The Blue Devils ended the 2014 season 36-31 loss to No. 15 Arizona State in the Sun Bowl and will begin spring practice Feb. 6. The Blue Zone will be recapping Duke's performance in all phases of the game and will be looking ahead to 2015, so check back Friday and Saturday for recaps of the defense and special teams units.
X's and O's: First-year coordinator Scottie Montgomery did an admirable job leading the Blue Devil offense this season and showed striking similarities to last year's coordinator, Kurt Roper, who spent the season at Florida before leaving the program earlier this month. Montgomery, however, did seem hesitant to run the ball at times, especially when Duke trailed opponents, relying a little too much on the arm of redshirt senior Anthony Boone.
This was evident early in the season, when Boone attempted 51 passes against Miami Sept. 22 in a 22-10 loss. In the Blue Devils' three regular season losses, Boone attempted at least 40 passes, as Montgomery shied away from his stable of running backs. Despite a few early hiccups, Montgomery showed great improvement as a play caller throughout the season and could be in line for a head coaching job if he continues to develop in Cutcliffe's regime.
Rush: After years of struggling on the ground, the Duke offense continued to rely heavily on its running backs and talented offensive line to win games this season. The Blue Devils averaged 181.8 yards on the ground, the most since the 2003 squad posted 172.1 yards per game. This reflected the success Duke has had during the past two years using the spread offense, which allowed Montgomery to use Boone or one of his running backs as a threat out of the backfield. Junior Shaquille Powell was the most dependable amongst the backs, rushing 134 times for 618 yards and two touchdowns, although freshman Shaun Wilson showed the most potential after a 245-yard, three-touchdown rushing performance vs. Kansas sparked a 598-yard and five-touchdown season.
After losing wildcat quarterback Brandon Connette, redshirt sophomore Thomas Sirk filled the role with ease, rushing 47 times for 238 yards and eight touchdowns, including the game-winning five-yard run in double overtime in a 51-48 win against Pittsburgh Nov. 1. With all three players and Jela Duncan, who sat the season out due to academic issues, returning in 2015, in addition to a trio of starters on the line, Duke should be able to continue its dominance on the ground.
Pass: Boone, who was ranked as the No. 10 quarterback for the NFL Draft by CBS Sports coming into the season, did not meet this season's lofty expectations. Despite a 19-6 record as a starter in Durham that made him one of Duke's winningest quarterbacks, he struggled with his completion percentage, which was down to 56.3 percent from 64 percent last season. However, The Weddington, N.C.-native showed signs of potential this season, marked by his career-high 2,700 yards this season and his 19 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions.
Wide receiver Jamison Crowder was Boone's favorite target, catching 85 passes for 1,044 yards and six touchdowns this season. We won't elaborate on the NFL-bound Crowder's accomplishments now, but you can take a look at all of his accolades here. Overall, Boone didn't have the season he probably wanted and probably won't be playing on Sundays, but we shouldn't discount that he was arguably the most important piece of a group of seniors who won more games than any other class in history.
Three Key Moments:
- Sept. 13—Shaun Wilson rushes for 245 yards and three touchdowns vs. Kansas. Duke fans had not seen much of Wilson, a four-star recruit from Charlotte, until the Kansas game, but the whole nation knew about him after his breakout performance. The true freshman took advantage of gaping holes in the Jayhawk defense and seized program single-game rushing record on just 12 carries, a feat that would later earn him National Freshman of the Week honors and a spot in our Chron Top 10.
- Oct. 11—Duke rushes for 242 yards in 31-25 win against Georgia Tech without Powell. The experienced Blue Devil line paved the way for Duke to end a 10-year losing streak to the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta early in the season. Redshirt senior Josh Snead led the way with 102 yards on 14 carries, while Sirk rushed for a pair of touchdowns as the Blue Devil offense looked unstoppable in the crucial road victory.
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Dec. 27—Crowder finds Issac Blakeney for a 12-yard touchdown to take a 31-30 lead in Sun Bowl loss. Facing a fourth-and-two from the Arizona State 12-yard line, Montgomery dialed up a risky trick play which involved Crowder taking a jet sweep handoff and throwing a left-handed pass to his high school teammate. The ensuing extra point gave Duke its final, but short-lived, lead of the season.
MVP(s): Both Crowder and right guard Laken Tomlinson garner our offensive MVP honors. Both will likely be drafted into the NFL come April and Tomlinson could be the highest Duke player drafted in years. Crowder tied former teammate Conner Vernon at 283 receptions for the ACC record and had three straight seasons with 75-plus catches and 1,000-plus receiving yards. He also returned a program-record four punts for touchdowns during the course of two years.
Tomlinson, a first-team AP All-American, anchored an offensive line that allowed only 13 sacks and was first in the nation with only 41 tackles for loss on the season. The four-year starter was another key player in turning the tables for the Duke football program.
Looking Ahead to 2015: Except for quarterback and wide receiver, all offensive positions have plenty of starters returning and boast impressive depth. Casey Blaser, Lucas Patrick and Matt Skura all return on the line, four running backs will compete for time in the backfield and Braxton Deaver returns for a sixth year at tight end. Sirk is the favorite to take over the quarterback position, but rumors of a quarterback transfer have his matriculation on hold for now.
Sophomore Johnell Barnes and senior Max Max McCaffrey have plenty of game experience, but have not shown the big play abilities of Crowder and Blakeney. Redshirt freshmen Trevon Lee and Chris Taylor will push for playing time along with incoming freshman T.J. Rahming, who looked impressive against some of the nation's top high school defensive backs at the U.S. Army All-American bowl practices. Once again, Duke's offense will likely start up front and with the running game in 2015.
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