3 Keys to Arizona State Defeating Duke in Sun Bowl

TEMPE -- The 2025 Arizona State football season is officially coming to an end.

The 8-4 Sun Devils are seeking to finish the two years of 2024/2025 with 20 victories - a feat the program hasn't achieved since 2013/14 - the Duke Blue Devils are the final test on the road to accomplishing this feat in the Tony the Tiget Sun Bowl, slated for kickoff tomorrow afternoon.

Duke is fresh off an ACC title and will undoubtedly be motivated to close out the season on a positive note - ASU on SI has three keys to ensure a victory over the surging Blue Devils below.

Set Tone Through Run Game

Duke ranks bottom six in the ACC in both run and defense. This sets up a major opportunity for Arizona State OC Marcus Arroyo to draw up a game script that is the best of both worlds - utilizing a versatile group of running backs that are motivated to show out in the game alongside a running threat at QB in Jeff Sims as a plus-one.

As the run game succeeds, so will the pass game - Sims has developed a strong rapport with wide receivers Malik McClain and Jalen Moss over the last several weeks of the season. Both are expected to play and will likely be crucial in an effort to get the best of a porous Duke defense.

Control Time of Possession

Nov 23, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of an Arizona State Sun Devils helmet at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Teams that win the time of possession battle are typically the winners of the average game, so this is somewhat simplistic.

However, the Sun Devils have to keep the ball out of the hands of Duke QB Darian Mensah, who is top five in the nation in both passing yards and touchdowns - the sophomore has also had much praise heaped on him by defensive coordinator Brian Ward.

Arizona State has a strong opportunity to control the game flow if the plan of attack, as far as the run game is concerned, succeeds.

Create Duke Turnover

Ward has built a reputation as a defensive coach who simply knows how to put his personnel in positions to create game-changing turnovers. The volume of takeaways that the Arizona State defense generated in 2025 didn't compare to the previous campaign, but there are several players who are set to participate who have the potential to make the one play that will change the game.

Mensah seldom makes fatal mistakes, but this is a game in which a turnover just might be in the cards.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

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