Duke senior Jamison Crowder has caught 78 passes this season. (Getty)
When you hear “Duke” and “postseason,” the words “Krzyzewski” and “basketball” immediately come to mind.
But make room, Cameron Crazies, there’s a new team in town. Yes, we’re talking about Duke football.
The perennial bottom-feeding Blue Devils (9-3, 5-3 ACC) are making their 3rd-straight postseason appearance when they face No. 15 Arizona State (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12) in Saturday’s Sun Bowl.
The Duke gridders, though, haven’t won a bowl game since 1961, so Coach K’s icon status in Durham is probably safe for the moment.
Still, the Blue Devil football program is on the upswing under head coach David Cutcliffe, who is 19-7 the past 2 seasons.
His challenge is a tough one as Arizona State has 4 wins over Top 25 teams and peaked at No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
The Basics
Who:
Duke (9-3) vs. Arizona State (9-3), Sun Bowl
When:
Saturday, 2 p.m. Eastern
Where:
Sun Bowl – El Paso, Texas
TV Info:
Channel: CBS
Announcers: Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analysis), Allie LaForce (sidelines)
Line:
Arizona State (-7.5). Line provided by bovada.lv
All-Time Series:
First meeting
Last Year’s Sun Bowl:
UCLA 42, Virginia Tech 12
Heavy’s Pick
Both teams were 8-1 on Nov. 8 and had the attention of the College Football Playoff committee, especially the Sun Devils. Well, 3 weeks later and both teams are 9-3 and on the outside looking in. El Paso, here we come!
Duke’s biggest weapon is receiver/returner Jamison Crowder, who has 78 receptions and 6 touchdowns, as well as another on a punt return. Cutcliffe is a smart, veteran offensive coach who knows how to keep defenses guessing. Fortunately for him, ASU doesn’t play much defense – the Sun Devils allow nearly 28 points per game.
Offense is Arizona State’s game. ASU puts up 37 points per game behind quarterback Taylor Kelly, who threw for 20 touchdowns despite missing 3 games with a foot injury. He’s healed and locked in, accounting for 15 TDs in the 6 games since his return. Running back D.J. Foster (1,002 yards, 9 TDs) and wide receiver Jaelen Strong (75 receptions, 1,062 yards, 10 TDs) were leaned on heavily all season and will be again against a Duke D which allows 400 yards, but only 20.6 points per game.
Duke hasn’t had a truly impressive win since a 31-25 victory over then-No. 22 Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Oct. 11. Arizona State has been a little more battle-tested and, despite a head-scratching loss to Oregon State, consistent.
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso, Duke’s bowl-win drought hits 53 years.
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Duke vs. Arizona State: Time, Channel, Line & Prediction