New Era Pinstripe Bowl 2015: Preview, Predictions for Duke vs. Indiana
They've already battled on the hardwood in the young college basketball season, but Duke and Indiana will face off on the gridiron to cap off successful seasons in the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
The Blue Devils were passed over for the Big Apple's only bowl last season, but their exciting brand of football and national fanbase couldn't be denied this time around. Even amid a tough late-season slide that dropped them to 7-5, Duke's program is still on an upward trajectory and suddenly becoming bowl-season regulars.
Indiana's season was much more wacky. The Hoosiers started a sparkling 4-0 before a close loss to Ohio State in early October started a six-game losing streak. Head coach Kevin Wilson's squad got it together with two wins to end the season and become bowl eligible at 6-6.
The day after Christmas may be reserved for returning unwanted gifts, but there's no better way to spend it than in front of the television watching the ACC and Big Ten duke it out in Yankee Stadium.
Date: Saturday, December 26
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Place: Yankee Stadium, New York
TV: ABC
Keys to Victory for Duke
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Find Some Motivation
Who would've thought just a few years ago that the Duke football program could be discouraged with a bowl bid? When it comes down to it, Blue Devils fans had their sights set on a New Year's Eve bowl at the very least before the debacle against Miami began a tailspin.
Duke has shown again this season that it can stand toe-to-toe with good programs, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Blue Devils played down to a 6-6 Indiana team that barely sneaked its way into bowl eligibility. Head coach David Cutcliffe shouldn't have any problem getting his troops ready to go, but it may be tougher to do that than in years past.
Get Both Rushing Threats Going Early
Like many great rushing teams in college football, Duke gets it done on the ground with a deceptive quarterback-running back duo. Quarterback Thomas Sirk leads the team in rushing with 648 yards, but running back Shaquille Powell isn't far behind at 534 yards.
Whether it's establishing the read-option, executing some designed quarterback runs or just feeding Powell early on, finding their identity on the ground will be imperative against the physical Big Ten defense of Indiana.
Rediscover Early-Season Defense
Some of it had to do with playing inferior offenses, but Duke's defense was incredibly stout early in the season. The unit allowed less than 10 points per game through the opening five games.
The Blue Devils have struggled mightily ever since, allowing 66 to North Carolina and giving up 30 or more points in five of their last six games. The Hoosiers offense is dynamic enough to hang that type of total on Duke if it isn't careful.
Keys to Victory for Indiana
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Keep the Offensive Mojo Going
It's no secret that an explosive offense has been the key for Indiana all season. Unlike most of their Big Ten counterparts, the Hoosiers put up points at a feverish pace and hope that their defense can keep up.
Indiana has put up 26 or more points in all but one game this season, and hung a total of 101 points on its final two opponents to become bowl-eligible. As previously stated, Duke's defense has struggled late in the season and will have its hands full in this one.
Ride the Momentum
No team in college football has endured more ups and downs during the 2015 season than the Hoosiers. They started out 4-0, lost six straight and found a way to win two tough conference games down the stretch to become bowl-eligible.
Fortunately for them, the momentum is trending upward as they take that two-game win streak into their first bowl appearance in seven years. Aside from a few transfers, no player on the roster has been able to play in a bowl game.
Whether that unfamiliarity breeds nervous jitters or excitable play will likely decide how they fare in New York.
Players to Watch for Duke
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Thomas Sirk
Sirk's ability to gash defenses in multiple ways is the identity of Duke's offense, and provides the versatility that the Blue Devils have benefited from all season. He hasn't scored a lot (21 total touchdowns), but Sirk protects the ball and makes the right decisions to keep drives going.
Given the current state of Duke's defense and Indiana's offense, Sirk will need to have a big day in order to keep the Blue Devils in this game.
Max McCaffrey
He's not the McCaffrey that has college football buzzing this season—that guy plays for Stanford—but wide receiver Max McCaffrey has been the X-factor for Duke's offense all season.
