Jeremy Cash to miss Pinstripe Bowl after undergoing wrist surgery

Duke redshirt senior safety Jeremy Cash underwent wrist surgery and will not play in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against Indiana, the program announced Wednesday.

“We’re all certainly disappointed for Jeremy, especially in the sense that he’ll miss being on the field with his teammates for his final game in a Duke uniform,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said in a press release. “It’s really just so unfortunate because of the type of competitor, teammate and leader he is for our program. Jeremy’s incredible collegiate career should not have ended in Winston-Salem, but it did. As with every young man in our locker room, his health is what is most important. Going forward, we must continue our preparation for Indiana, and I know our team—and especially our defense—will embrace the challenge."

Cash, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-American selection by most outlets, is the key cog in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' defense, registering more than 100 tackles for three straight seasons. His 101 tackles this season ranked second on the team, and his team-leading 18 tackles for loss were more than twice as many as the next Blue Devil defender.

Cash also forced three fumbles and recovered one, helping Duke generate turnovers near the line of scrimmage. His 16 forced fumbles are the most in program history.

Redshirt junior Corbin McCarthy will slide into Cash's role as the strike safety in the Blue Devil secondary. McCarthy started in Duke's regular season finale against Wake Forest while Cash served a first-half suspension following an ejection for targeting Nov. 21 against Virginia. McCarthy has totaled 11 tackles this season with one interception.

Duke's defense must quickly figure out how to play without Cash for a full 60 minutes. The Hoosiers scored 36.1 points per game during the regular season and found success through the air against Big Ten defenses. The Blue Devils struggled to defend the passing game in the last half of ACC play, surrendering 66 points to North Carolina and 42 points to Virginia as quarterbacks Marquise Williams and Matt Johns had big days, respectively.