Date 9/6 || Time 9:00 PM || Location Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium || Video FS1

Duke will have a chance to make it 2-0 if they win away at Northwestern.

New coach Manny Diaz came to Duke with a strong reputation as a defender and the Blue Devils were aggressive in the season opener, holding Elon at bay until a field goal in the final seconds.

New QB Maalik Murphy had some erratic moments, but he had a solid game with 291 passing yards. He’ll have to be more consistent, but it was a good start.

Northwestern opened with a 13-6 win over Miami of Ohio. The Wildcats have a top dual-threat QB in 5th year transfer Mike Wright. He had 178 passing yards against Miami and no touchdowns, but the guy has legit sprinter speed: while at Vanderbilt, his first collegiate stop, he held the Vandy 200m record.

He’s clearly a serious threat in the running game and the Devils will have their hands full controlling both the run and the pass.

On the other hand, Duke’s new no-huddle offense, if it works as intended, will put a lot of pressure on Northwestern’s defense.

Duke is currently on a five-game winning streak against Northwestern. It won’t be easy to make it six games, but it is possible, especially if Duke’s offense improves in Week 2.

Duke may have a breakthrough with the location: Northwestern’s stadium is being renovated and games will be played in Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, right on the shore of Lake Michigan. What’s the breakthrough?

There is only room for 15,000 people, which somewhat negates the home advantage.

Even if Duke loses, the Blue Devils are still ahead of Florida State and no worse than tied with Clemson in the ACC standings. And a win would keep them tied with the Tigers, who play Appalachian State this weekend. Clemson is obviously the favorite, but as Dabo Swinney acknowledged, App State is no joke and a surprise is not out of the question. The ACC with Duke at 2-0 and FSU and Clemson at 0-2? That would be wild.