

Pressure the quarterback: Prior to their season opener, the Wildcats were in the midst of a quarterback battle to see who would earn the starting position for head coach David Braun’s first full season as the named head coach. Mississippi State transfer Mike Wright earned the start and led the team in their opener last week. 

Over the past two seasons, Duke’s defense has been one of its biggest strengths. Against Elon, the Blue Devils continued that trend and proved how dominant their group can be. With Wright’s limited experience as a starter, Duke has the perfect opportunity to disrupt any rhythm he and the Northwestern offense attempt to start. Recreating the same pressure the Blue Devils subjected Downing to against Wright will help lead them to success.