CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: nuwildcat on September 03, 2017, 11:51:50 PM
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'Cats open as a 1.5-point favorite
- Most lines now have us as a 3-point favorite
- I'd probably call it a toss-up game with Duke having the edge because our secondary has been decimated (I believe we're down to our 3rd-stringer at one or both cornerback positions :'() and it's in Durham
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NU depth chart vs. Duke
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/4/16250750/northwestern-football-pat-fitzgerald-releases-depth-chart-for-week-2-at-duke-cornerback-secondary
Thorson shows excellent vision, accuracy and big play ability in comeback win
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/4/16248030/clayton-thorson-quarterback-spread-mick-mccall-macan-wilson-bennett-skowronek
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Northwestern leads this homework hoedown 10-8.
Duke won the first six, which were played annually from 1985-1990.
Then they played every year from 1996-2003, with Northwestern winning every time except 1998.
They split a home and home in 07-08, with the road team winning each contest.
This week, Northwestern will try for their third win in as many years.
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3 things to know about the Duke Blue Devils
- their QB is legit
- young players emerged as weapons in Week 1
- their 2016 special teams were kinda sorta bad ... to the tune of '119th in the nation' bad
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/5/16256474/northwestern-duke-football-preview-2017-duke-blue-devils-daniel-jones-david-cutcliffe
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJDqtV3UQAAE8or.jpg)
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Northwestern looked downright miserable last weekend, trailing Nevada, likely one of the 20 worst FBS teams, at home. They capped off an 11 play drive with a 1 yard Thorson run to take the lead, and then added another in the final minute to make the score look a little more respectable than it actually was. The Wildcats outgained the Wolfpack by about 150 yards, ran 25 additional plays, and won TOP by 17 minutes. But they missed a field goal, and the allowed a couple solid returns to set Nevada up. The positive is Clayton Thorson has gone from liability to game manager to threat in his third year under center. I know it's Nevada, but 352 passing yards from him was unthinkable a couple years ago. David Cutcliffe has rarely struggled to put up points, but he may have a defense to go alongside it. The Blue Devils scored a 98.4 on defensive efficiency in Week 1, 2nd only to Mississippi State. Granted it was NC Central, but Duke only surrendered 158 total yards and 8 first downs, scoring a defensive touchdown along the way. Over half of those 158 yards were surrendered on one 81 yard run as well. The game was already 40-0 midway through the 2nd quarter, so I have to imagine that was reserves playing a key chunk of that game. Cutcliffe is rarely left wanting at quarterback, and he's got the big 6'5" sophomore Daniel Jones. Jones put up over 2,800 yards a year ago, eclipsing 300 yards on four occasions. The Wildcats defense will certainly be tested more than it was last week, when they held Nevada to only 43.2% completion percentage, 2nd best in the Big Ten to Michigan State's 32.3%. Northwestern should be a little concerned about running it at only 3.1 per carry last week, but were not dissuaded, sticking to the ground 50 times. Justin Jackson is too established a back to think that will continue if Northwestern stays committed to it, which they clearly seem to be. With 4/5 of the offensive line returning from 2016, there's no reason to expect it to continue.
NORTHWESTERN 34, DUKE 27
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(https://www.cfb51.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FBcLsN32.gif&hash=6f1413d7987df458f2625d34fe2c979a)
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Northwestern is better than Duke in every way possible. Case closed.
- https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/7/16258580/northwestern-duke-evanston-durham-chris-collins-basketball-football-trash-talk
Why NU will / won't beat Duke
- https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/8/16272630/northwestern-duke-preview-who-will-win-clayton-thorson-daniel-jones
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insideNU staff's predictions
- 6 see it being a tight one (perhaps not surprising given that the current spread is NU -2) ... have us winning by 1 score
- 2 think the 'Cats prevail by 2 scores
- 1 Debbie Downer views this is as the quintessential trap game ... 'Cats lose, 31-28
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/8/16270470/northwestern-duke-predictions-football-2017-pat-fitzgerald-david-cutcliffe-kayla-sharples-soccer
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FML :'(
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Bummer dude.
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insideNU staff's predictions
- 6 see it being a tight one (perhaps not surprising given that the current spread is NU -2) ... have us winning by 1 score
- 2 think the 'Cats prevail by 2 scores
- 1 Debbie Downer views this is as the quintessential trap game ... 'Cats lose, 31-28
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/8/16270470/northwestern-duke-predictions-football-2017-pat-fitzgerald-david-cutcliffe-kayla-sharples-soccer
I guess its one for the debbie downer!