The Manny Diaz era at Duke is off to a 2-0 start with the Blue Devils posting a thrilling 26-20 double-overtime win over the Northwestern University Wildcats on Friday night.
Diaz succeeds Mike Elko, who left Duke after two years as head coach to take the head coaching post at Texas A&M.
In addition to Elko's departure, former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard also transferred to Notre Dame this offseason.
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Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Eli Pancol (4) celebrates a touchdown during the first half against the Northwestern Wildcats at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. (David Banks-Imagn Images)
Current Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy stepped up when it mattered most for the Blue Devils on Friday.
Murphy led an 11-play, 51-yard drive late in the fourth quarter that led to kicker Todd Perino's game-tying field goal with 14 seconds left to tie the score at 13-13.
Northwestern got the ball first in overtime, with running back Cam Porter racing into the end zone from 10 yards out to take a 20-13 lead.
Murphy and the Blue Devils needed just one play to tie the score in the first overtime period, as wide receiver Jordan Moore got behind the Northwestern defensive line and Murphy reacted quickly to fire a dart at his target.
It was a similar story for the Blue Devils in the second overtime period. Murphy connected with Moore for a 22-yard pass on the first play of the second overtime period and then found wide receiver Eli Pancol in the end zone on the next play for a 3-yard touchdown.
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The Duke Blue Devils celebrate a turnover during the second half at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. (David Banks-Imagn Images)
But Duke couldn't convert that touchdown for two points, and the defense held on to a 26-20 lead.
After Porter took a few rushes to lead the offense to a third-down-and-1 from Duke's 3-yard line, the Wildcats were on the brink of victory.
But unfortunately for Northwestern, Duke's defense faltered there.
Chandler Rivers fumbled quarterback Mike Wright on third down for an eight-yard loss.
On fourth down, Wright's desperation pass to Frank Covey IV fell short and was blocked by the Blue Devils defense.
“This is definitely hurting,” Northwestern coach David Brown said. “It's hurting a lot of guys in the locker room.”
The loss snapped Northwestern's five-game winning streak that stretched back to last season. The double-overtime victory also marked Duke's sixth straight win over Northwestern since 2016.
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Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers (0) tackles Northwestern quarterback Mike Wright (5) during the second overtime of an NCAA college football game on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Evanston, Illinois. (AP Photo/Matt Murton)
Brown would like to see more from the quarterback in the future.
“Mike played well tonight, but he needs to get better,” Brown said. “Mike knows that. We know that. When we made our (quarterback) decisions, we were going to lean on Mike.”
“He's got to do a better job of taking care of the ball, taking care of the ball and playing within the offensive line,” Brown said.
Wright completed 20 of 36 passes for 158 yards and an interception that led to Duke's first touchdown.
Meanwhile, on the sideline, the Blue Devils players are ecstatic for their quarterback, especially their top receiver.
“Malik is a very confident, calm quarterback,” Moore said. “Whenever he had an opportunity to play, he took advantage of it. He's everything you want in a quarterback, a guy who is very calm and very confident in his abilities.”
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Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jordan Moore (8) catches a pass during the second half of a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. (David Banks-Imagn Images)
Murphy completed 24 of 39 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns.
Duke will look to continue their strong start when they host the Connecticut Huskies on September 14th.
Northwestern University will look to bounce back when it hosts Eastern Illinois University on September 14th.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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