Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Duke
Northwestern Topples Duke, 26-21
9/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept 14, 2002
NU-Duke Game Notes
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By NANCY ARMOUR
AP Sports Writer
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) - Brett Basanez threw for 245 yards and ran for two scores Saturday as Northwestern held off Duke 26-21 to win its first game of the season.
Jon Schweighardt had 104 yards receiving, including catches of 38 and 34 yards in the go-ahead drive, and Jason Wright rushed for 107 yards for the Wildcats (1-2).
Alex Wade rushed for a career-high 134 yards, but it wasn't enough to keep Duke from losing its 14th straight on the road. The Blue Devils (1-2), who snapped a 23-game overall losing streak by beating East Carolina in the season opener, haven't won on the road since Oct. 30, 1999.
Adam Smith appeared to win Duke's quarterback battle, going 13-of-26 for 188 yards and two scores. Chris Dapolito was 0-for-2, and he threw an interception that set up Northwestern's first touchdown.
Northwestern was at a disadvantage when it came to penalties. The Wildcats were called for a whopping 16 penalties, which tied a school record. That's twice as many as the Wildcats had in their first two games combined.
But led by Basanez, the Wildcats got it together when it counted. Trailing 21-13 with less than five minutes left in the third, Basanez found Kunle Patrick for the most impressive play of the day.
Basanez threw deep downfield, and Patrick outjumped three Duke defenders to grab the ball for a 22-yard gain. Ashton Aikens then scored on a reverse, going 32 yards untouched.
Northwestern went for the 2-point conversion, and Basanez hit Roger Jordan squarely in the numbers. But Jordan couldn't hold onto the ball and Duke held on to a 21-19 lead.
Two series later, with the ball at his own 14, Basanez got the Duke defense to bite on a pump-fake and found Schweighardt for a 38-yard completion, his longest of the day. He went back to Schweighardt on the next play, this time for a 34-yard gain that brought Northwestern to the Duke 14.
Four plays later, Basanez scored on a 1-yard keeper to put Northwestern ahead 26-21.
Duke has only one senior on its roster, compared with nine for Northwestern. But the Blue Devils controlled the game early, scoring on Chris Douglas' 8-yard run midway through the first quarter.
Ronnie Elliott swept around left end and scampered up the sidelines for a 51-yard gain to set up Duke's second score, Smith's 3-yard pass to Andy Roland.
Smith connected on a 32-yard scoring pass in the third quarter to give Duke a 21-13 lead. But the Blue Devils never threatened again, turning the ball over three times in the final 20 minutes.
