Gunnar Holmberg, Florida International Football News: Draft Scout Player News

09/19/21 - QB Gunnar Holmberg, rSr/2023, Florida International

Duke scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and did all its scoring in the first half, then held off a Northwestern comeback to earn a 30-23 victory in a non-conference game Saturday afternoon. "I would like to stop doing what losing teams do," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "Losing teams turn the ball over. Losing teams have self-inflicted wounds. Losing teams give up explosive plays. Losing teams have communication issues. That's why you lose games. This is not hard. I'm not trying to discredit Duke, but we gift-wrapped it for them." The Blue Devils were efficient on both sides of the ball early on, scoring on six of their first eight possessions behind Gunnar Holmberg, who completed 31 of 44 passes for a career-high 314 yards and a touchdown. "Gunnar is playing pretty dang well. Gunnar wants to win, and Gunnar is a humble and an unselfish player," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. "He's a good thrower. But also, Northwestern did crowd the line of scrimmage. There's no reason to be hard-headed." Meanwhile, the Blue Devils' defense forced Northwestern (1-2) into a punt or a turnover on its first seven drives. The Wildcats didn't score until late in the second quarter, following a change at quarterback. Starter Hunter Johnson threw three interceptions and was relieved by Andrew Marty, who orchestrated a quick scoring drive that covered 75 yards in just six plays. - Duke/AP College Football

rSr/2023