Duke capped an eight-win season by beating Indiana 44-41—its first bowl game win since 1961—in overtime at the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium. Quarterback Thomas Sirk scored the game-tying touchdown with 41 seconds left in regulation and the Blue Devils cemented the victory when Indiana kicker Griffin Oakes missed a 38-yard field goal in the first overtime period.
Offense: B+
Pass: The passing game struggled, especially on attempted trick plays. Will Monday’s pass was broken up on a stout defensive play when Duke faked a punt late in the second quarter. After lining up in the Wildcat formation in the fourth quarter, running back Shaun Wilson tried to throw a long, floating pass that became an easy interception for Indiana's safety Jonathan Crawford. Sirk was not much better through the air. The redshirt junior completed just 17 of 37 passes for 163 yards, 64 of which came on the final drive of the game. Sirk threw for one touchdown—a jump pass to sixth-year senior Braxton Deaver—and two interceptions.
Rush: The running game was the Blue Devils’ strong suit Saturday. Wilson took off for an 85-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter and Sirk added a 73-yard touchdown scamper of his own. Redshirt junior Jela Duncan also racked up 109 yards on 13 carries and helped the team continue to move the ball downfield. Overall, the Blue Devils ran the ball 46 times for a season-high 373 yards on the ground. Sirk’s mobility was integral to the offense throughout the game and his 20 carries accounted for 155 yards. A quarterback draw by Sirk helped get Duke into the end zone for the tying touchdown with 41 seconds remaining.
X’s and O’s: The Blue Devils relied on their running game as they continued to poke holes in Indiana’s defensive line with ease throughout the game. When offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery did take to the air, it was not the typical bubble screens Duke fans are used to seeing. Sirk threw the ball downfield more often than usual, which could be a preview into his senior year. The game did certainly feature a few questionable play calls–including two poorly executed trick plays by the Blue Devils and a failed attempt at a conversion on a fourth-and-one in the fourth quarter–but the team was able to make big plays when needed to come away with the win.
Defense: C-
Pass: Even with their recent struggles and the glaring absence of All-American Jeremy Cash, the Blue Devils started this game with several big defensive plays. On the Hoosiers’ first drive, DeVon Edwards set the tone with a big pass breakup on third down. The next four drives would see four empty trips for Indiana—including two turnover on downs and two interceptions. Linebacker Dwayne Norman collected his first career interception in his last game in Duke blue—a big pick off of a tip from Indiana wide receiver Andre Booker on the Blue Devils’ own 13-yard line. Less than five minutes later, Phillip Carter picked off another of Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld’s passes on Duke’s 22-yard line. After his second interception, Sudfeld found his stride, finishing with 389 yards through the air and three touchdowns to help the Hoosiers put up 41 points. DeVon Edwards was flagged for two massive pass interference penalties that extended Indiana drives that ultimately resulted in touchdowns.
Rush: The Blue Devils struggled stopping running back Devine Redding all day. The sophomore running back–who filled in for the injured Jordan Howard–put together a 35 carries for 227 yards. Ultimately, Indiana ran the ball 47 times for 278 yards as a team and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. With the speedy footwork of Redding leading the way, eight of the Hoosiers' first nine possessions pushed into Blue Devil territory. Throughout the day, the defensive line struggled against a solid Indiana offensive line and Duke failed to sack Sudfeld in the contest, giving him ample time to find open receivers downfield.
X’s and O’s: Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles struggled to cope with the loss of Cash at safety. Sudfeld had open receivers downfield for much of the afternoon and Redding had room to run whether he attacked down the middle or bounced to the outside. Knowles' blitzes failed to bring down the Indiana quarterback and the team gave up 667 total yards of offense. But the Blue Devils made big plays when they needed them and came away with 14 points off turnovers to help get the victory.
Special Teams: A
Many of Duke’s biggest plays came on special teams. An Indiana fumble on a punt and subsequent Duke recovery allowed the Blue Devils to score an easy touchdown that reversed the momentum early in the third quarter. Shaun Wilson had his second huge play of the game when he took a kickoff return 98 yards back to the house for the longest return in Pinstripe bowl history early in the fourth quarter. Ross Martin nailed all three of his field-goals including a 36-yarder that proved to be the game-winner.
The Blue Devil kicker hit a 52-yard field goal in the first quarter, his fourth from beyond 50 this season which tied the program record. Later in the day, Martin set the Duke single-season record for points with 109. Monday finished his Duke career with a solid performance, punting the ball five times for 210 yards—an average of 42.0 yards per kick.
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