EVANSTON, Ill.—The road, the wind, the crowd — many factors could have explained Duke’s stumbling start against Northwestern. The Blue Devils came out of the gate looking weaker than they did in Week 1, and the storm was still brewing.
But after two overtimes, an overturned fumble and a rabbit on the field, Duke would emerge victorious 26-20 from the rollercoaster of a game. Quarterback Maalik Murphy threw two touchdowns in overtime play, including a game-winning one to graduate receiver Eli Pancol. In the rainy, gritty battle that played out on the shores of Lake Michigan, it was Blue Devil perseverance that shone brightest.
“The game’s not won in the first quarter,” Jordan Moore said, who connected with Murphy for the first of the two overtime touchdowns. “It’s won in the fourth — or in overtime.”
With 3:25 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Blue Devils down three, Duke’s offense went to work.
Murphy launched a deep pass to Jordan Moore, who couldn’t quite come down with the catch. His next pass to Javon Harvey converted to a first down, and Duke was on the 33-yard line with two minutes left on the clock. Moore caught a pass on the right to convert again, and the Blue Devils looked poised to right the night’s struggling ship.
Then came a would-be fumble by Murphy, but it was overturned after review. Duke inched up to the 4-yard line and was forced into a field goal attempt.
Todd Pelino booted the ball through the goalpost and tied the game 13-13 with 15 seconds on the clock. Duke headed into overtime.
Northwestern scored on a rush to the left by running back Cam Porter, making the extra point with ease. Then it was Duke’s turn — and Murphy connected with a pass to Moore on the first play. Pelino kicked the point.
Second overtime.
Another deep pass from Murphy to Moore, followed by a throw to Pancol, delivered Duke (2-0) its touchdown. The Blue Devils led 26-20, but their two-point conversion attempt failed after Murphy could not connect with Nicky Dalmolin.
Duke forced Northwestern (1-1) into a fourth down, where quarterback Mike Wright threw an incomplete pass to Frank Covey IV and cemented the Blue Devils’ victory.
“I’m in awe of their effort, of all the adversity that we went through tonight,” head coach Manny Diaz said. “Our ability to persevere and overcome was remarkable.”
At the start of the final quarter, which began in a 10-10 tie, both sides had struggled to stay afloat. Duke managed to keep Northwestern out of the end zone, but was left trailing after a field goal by Jack Olsen shifted the needle to 13-10.
Although the offense struggled, graduate linebacker Alex Howard continued to place pressure on Wright in the ensuing plays, ultimately notching 14 tackles and 2.5 for loss. Then Murphy launched a series of successful passes that inched the Blue Devils closer to field-goal range. But after fighting through rough waters to the 34-yard attempt, the typically reliable Todd Pelino’s kick sailed right and left the team floundering.
The first few minutes of the second half were a whirlwind of their own — complete with a rabbit on the field that momentarily stalled play. The Blue Devils, lagging by three, attempted to right the ship after a disheartening first two quarters.
A sack and a blocked punt marred Duke’s first drive of the third quarter, but the defense managed to keep Northwestern away from the end zone and force a 29-yard field goal attempt, which Olsen knocked off the upright. It seemed like a chance for the Blue Devils to turn the game around, but Murphy’s next deep pass to the left was intercepted at the Duke 45-yard line.
The Wildcats gave it right back. Moore recovered a fumble by running back Caleb Komolafe and once again, the Blue Devils appeared in fighting form. They converted to their first 1st down of the half and continued trudging downfield, with a brief appearance by Henry Belin IV in quarterback running plays. Pelino booted a 49-yard field goal to tie the game at 10 with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter.
“I do feel the blocked punt, interception sequence in the third quarter was vital,” Diaz said. “It was an insane effort by the defense…. From that moment on, we would gain momentum.”
On their following possession, Murphy completed one pass to Moore for 14 yards, then another for nine. A fourth down attempt looked promising, but the Blue Devils were left fishing for success after an incomplete pass dropped by Nicky Dalmolin.
The Blue Devils seemed to be a step off from the get-go. Their early defensive minutes were porous at best, including an opening-drive 44-yard rush, and they allowed Northwestern a field goal at the start of the first quarter. Duke’s very first offensive drive backed it into two successive third-down conversions.
Terry Moore’s leaping interception was the highlight of the first half, providing a glancing hope that the Blue Devils could shut down a resilient Wildcat team. Murphy followed it up with a rifle down the middle, and Pancol carried the ball home to catapult Duke ahead of the Wildcats. The extra point was good, and Duke rested comfortably at 7-3 through the end of the first quarter.
However, drive after stalled drive chilled Duke’s momentum, and then Northwestern’s Joseph Himon II recovered a muffed punt. Wildcat running back Cam Porter rushed up the middle to score a touchdown, and suddenly the score was 10-7 against Duke with six minutes remaining in the half.
The Blue Devils also suffered a blow when tight end Jeremiah Hasley went down with a leg injury before the half and had to be helped off the field in a medical cart. Rain at the tail end of the second quarter set a grim stage, with Duke down three going into the locker room.
The Blue Devils return home to face UConn Saturday at 6 p.m.
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Abby DiSalvo is a Trinity sophomore and assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.