Wildcats will try to step things up against Duke
Despite a character-building comeback last week, Northwestern's identity is far from a finished product.
"We're working toward it," defensive tackle Adam Hahn said Monday. "We overcame a lot of adversity in this past game and . . "
Hahn trailed off. The microphone was pushed in front of junior quarterback C.J. Bacher.
"We're still searching for our identity," Bacher said, "but we're maturing every week."
A dramatic 36-31 win against Nevada reconfirmed that Northwestern is a great bet to win wacky, back-and-forth, mettle-testing games. But this season, the Wildcats want their identity to be much more than that.
The Wildcats want to claim the games they should win, preferably with limited drama. Historically, being favored has worked out poorly for NU, one it must overcome to raise its profile.
The team gets another chance tonight against Duke, which brings a 22-game losing streak to Ryan Field (7 p.m., Big Ten Network). Duke, which had a 23-game slide from 1999-2002, is 12 losses shy of the all-time record held by, you guessed it, Northwestern.
"This is a critical week," coach Pat Fitzgerald said.
It's doubtful that Wildcats starting running back Tyrell Sutton will play after sustaining a right ankle injury against Nevada. Fitzgerald said Sutton will be a game-time decision, but the junior sat out practice this week, wearing an ice pack on his ankle Wednesday.
NU rallied last week without Sutton, as reserve Brandon Roberson racked up 128 rushing yards. If Sutton can't play, Bacher might play a bigger role in the running game after gaining 60 ground yards against Nevada, 35 on the game-winning drive.
"C.J.'s ability to run just adds," Fitzgerald said. "Ask any defensive coach. You've got good coverage, things have gone well and now, all of a sudden, you've got a quarterback that breaks contain and makes a run."
Bacher is concerned with his passing and wants to improve upon last week's 44.4 percent completion quotient. He has gone three games without an interception and has avoided making throws into coverage.
"I've talked to Ross (Lane), Tonjua (Jones) and Kim (Thompson) numerous times about how I'm going to give them a chance to win," Bacher said. "If the ball's not in the right place, just knock it down."
After mixed results against Nevada's pistol attack, NU's defense will get some unique looks from Duke, which hired former Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Peter Vaas as its offensive coordinator this offseason. Though the Blue Devils rank 110th nationally in rushing offense (49.5 ypg), sophomore quarterback Thaddeus Lewis is a threat to move in the pocket.
"They're going to get the ball to the perimeter a lot more and a lot faster," NU linebacker Mike Dinard said. "We're going to be running around a lot. As a defense, to be successful, we're going to have to gang-tackle these guys, have a D-lineman running all the way across the field to help on a tackle."
Northwestern has scored a touchdown on its opening drive in both games this season, but the offense and defense let down early against Nevada. Duke's special teams are its strength, and NU must curtail Jabari Marshall, who averages 28.6 yards on kick returns and already has a TD.
"The challenge is coming out with that swagger right from the get-go, the very first play," Dinard said. "We can, we have, and I think we will."
Duke (0-2) at Northwestern (2-0)
When: 7 p.m. at Ryan Field TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: WGN 720-AM, WNUR 89.3-FM Series: Tied at 7-7
Coaches: Ted Roof (5-36, fourth year at Duke and overall); Pat Fitzgerald (6-8, second year at Northwestern and overall)
Players to watch: Duke returns all 11 starters on offense and is led by sophomore QB Thaddeus Lewis, who set a school record for passing yards by a freshman with 2,134 last season. LB Michael Tauiliili has topped 90 tackles each of the last two seasons.
NU defensive tackle Adam Hahn had his best game with 6 tackles (1 for loss) and a QB hurry vs. Nevada. Led by Eric Peterman, NU has five players with more than 30 receiving yards per game.
The skinny: Duke's losing streak can't last forever, but barring a Northwestern letdown, it should continue for another week. The Blue Devils were pounded 45-14 in their opener but paced Virginia for part of last week's game. They average just 199 offensive yards per game and fewer than 50 on the ground. Wildcats junior strong safety Brendan Smith is expected to make his second consecutive start after coming off a shoulder injury. Smith had 2 tackles against Nevada but "showed a bit of rust," coach Pat Fitzgerald said. NU has won its last five meetings with Duke, which hasn't won a road game since Nov. 22, 2003.
- Adam Rittenberg