Upcoming Event: Football versus Georgia Tech on October 18, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.
Football
vs Georgia Tech
Devils Meet Devils in El Paso
12/27/2014 7:00:00 AM | Football
EL PASO, Texas – After a 9-3 regular season, the Duke Blue Devils will wrap up the 2014 campaign by taking on the No. 15 Arizona State Sun Devils in the 81st Hyundai Sun Bowl Dec. 27. Saturday's matchup will be the first between the two schools on the gridiron.
The Sun Devils (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12) are in their third year under head coach Todd Graham, who was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2013 after a 10-4 season. With previous stops at Tulsa, Rice and Pitt, Graham brings a career head coaching record of 86-31 into this contest.
Arizona State brings a high-powered offense into this matchup, averaging 37.0 points and 446.5 yards per game in 2014. Quarterbacks Taylor Kelly and Mike Bercovici have combined to throw for 3,319 yards and 32 touchdowns to just nine interceptions. The duo spreads the ball around in the passing game, with three pass-catchers notching 40-plus receptions and 500-plus yards, but the top threat is Jaelen Strong, who leads the team in catches (75), receiving yards (1,062), and touchdown receptions (10).
D.J. Foster paces the rushing attack for the Sun Devils, netting 1,002 yards and nine scores on the ground while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Foster is also a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield, hauling in 59 passes for 646 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Leading Duke's defense, which is limiting opposing offenses to just 20.6 points per contest, are All-ACC linebacker David Helton and All-America safety Jeremy Cash. Helton leads the ACC with 10.42 tackles per game, while Cash is the only defensive back in the nation to record 100-plus tackles, 10.0-plus tackles for loss and 5.0-plus sacks in 2014.
A key to this game will be which unit can win the third down battle. Over the past four games, opponents have converted on just 13-of-54 attempts (.241) against the Blue Devil defense. The Sun Devil offense has earned first downs on 72-of-186 (.387) third downs over the course of the season.
Defensively, Damarious Randall does it all for the Sun Devils. The defensive back leads the team in tackles (101) and interceptions (3), while also recording 9.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. As a team, Arizona State has allowed 418.5 yards and 27.7 points per game.
A stat to watch in this contest will be the number of catches for Jamison Crowder. The senior wide receiver needs eight catches in his final collegiate game to set the ACC record for career receptions. Crowder is also 58 receiving yards shy of the 1,000-yard plateau and could join former Duke standout Clarkston Hines as the only players in conference history with three 1,000-yard seasons.
This weekend's game is Duke's 11th bowl game appearance and will mark the first time in program history that the Blue Devils will play in three consecutive postseason contests.
The Hyundai Sun Bowl will kick off at 2 p.m. (ET) and be televised on CBS.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
Coach Diaz Media Availability: Georgia Tech
Wednesday, October 15
Nate Sheppard Media Availability: Georgia Tech
Tuesday, October 14
Chandler Rivers Media Availability: Georgia Tech
Tuesday, October 14
Brian Parker II Media Availability: Georgia Tech
Tuesday, October 14
