Riding a two-game win streak, David Cutcliffe and the Duke Blue Devils are set to take on the Northern Illinois Huskies in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit.
One of the streakiest teams in FBS during the 2017 regular season, Duke opened 4-0 before losing six straight games and putting its bowl hopes on life support. The Blue Devils needed wins over Georgia Tech and Wake Forest to avoid a second straight bowl-less winter, and as a result, come into the Quick Lane Bowl matchup with Northern Illinois riding momentum. Duke also got great news in early December when head coach David Cutcliffe rebuffed advances from Tennessee to stay in Durham.
The Huskies are also back in a bowl game after missing the postseason in 2016. NIU posted an 8-4 record in the regular season, but finished with two losses in its last three games, missing an opportunity to play in the MAC Championship Game. Nevertheless, Northern Illinois led the MAC in both total defense (328.0 total yards allowed per game), which ranked No. 18 in the country during the regular season, and scoring defense (20.8 points allowed per game).
Rod Carey’s Huskies benefitted from one of the top pass rushes in the country, ranking No. 5 nationally with 41.0 sacks. Sophomore defensive end Sutton Smith tied for the FBS lead with 14.0 sacks during the regular season.
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Duke vs. Northern Illinois
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017
- Start time: 5:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Detroit, MI
- Stadium: Ford Field
- TV Info: ESPN
- Live Stream: Watch ESPN, ESPN App
According to Odds Shark, Duke opened as a 2.5-point favorite, but is currently listed as a 5.5-point favorite to win. Led by star sophomore linebacker Joe Giles-Harris, the Blue Devils held opponents to 20.8 points per game and 335.4 yards of total offense per game, both of which ranked in the top 25 of FBS defenses during the regular season.