The 1997 Sun Bowl Trophy sits on display at Kajikawa practice field on Dec. 20. ASU plays Duke in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 27. (Photo by Fabian Ardaya).As the bowl season is underway, The State Press looked to get a scouting report on ASU's Sun Bowl opponent, Duke. We asked The Chronicle, Duke's official student newspaper, for its thoughts heading into El Paso.
Sports editor Nick Martin spoke with us, giving us his thoughts on a Duke squad that may be more similar to ASU than some may think. Plus, he gave a prediction on Saturday's big game.
Here are The Chronicle's answers:
The State Press: Both ASU and Duke had disappointing finishes during the 2013 bowl season, with ASU falling to Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl and Duke losing a big lead against Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M. How does Duke prevent that from happening again in 2014?
The Chronicle: Duke has to keep from turning the ball over. The Blue Devils have turned the ball over only 13 times this year. In all of its losses, Duke has been careless with the ball, as it committed three turnovers against Miami, three against Virginia Tech and three against North Carolina to make up for nearly 70 percent of the season's turnovers in just three games. Quarterback Anthony Boone has to play mistake-free football in the fourth quarter — which he has shown he is capable of—and the defense will have to do everything in its power to not fall behind early like it did against the Tar Heels. If the Blue Devils can stick around until the final 15 minutes of play, they have proven they can get the job done late.
SP: Duke has only played one team that finished the regular season with a winning record (Georgia Tech). Despite winning that game, how much do you think that the prior strength of schedule will play a factor in the Sun Bowl?
TC: I think this is a conversation being had about most ACC teams—just look at Florida State. Ultimately, I do not think it matters a whole bunch, as this core of Blue Devils have faced enough talented teams in the past two, three years that they know how to play against a talented squad.
SP: The Pac-12 has a lot of different styles when it comes to the quarterback position, as ASU had to adapt to each individual one. As the Sun Devils look at tape of Anthony Boone, what will they see and what should they expect come Saturday?
TC: He's a very interesting guy to prepare for. He is a mobile quarterback in the sense that he can get 5-10 yards when he needs to, but he's not going to be someone you work your entire gameplan around based on his legs. He has a big arm and has arguably one of the best receivers in the ACC in Jamison Crowder — think Steve Smith — who can burn past the secondary and make a play on most every ball thrown his way. Now, with all that upside, there is downside that comes with Boone. He has not always been the most clutch of performers and can sometimes have off-days. And it is rare that he comes out an off-performance. If he's off, he's off. But I will say, as frustrating as I'm sure he is to watch at times, he still will go down as one of the greatest winners at the position in Duke history, so no matter what, he is someone who knows how to work Cutcliffe's offense and can get the job done on any given day.
SP: ASU coach Todd Graham is an aggressive defensive play caller, often dialing up blitzes to generate turnovers. How do you think Duke's offensive line will hold up, and can the Blue Devils get the explosive plays necessary to make ASU's defense pay?
TC: The Blue Devil offensive line has been outstanding this year, allowing only 1.08 sacks per game, good for 11th in the nation. They are bolstered by guard Laken Tomlinson, a first-team All-American who seems to be well on his way to being a first-round draft pick in the upcoming draft. As for the explosiveness, Duke has playmakers in Jamison Crowder and athletic freak Issac Blakeney—he's 6-foot-6, 225 pounds and ran on Duke track's 4-x-100 relay last spring—and the only question will be whether or not the Sun Devils can get to Boone before he gets the ball out.
SP: Redshirt junior wide receiver Jaelen Strong recently declared for the NFL draft, and has been widely regarded as one of the best wideouts in the country. Who's going to matchup against him to try to shut him down?
TC: So unlike some defenses, Duke does not have a No. 1, shutdown corner. They line up based off which side 'has the field' and which side 'has the sideline.' So Strong will go up against the entire secondary in Breon Borders, Bryon Fields, DeVon Edwards, Jeremy Cash and Deondre Singleton. Cash is probably the only guy in the group who can match up with Strong's size, but he will also be focused on slowing down the Sun Devil rushing attack, so Strong could have some favorable matchups against the smaller Duke defensive backs.
SP: ASU redshirt senior quarterback Taylor Kelly is expected to start Saturday's game, but Graham has shown before that he is willing to bring in backup Mike Bercovici if Kelly isn't performing (something he did in the Territorial Cup this season). How will the defense prepare for having to potentially face two different quarterbacks?
TC: If there is any team that is ready for a two-quarterback system, it's Duke. Last year, the Blue Devils ran their offense with Boone as the everydown QB and would bring in Brandon 'The Phantom' Connette on short-yardage situations. Connette transferred to Fresno State this season for personal reasons, but Thomas 'The Menace' Sirk has stepped in his place. I'm not big on nicknames, but I do like to include those two. Anyways, Sirk is pretty much a faster version of Connette and has been money for the Blue Devils near the goalline and on third/fourth-and-shorts. So as much as Duke has worked with two quarterbacks in the past, I don't think they will have any issues there.
SP: What is coach Cutcliffe looking at the make a difference Saturday? Who on Duke's roster can be a game-breaker?
TC: I think special teams can make a big difference Saturday. Look to DeVon Edwards as the kickoff returner and Jamison Crowder as the punt returner to both have big impacts in this game. With both offense being as potent as they are, field position will be key in this one, so I think those two guys as specialists—and from their offensive and defensive positions—will be 'game breakers.'
SP: What has been Duke's biggest weakness that has held them back this year?
TC: As I was saying earlier, turnovers have plagued the Blue Devils in all three of their losses. If it can play mistake-free football, Duke will have a shot in any game.
SP: What is your prediction for the Sun Bowl?
TC: 35-28 Duke.
Reach the assistant sports editor at fardaya@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 on Twitter
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepresssport on Twitter
