Sun Bowl 2014: Preview, Predictions for Duke vs. Arizona State
Arizona State will play Duke in the 81st annual Hyundai Sun Bowl.
Sun Devils head coach Todd Graham led his Sun Devils to an impressive 9-3 mark this season. Arizona State defeated four ranked opponents in a five-game stretch, and it was once in the discussion for the College Football Playoff.
The Blue Devils also finished 9-3 in the regular season under head coach David Cutcliffe. With a win, Duke will have won 10 games in back-to-back seasons.
Here is a preview of this Pac 12-ACC clash.
What You Need to Know
Date: December 27, 2014
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Place: Sun Bowl Stadium; El Paso, Texas
TV: CBS
Tale of the Tape
1 of 7Turnovers are the one statistic that stands out above the rest.
Arizona State has lived off its opponents' errors this season. The Sun Devils' 25 takeaways are tied for second in the Pac 12. Duke's 21 takeaways are not too shabby either—good for the seventh most in the ACC.
The team that wins the turnover battle will likely win the game.
Duke's Keys to Victory
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Trust Boone
Duke quarterback Anthony Boone played the best game of his career in last year's Chick-fil-A Bowl against Texas A&M. Boone tossed a career-high 427 yards and three touchdowns. He completed big throws under pressure to keep the chains moving.
Boone also made one of his worst mistakes against the Aggies, throwing a pick-six to Toney Hurd Jr. that ultimately was the difference. He will want to atone for that mistake against Arizona State.
Duke is not a great running team. Cutcliffe must allow Boone to throw it often against a spotty Arizona State secondary.
Tackle Well
It is rare for a defense to have three players with over 100 tackles. Duke has that with David Helton, DeVon Edwards and Jeremy Cash.
Helton, Edwards and Cash will need to be on top of their game against Arizona State. The Sun Devils have playmakers all over the field, led by Jaelen Strong and D.J. Foster.
If Arizona State can consistently break tackles and turn small gains into large ones, Duke will lose.
Arizona State's Keys to Victory
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Find a Quarterback
Arizona State has a quarterback controversy.
The Sun Devils were struggling against Arizona in the Territorial Cup in their final regular-season game. Head coach Todd Graham decided to replace senior quarterback Taylor Kelly with redshirt junior Mike Bercovici.
Bercovici accumulated 123 yards and two touchdowns against the Wildcats. Kelly wasn't too shabby either, as he tossed 144 yards and two touchdowns.
Graham will likely start Kelly, as it will be his last game in a Sun Devils uniform. But do not be surprised if Bercovici sees some snaps.
Play Sound Defensively
Cutcliffe is dangerous with time to prepare. His undermatched Blue Devils gave Texas A&M all it could handle in the Chick-fil-A Bowl last season, as they racked up 48 points in a loss.
Arizona State was a middle-of-the-road defense in the Pac 12. Graham cannot allow Boone to carve it up for big plays.
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Duke Players to Watch
4 of 7Jamison Crowder
Duke receiver Jamison Crowder is one of the most dangerous weapons in the country.
Crowder's led the team in receptions (78) and yards (942). He also serves as the punt returner, where he averages over 10 yards a return. His fourth-quarter return for a touchdown against Syracuse was one of Duke's shining moments this season.
Arizona State must force someone else outside of Crowder to beat it.
Jeremy Cash
Duke's most complete defensive player is safety Jeremy Cash.
Cash's numbers jump off the page. The redshirt junior has raked in 103 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles.
Cash and the Blue Devils defense have seen a wide variety of talent at running back in the ACC this year. They will need to use it when defending Arizona State's weapons on offense.
Arizona State Players to Watch
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D.J. Foster
Running back D.J. Foster can do a little bit of everything.
Foster cracked 1,000 yards rushing on the season in the Sun Devils' loss to Arizona. His true value, though, is in the passing game, where his 646 receiving yards are tied for second among running backs in the Pac 12.
Duke has allowed just under 200 rushing yards per game, which is 13th in the ACC. Expect Graham to exploit that with Foster up the middle.
Marcus Hardison
The key to stopping Duke's passing attack will be getting after the quarterback. Nobody does that better for Arizona State than defensive end Marcus Hardison.
Hardison was one of six players in the Pac 12 to have at least 10 sacks. He will need to be disruptive against Cutcliffe's potent passing attack.
What They Are Saying
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Cutcliffe is ecstatic his team was selected for the Sun Bowl, per Duke Sports Information:
"The tradition of the Sun Bowl is well documented, and it is exciting to become a part of that prestigious history. Obviously, I could not be any more thrilled for our seniors, who together become the first class in Duke history to play in three bowl games. That means a lot, and it should. This group has earned this. Winning 25 games in three seasons and 19 games over the past two seasons hasn’t been easy.
"
Graham used his Twitter account to share his jubilation:
"Fired up & focused to go get our 10th Win in the Sun Bowl. Going for back to back 10 win seasons ! Go Devils!!
— Todd Graham (@CoachGrahamASU) December 8, 2014"
Prediction
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Arizona State has more talent, but it is hard to tell which team will show up.
The Sun Devils have limped to the finish in 2014, losing two of their last three. They had a sloppy closing act last season as well, which included a beatdown in the Holiday Bowl from Texas Tech. Graham must avoid another letdown in a big spot.
Duke has also lost two of its last three. The Blue Devils lost the turnover battle in both losses and have seen Boone toss four interceptions in the past three games.
The Blue Devils looked awful in late November. The 17-16 home defeat to Virginia Tech followed by a 45-20 beatdown against North Carolina in a rivalry game was embarrassing.
Cutcliffe has proved to be one of the most talented coaches in college football. He can be dangerous with time to prepare.
With that said, Graham has more talent on both sides of the ball. The Sun Devils will pull away in the second half behind a 150-yard performance from Foster.
Score: Arizona State 37, Duke 27
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