It’s a good thing for Duke fans that the Blue Devils started and finished strong this season. Winning the final two games pulled out a bowl appearance for Duke, which had previously dropped six straight contests.
Joining Duke in the Quick Lane Bowl is a Northern Illinois team which overcame another heaping dose of adversity in 2017 to get back in the bowl picture.
The Huskies had been a regular . . .
As for recent adversities, ground zero for those have been at the quarterback position. Injuries again hit the spot this year when a total of four quarterbacks saw action. The Huskies used five in 2016.
Redshirt freshman Marcus Childers got the bulk of the action and will start against Duke. He is backed up by another Redshirt freshman – Anthony Thompson
Northern Illinois and Duke have never met in football, although Duke is 2-0 against Mid-American Conference teams.
Here’s more on the two teams:
► The Blue Devils opened with four straight wins, including victories over Northwestern, Baylor and North Carolina.
► Duke’s six game losing streak started with a loss at No. 14 Miami, 31-6. The only other loss in that stretch by more than seven points was a 24-3 setback at No. 14 Virginia Tech.
► The Blue Devils averaged 37 ppg while defeating Georgia Tech and Wake Forest to close the regular season.
► Duke is playing in its firt bowl game over the last six seasons. The Blue Devils have been in 13 bowl contests all-time and own a 4-8 record in those appearances.
► Redshirt sophomore quarterback Daniel Jones has completed 55.7 percent of his passes, totaling 2,439 yards with 12 TDs and 11 interceptions. Jones is one of three QBs in Duke history to post 20+ passing TDs and 10+ rushing scores. He is also one of two Blue Devils ever to pass for 300+ yards and rush for 100+ yards in a single game.
► Running back Shaun Wilson owns three of Duke’s 14 touchdowns through the air. Only one other player (Daniel Helm – 2) has more than one TD reception.
► Junior T.J. Rahming leads Duke receivers in catches (61) and yards (733). Jonathan Lloyd’s 37 receptions include a season-high nine against Miami.
► Wilson is the top rusher, carrying 146 times for 743 yards. He has five rushing TDs and three receiving scores and is second in the ACC in all-purpose yards.
Brittain Brown (117 carries, 660 yards and Daniel Jones (145 carries, 432 yards) both have a team-high six TDs.
► PlacekickerPunter Austin Parker was dismissed from the team in early December. Redshirt Senior William Holmquist is listed on the two-deep for both roles. He converted his only PAT attempt of the season.
► Duke has allowed 24 or fewer points in 10 of 12 contests.
► The Blue Devils established a school single-season record with four interception returns for touchdowns.
► Linebackere Joe Giles-Harris was First Team All-ACC and Second Team All American. He has 117 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception and one forced fumble.
► Cornerback Mark Gilbert owns sixinterceptions, including two in the regular season finale against Wake Forest.
► Five Blue Devils have at least 7.5 tackles for loss.
► Duke ranks high in a number of defensive categories. Nationally, it is 7th in defensive TDs scored (4), 12th in passing yards allowed per game (174.8 ypg), 16th in first downs allowed (199), 22nd in total defense (335.4 ypg), 24th in pass efficiency defense and 25th in scoring defense (20.75).
► The Blue Demons have recently been particularly stingy in the second half of their last four games. They surrendered just 13 total points in the third quarters and zero in the fourth period over that stretch.
► NIU is participating in its ninth bowl game in the last 10 years. Although it has played at Ford Field several times, this is the first Huskie appearance there in a bowl game. A victory would even Northern’s record in the facility at 4-4.
► A total of 17 players have pleayed in at least one bowl game.
► The Huskies rank in the Top 25 nationally in several defensive statistical categories: total defense (18), rushing defense (11), pass efficiency defense (25), and third down conversion percentage defense (6).
► A key player in the Northern defense is consensus All-American Sutton Smith. He leads the nation in team tackles for loss (8.8/game) and ranks second nationally in sacks per fame (3.4) with 41 on the year. He leads the FBS in quarterback sacks (14) and tackles for loss (28.5). He added to those accomplishments with two fumbles returned for touchdowns in 2017.
► Four Huskies earned First Team All Mid-American Conference honors in 2017 with Smith, tight end Shane Wimann, offensive tackle Max Scharping and cornerback Shawun Lurry all receiving the honor. A total of 10 Huskies were on one of the All-► Quarterback Marcus Childers earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors. He will be making his eighth career start. Since taking over early in the MAC opener against kent State, he has thrown for 1,440 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 454 yards and five scores.
► While Childers has the most carries (132) and rushing TDs (5), senior RB Jordan Huff owns the most yards (740 yards on 127 carries) and tallied four touchdowns.
► Northern has scored 17 rushing TDs and 24 passing touchdowns.
► Senior tight end Shane Wimann tops all Huskies with seven TDs. However, he has only one reception in each of the last three games and one TD during that stretch.
► Sophomore Spencer Tears tops the team in receptions (39) and receiving yards (461). He and Christian Blake (38 catches, 414 yards) have contributed four scores apiece. Chad Beebe is second in receptions (28) and receiving yards (414). Junior D.J. Brown is another quick target, adding 38 catches for 342 yards and three TDs.
► Kicker Christian Hagan was perfect on all 47 PATs during the regular season. He converted 9 of 16 field goals, including all six inside 30 yards. However, he was 3 of 10 beyond that. His long is 41 yards.
► A major turnaround for NIU this season has been the defense. That unit surrendered 9.5 less points per game over 2016. It also dropped 123.5 yards per game from the previous season.
► The Huskies have converted 13 of 21 turnovers into points (83). That is 50 points better than 2016.
► Nine defenders have accounted for NIU’s 15 interceptions. Linebacker Jawuan Johnson leads the group with five picks. Two of the five were returned for touchdowns.
► Northern leads the nation in tackles for loss, averaging 8.8 per game.
► The Huskies are tied for third in the country in defensive three-and-outs.