Jamison Crowder is Duke football's sparkplug

Following a quiet breakout season in 2012, junior wide receiver Jamison Crowder was tasked with replacing the ACC's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards and becoming the focal point of Duke's offense.

He has stepped up to the challenge.

Racking up 279 all-purpose yards last week in a 58-55 loss against Pittsburgh, the speedy 5-foot-9 receiver continues to take his game to new heights in the absence of the recently-graduated Conner Vernon.

"Real proud of what Jamison is doing. Where Jamison gets it done is in practice," head coach David Cutcliffe said. "If you watch Jamison Crowder's practice habits, you start to understand why he can do what he does on game day."

Crowder's versatility has been one of Duke's greatest assets this season. The wide receiver scored three times, three different ways in the second quarter of last Saturday's loss to the Panthers, becoming the first Blue Devil to score a touchdown receiving, rushing and returning since Scottie Montgomery in 1999.

With his team trailing 27-7, Crowder singlehandedly clawed the Blue Devils back into the game, catching a 62-yard pass from Brandon Connette, taking a carry out of the backfield for a 7-yard score and capping things off with an electrifying 82-yard punt return. Crowder's heroics sent Duke into halftime trailing by just two points. He would finish with seven receptions for 141 yards on the afternoon.

"Most college football players don't have the option of playing with someone like that," redshirt junior quarterback Brandon Connette said. "He's a special football player."

Versatility has been Crowder's game since the time he was a standout performer at Monroe High School. He was never the biggest or strongest player on the field, but Crowder's speed and athleticism made him a threat to take it to the house on any play—regardless of whether he was playing offense or defense.

In addition to being a star wide receiver, Crowder also played cornerback during his four-year career at Monroe, and recalls scoring touchdowns throwing, rushing, receiving, returning and on interceptions and fumbles.

"He's a very, very gifted athlete," Cutcliffe said. "He can throw the ball—he can throw the heck out of that ball."

Three touchdowns in a quarter is no small feat, but during his high school career Crowder found a way to set that bar even higher.

"My junior year I had four touchdowns in the first half, four different ways," Crowder said.

Entering Saturday's homecoming contest against Troy, Crowder is the ACC's leader in receptions with 30 through four games. He ranks third with 381 yards but has found the end zone just once on a catch. Both Crowder's receptions and yardage numbers are ahead of his pace from last season, when he caught 74 passes for 1,074 yards and eight touchdowns.

Crowder also leads the ACC by averaging 19.8 yards per punt return and is the only player in the conference to return a punt for a score—he has done it twice already, matching Duke's single-season record.

With so many ways to put the ball in the back of the end zone, Crowder's toughest decision is deciding what his favorite way to score is. When asked if he preferred catching touchdown passes or taking punts to the house, the junior wide receiver had to stop and think about it.

"Both," Crowder said with a smile. "If I had to choose, I would definitely say returning punts."