Northwestern has won three straight games at home, while Palmetto has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Bulls will welcome the Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Northwestern's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They blew past Key West 56-0. Given the Bulls' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked fourth, while the Conchs are ranked 211th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Northwestern's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Irwin James, who rushed for 72 yards and one touchdown on only ten carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Calvin Russell Jr., who picked up 63 receiving yards and one score.
Meanwhile, Palmetto blew past Homestead, posting a 40-0 win.
Northwestern better keep an eye on Varian Terry. He was instrumental in Palmetto's win, rushing for 153 yards and three TDs on only five carries. Those 153 rushing yards gave Terry a new career-high.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Palmetto proved: they limited Homestead to a paltry 2.2 yards per carry. While three picked up at least five total tackles, Denzley Balthazar stood above the rest. He picked up two sacks and made five total tackles (4.0 for loss). Palmetto didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 21.4.
Palmetto's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for four sacks. Balthazar was especially locked on to Homestead's QB and sacked him twice. Palmetto got some further help from Jaiden Henry: he picked up a sack, forced one fumble, and made five total tackles.
Palmetto's victory bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Northwestern, their win bumped their record up to an identical 6-1.
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Neiman Lawrence and Andre Bailey. Lawrence just won't slow down this season and has thrown 15 touchdowns while averaging 164.7 passing yards per game. Bailey has been a dominant force too and has thrown 20 touchdowns (and and only 4 pick) while averaging 192.7 passing yards per game.
Northwestern was able to grind out a solid victory over Palmetto when the teams last played back in November of 2020, winning 17-7. Do the Bulls have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
