Arizona State Sun Devils vs Duke Blue Devils Match Player Stats On Dec 27, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 27, 2014

No. 16 Arizona State 36, Duke 31: Freshman Demario Richard scored four touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 4:45 to play, as the Sun Devils held on to win the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

Kalen Ballage’s 96-yard kickoff return set up Richard’s game-winning 4-yard touchdown reception for Arizona State (10-3), which blew a 17-point advantage before surviving to record back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 1970-73. Taylor Kelly finished 24-of-34 for 240 yards and two touchdowns, Richard rushed for two touchdowns and caught a pair of scoring passes, and Jaelen Strong hauled in seven passes for 103 yards.

Shaquille Powell rushed 29 times for 117 yards for Duke (9-4), which has lost five straight bowl games since winning the 1961 Cotton Bowl. Jamison Crowder returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown and added a fourth-quarter TD pass that gave the Blue Devils a short-lived lead, and Anthony Boone completed 15-of-31 for 193 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted by Kweishi Brown in the end zone with 45 seconds remaining.

After Richard's touchdown runs of 9 yards and 1 yard and two Zane Gonzalez field goals staked the Sun Devils to a 20-3 advantage midway through the second quarter, Boone hit Powell from 14 yards out and Crowder’s weaving 68-yard return brought the Blue Devils within 20-17 with 1:49 left before intermission. Kelly found Richard for an 11-yard touchdown and a 10-point lead with 11:08 left in the third, and Gonzalez booted a 47-yarder late in the third to extend the advantage to 30-17.

The Blue Devils drew within 30-24 with 10:10 left as Boone capped a 15-play march with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Johnell Barnes, and after stopping Arizona State on fourth-and-1 at the Duke 39, the Blue Devils converted a fake punt pass from Will Monday to Barnes and saw an Arizona State interception overturned. Crowder’s left-handed lob pass to Issac Blakeney capped the march and gave Duke a 31-30 lead with 5:03 to play, but Ballage returned the kickoff 96 yards down the right sideline to set up Richard’s game-winning reception and Brown snared Boone’s pass for Crowder in the corner of the end zone.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Richard had scored only four touchdowns (two rushing, two receiving) entering the game. … Crowder’s punt return was the fourth of his career, setting a school record. … Boone started 3-of-9 for 15 yards.