After nine days off, Northwestern football is back, and on its home turf at Ryan Field for the first game action of 2018. Its opponent is a familiar one, the Duke Blue Devils, the same program that dominated the Wildcats last season in Durham.

Both teams return a lot of talent from that game, but both come in with things to prove. For Northwestern, there’s the obvious: getting redemption from last season’s blowout loss, and continuing its momentum after a close Week 1 win. For Duke, a poor end to last season left a sour taste after a strong start, and those within the team feel they should’ve finished better.

On the surface, an 11 a.m. kickoff at Ryan Field when most students aren’t even on campus sounds dreary, but there should be a decent crowd for the home-opener. This will be an important game for both teams to build momentum heading into conference play (even though NU is technically already into its conference schedule) and position themselves come bowl season. Without further ado, here’s what you need to know:

Preview links

-Three key matchups to keep an eye on Saturday

-Here’s the two-deep depth chart, notes from the team’s weekly press conference and the team’s uniforms for the week

-Here are three things to know about Duke

-Here’s a bigger picture look at what the game means, especially after last season’s game

-Here’s a film breakdown of the Northwestern’s struggles against Duke last season, and why last week’s Purdue game may be a good sign

-Here’s the injury report for this week

-Picks, picks, picks. Check out how our staffers see the game playing out

-Here are three reasons why Northwestern will beat Duke...and three reasons why it won’t

Broadcast Information

Game Time: 11 a.m. CT

TV: ESPNU

Radio: WGN Radio AM-720

Online: WatchESPN

Mobile: WatchESPN app

Betting Line: Northwestern -3, over/under 47