Here are three things we learned from the Miami (Ohio) game, two questions we have moving forward and one bold prediction about the future as the Wildcats prepare to host Duke under the lights on Friday night.

1. Next men up led the way on defense.

Saturday was a day full of new roles on the defensive side of the ball for Northwestern. Evan Smith and Braden Turner made their first career starts. Robert Fitzgerald stepped in for a cramping Coco Azema in the game's critical moments. Mac Uihlein took over at middle linebacker. Tim McGarigle called plays as Northwestern's defensive coordinator for the first time. Despite all that change and newness, the Cats' defense looked as good as it ever has on Saturday against Miami (Ohio).

With starting corner Ore Adeyi out injured, Smith stepped into the role as the Wildcats' corner opposite lead starter Theran Johnson. The last time Smith started a game, he was playing quarterback for Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, Ala. Smith hardly looked like a first-time starter against the RedHawks. The redshirt sophomore made four tackles, deflected a pass and made a diving interception early in the fourth quarter to crush a promising Miami drive. Smith credited his history as a quarterback with helping him make the position switch so smoothly.

"Absolutely, recognition of plays and formations [helped the transition]," Smith said. "Little things I can pick up from that transition and then I had to put the work in."

Joining Smith as a first-time starter in the secondary was Turner, a fellow Alabama native. Turner took over for the departed Rod Heard II at nickel back and was all over the field for the Wildcat defense. Turner was tied for second on the team with five tackles, including a sterling one-on-one stop in the open field to force a Miami three-and-out in the second quarter.

If that wasn't enough inexperience in the secondary, as Miami embarked on their final drive to attempt to tie the game, sixth-year senior and two-time captain Coco Azema was dealing with cramps after a 34-yard kickoff return and had to be replaced by Fitzgerald at safety. All Fitzgerald did was pick off Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert with 57 seconds left to seal the win.

It wasn't just the secondary where the next men up shone brightly for Northwestern. A current and former linebacker showed they can not only handle expanded roles, they can excel in them. After three years of Bryce Gallagher being the man in the middle on defense, Uihlein stepped into the middle linebacker role and finished with five tackles, including a pair of sacks. It's been a long time coming for the top-ranked recruit in Illinois, but Uihlein took the job and ran with it.

Coaching all these guys up was Northwestern's all-time leading tackler, McGarigle. In his debut as the defensive play caller, McGarigle's unit held the reigning MAC champions to 267 total yards, only 40 of which came on the ground as the RedHawks managed just 1.7 yards per carry. In addition to Smith and Fitzgerald's picks, Northwestern got home to Gabbert four times for sacks.

With all the change on defense for Northwestern it would have been understandable for the unit to struggle against an experienced team coming off an 11-win campaign. Instead, the Wildcat defense dominated from start to finish, held the RedHawks to just a pair of field goals and carried Northwestern to a 1-0 start to 2024. As all the new faces in new places settle in, the 2024 Wildcat defense has the chance to find themselves in rarified air by season's end.

2. The offense has work to do.

On the other side of the ball, Northwestern's offense looked like a group playing together for the first time. Three newcomers were at the heart of every snap on offense: offensive coordinator Zach Lujan, quarterback Mike Wright and center Jack Bailey.

The feeling-out process for the offense was evident in the first half. Northwestern had plays go for losses of four, six and four yards, respectively, in the first half to kill drives. On top of that, Wright and Bailey had trouble with the snap three times, twice ending with Miami jumping on the loose ball. One came inside the Miami one-yard line, costing the Cats what would have been crucial points going into the half.

The second half showed slight improvement as Northwestern did a better job of getting out of their own way. The Wildcats' opening drive of the second half ended in the end zone after a 13-yard scramble from Wright. Their next drive was punctuated with a 38-yard field goal from Jack Olsen to go up two scores. Northwestern couldn't add any more to the scoreboard, but their final drive nearly iced the game before Olsen hooked a 45-yard try, the same distance from where he'd hit his first attempt.

It's hard to take a ton of positives from a sloppy day that featured two turnovers and only 13 points, but Northwestern can try to build on the notion that they stopped themselves more than Miami did. Negative plays, penalties and snap snafus killed drive after drive for Northwestern. The Wildcats only went three-and-out once, fittingly on a drive that featured a holding penalty.