With 48 catches for 601 yards and five touchdowns, he leads the Blue Devils in every major receiving category. Indiana's defense will be sure to focus on stopping the multifaceted rushing attack first and foremost, meaning McCaffrey will have one-on-one opportunities galore on the outside.
Carlos Wray
Although Duke's defense has struggled mightily late in the season, a sometimes-stout defensive line has been the difference in games that the Blue Devils do stand out on defense. The lone returning starter up front is often the No. 1 reason why.
Defensive tackle Carlos Wray often assumes multiple blockers and opens up opportunities for linebackers and second-level players to get into the backfield. Against Indiana's potent offense, that will be a big key.
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Players to Watch for Indiana
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Nate Sudfeld
The quarterback's ability to both go deep and sustain drives has taken the Indiana offense to the next level late in the season. Nate Sudfeld has 24 touchdowns to just five interceptions, throwing for a whopping 3,184 yards on the season.
If there's one area that Duke's defense struggles in more than anything else, it's in the passing game. That means Sudfeld will need to make some plays down the field and find his receivers in tight coverage.
Jordan Howard
Despite the prowess of Sudfeld, there's no denying that Jordan Howard is the bell cow of this Indiana offense. Receiving first-team all Big Ten honors only further justifies that statement for the workhorse back.
Howard showed with a 200-plus-yard performance against the stout Michigan defense that he can get it done against burly fronts. Duke certainly has that, and Howard will have to be ready to shake off hits and get yards after contact.
Ricky Jones
He's just one of three Indiana receivers with 46 or more receptions on the year, but Ricky Jones is the top big-play threat for Indiana. He's only surpassed five catches in a game twice in 2015, but goes for an impressive 16.3 yards per catch.
Jones has shown he can go long and make defenses pay, catching a 71-yard touchdown against Southern Illinois earlier this season. Duke will have to prepare for a number of different deep-ball threats, but Jones is chief among them.
What They're Saying
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Uncharted Territory
Playing football past the end of November is something very few players in Indiana's program know anything about. Although you have to go all the way back to 1991 to find the Hoosiers' last bowl triumph, they haven't made the postseason at all since 2007.
“Knowing our program’s history and our lack of going to the postseason—going twice in the last 21 years—we are very proud and honored to be that class that was able to get us over the hump,” Sudfeld told ESPN.com's Josh Moyer. “And I believe, for this program, this is just the starting point.”
Going Out With A Bang
On the flip side of that token, Duke's program is getting awfully comfortable in these types of games. Cutcliffe noted in the team's bowl press release how his senior class in 2015 will be going to their fourth straight bowl game—quite the accomplishment considering the Blue Devils' history before Cutcliffe arrived:
"Playing in our fourth consecutive bowl game means a great deal to our past, present and future Blue Devils. This senior class is obviously a special one, and I could not be happier for a group of young men that has accomplished what no other class has done in the history of Duke Football with the four straight bowl game appearances.
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Wait, Can You Repeat That?
Playing a college football game in Yankee Stadium is odd enough, but having two storied basketball powerhouses not known for their gridiron prowess in it is even weirder. Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer summed that up perfectly.
"Duke-Indiana in Yankee Stadium is the bowl that somehow opens up a wormhole to another world and time," Kramer tweeted.
Prediction
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This isn't your older sibling's Duke football program; instead, it's one that has proved capable of going toe-to-toe against top teams and playing up to stiff competition. But so often in these bowl games, it comes down to which team is more confident of late and more excited to be there.
It's no secret which team holds that advantage. Indiana's postseason fate looked doomed to another holiday season without football up until a few weeks ago, when everything seemed to click and the Hoosiers showed they can get over the hump.
With Howard, one of the best backs in college football, toting the rock and opening things up for Sudfeld against a struggling Duke pass defense, the Hoosiers will put up points all game long. Duke's offense can do the same for stretches, but tends to force the issue too often when its defense isn't holding up.
That will result in Indiana taking control of the game late in a high-scoring affair and winning their first bowl game in more than 20 years.
Prediction: Indiana 38, Duke 27
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