Duke dominates Northwestern
Blue Devils roll through latest non-conference challenge
DURHAM – The formula worked again for Duke.
The No. 21 Blue Devils rolled through Northwestern 38-14 on Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium, using a balanced offense and another stifling defensive effort to cruise to a third straight win to start the season.
Quarterback Riley Leonard passed for 219 yards and rushed for 97, including two touchdowns on the ground in the third quarter that effectively put the game away.
Duke (3-0) got a combined 121 rushing yards out of running back duo Jordan Waters (65) and Jaquez Moore (56).
It’s the eighth time in 16 games with Mike Elko’s coaching staff that Duke has rushed for at least 200 yards in a game; that doesn’t include having 199 in the opener against Clemson after a few kneel-downs ended the game.
Through three quarters, Duke had 412 yards to Northwestern’s 177; for the Blue Devils, that was 219 passing yards and 193 rushing yards.
Myles Jones, the Texas A&M transfer in his seventh season of college football, notched his second interception in as many games; Duke didn’t have a turnover, so it was the 11th time in 16 games Duke has won the turnover margin.
Jones’ interception set up a 15-yard touchdown run by Peyton Jones, the first score of the freshman running back’s career.
Northwestern scored in the final two minutes, becoming the first team to both score points against Duke in the second half this season, and the first one to score more than seven points against the Blue Devils.
Duke got off to a strong start by getting a third-and-1 stop on the game’s first possession, and then drove 56 yards in six plays — the last of which was a 24-yard touchdown run by Waters.
Waters scored Duke’s second touchdown on the second play of the second quarter, a 2-yard plunge, and Todd Pelino added a 34-yard field goal on Duke’s next possession.
Northwestern (1-2) zapped the life out of the second quarter, though. The Wildcats went 73 yards in 15 plays, engulfing 8:26 of the clock, scoring a 14-yard pass from Ben Bryant threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Henning with 34 seconds left in the first half.