If Northwestern can eliminate the self-inflicted wounds, there were signs that the offense can put up points. Wright's dual-threat ability set the tone for a balanced attack that gained 178 yards via the air and 150 on the ground. Bryce Kirtz and Frank Covey IV were able to consistently create separation and give Wright reliable targets. The offensive line held up well in pass protection, allowing zero sacks. Northwestern was their own worst enemy on Saturday offensively, but as Lujan, Wright and Bailey settle in, the flashes of moving the ball they showed on Saturday can become the norm.

3. Northwestern followed a familiar script against a new backdrop.

Northwestern debuted Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Field and its breathtaking views on Saturday, but once the ball was kicked off it was a very familiar feeling for Northwestern. Mistakes piled up for an offense that couldn't get much going, but a dominant defense kept Northwestern in the game. The Cats then had a chance to put the game on ice with a late field goal from Olsen, but the Cats couldn't quite put it away and the field goal was wide left. It all came down to the defense needing to get one more stop on a hot August afternoon, a story Northwestern fans have seen play out time and time again. The defense delivered and the celebration continued after a summer of hard work to turn the lakefront stadium into a reality.

It's hard to call Saturday anything but a resounding success. Head coach David Braun called the experience "awesome, unique, ours." A sellout crowd watched the Cats grind out a win in front of arguably the most picturesque backdrop in college football. That's something everyone in Evanston could get used to.

1. How deep is Northwestern's defensive line?

With Richie Hagarty out for the season and Carmine Bastone sidelined for the opener, Northwestern was down two of their four starters from 2023 up front. That proved to be no problem as the Cats tallied four sacks and held the RedHawks to 1.7 yards per carry on the ground.

Christian Smith's unit flashed their depth all day long. 2023 sack leader Aidan Hubbard took Hagarty’s spot opposite Jaylen Pate at end, and Najee Story lined up alongside RJ Pearson in the middle. Story made the most of the starting opportunity, notching one of NU's sacks. Redshirt freshman Tyler Gant chipped in as well, and sophomore Michael Kilbane played inside at tackle most of the game.

On the edge, Anto Saka picked up right where he left off, wreaking havoc in the backfield all game long and completely overwhelming Miami's tackles on passing downs. Linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. reprised his role as a speed rusher and shared a sack with Saka. Sean McLaughlin mixed in on running downs and veteran Jaiden Cameron saw the most action of his career, knocking a pass down at the line to help set up Smith's interception.

Just as he did last year, Smith showcased his ability to get the entire defensive line room ready to go every week. When Bastone returns, Smith will have at least 11 defensive linemen he feels comfortable playing at his disposal. That depth will be critical as Northwestern gears up for Big Ten play.

2. Is the offensive line for real?

In 2023, whoever was behind center for Northwestern left almost every game battered and bruised as the Cats allowed the second most sacks of any power conference team. On top of that, the running backs were left with little to no room, with NU averaging only 105.7 yards per game on the ground. Against Miami, Wright was sacked zero times and Northwestern was able to pick up 150 yards on the ground. It was an impressive turnaround for the group up front in their first game under new offensive line coach Bill O'Boyle, and using just one transfer with Bailey coming in from Colorado.

Wright's elusiveness and ability to get the ball out on time will help keep the sack numbers down this year, but he was almost never under duress against the RedHawks. A Duke team led by Manny Diaz that totaled eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss in their week one win over Elon will pose a test on Friday night and give the new look offensive line a chance to prove their mettle.

Bryce Kirtz will top 1,000 receiving yards in 2024.

Northwestern hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Austin Carr in 2016. That will change in 2024.

After his first four years in Evanston were marred by injury, Kirtz finally got a chance to show what he could do when healthy in 2023, making 49 catches for 701 yards and five scores. He picked up right where he left off in the 2024 season opener. Kirtz was open all game long, making six catches for 91 yards.

He nearly found the end zone after beating his man on a fade route early in the fourth quarter but Wright's throw was just out of reach. Kirtz has clearly established himself as Wright's go-to guy and was able to consistently get free and make himself available for his quarterback.

Northwestern will lean heavily on their sixth-year senior and captain to help the offense get going with a new coordinator and quarterback. Kirtz will continue to be a consistent option for Wright en route to becoming the first Cats receiver to go above 1,000 yards in nearly a decade.