EVANSTON, Ill. — Maalik Murphy threw two quick touchdown passes in overtime, hitting Jordan Moore on a 25-yard pass and Eli Pancol on a 3-yard pass, to lead Duke to a 26-20 victory over Northwestern on Friday night at makeshift Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium.
Mike Wright’s desperate throw on the fourth attempt to Frank Covey IV in the end zone missed in the second overtime and Duke (2-0) defeated the Wildcats (1-1) for the sixth time in a row since 2016, giving new coach Manny Diaz a second victory.
“It’s just a testament to our unity,” Moore said. “The game isn’t won in the first quarter. It’s won in the fourth or even in overtime. We keep fighting. We keep throwing body blows. We trust each and every one of our teammates to make plays.”
The teams scored touchdowns in their first overtime games.
Cam Porter darted just inside the left corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown that capped the opening drive of overtime and put Northwestern ahead 17-10. Then Murphy scored twice to win the game, even though he missed a mandatory two-point conversion attempt after the second touchdown.
Pancol caught two touchdowns and Murphy came in strong again, finishing with three touchdown throws, completing 24 of 39 passes for 242 yards.
“Maalik is a very confident quarterback, very composed,” Moore said. “When he had opportunities to make plays, he made them. He’s everything you could want in a quarterback, someone who is very level-headed and someone who is very confident in his abilities.”
Northwestern’s five-game winning streak from last season ended. Porter scored both of the Wildcats’ touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards on 16 carries. He also caught three balls for 27 yards.
“It definitely hurts,” Northwestern coach David Braun said. “A lot of guys in the locker room are struggling.”
Quarterback Mike Wright completed 20 of 36 passes for 158 yards in a game that was up and down and featured many turnovers. He also threw a costly interception that led to Duke’s first touchdown.
“Mike did some good things tonight, but Mike has to improve,” Braun said. “Mike knows that. We know that. When we made our (quarterback) decision, that was something we were going to do with Mike.”
Todd Pelino’s second field goal, a 22-yard kick with 14 seconds left in regulation, tied the score at 13-13.
Pelino missed a 33-yard attempt with 5:11 left in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game, but he converted a wind-assisted 49-yard attempt midway through the third quarter to tie the score at 10-10.
Jack Olsen’s second field goal from 32 yards out broke the tie with 11:39 left in the fourth quarter and gave Northwestern a 13-10 lead. The Wildcats almost managed to tie the game.
Olsen neatly sank his third kick of the second game with the wind at his back and the first of the night in Northwestern’s intimate 12,023-seat makeshift stadium right on the shores of Lake Michigan. Olsen kicked a 44-yard field goal to open the scoring, but his 29-yard attempt early in the second half bounced off the right upright.
Murphy had been thrown off balance before his heroic play at the end. He also threw an interception and was nearly intercepted another time. Tight end Nick Dalmolin dropped Murphy’s clean throw, which should have been an easy catch, on a crucial fourth-and-2 play in the third quarter.
Northwestern will play the majority of its home games at its temporary stadium — and some at Wrigley Field — over the next two seasons while a new 35,000-seat Ryan Field is built about a mile west of its predecessor’s site.
Northwestern settled for a 10-7 lead after an inconsistent first half, despite dominating by 168 yards to 94 and a time of possession of 18:25 to 11:35.
THE RESULT
Duke: Two Blue Devils — RB Jacquez Moore and TE Jeremiah Hasley — left the game in the second quarter due to injuries. A third, LB Ozzie Nicholas, was escorted off the field by trainers in the third quarter. Hasley had to be carried off the field after apparently injuring his knee when Duke punted with 2:35 left in the first half.
Northwestern: The Wildcats need to iron out their mistakes and penalties, and that could start with Wright, who transferred from Mississippi State. “He needs to read the football better, take care of it and just operate within the framework of the offense,” Braun said.
Next
Duke: Hosts UConn on Saturday, September 14.
Northwestern: Hosts Eastern Illinois on Saturday, September 14.
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