Why Sun Bowl is Considered Among Best Bowl Games of 2025

TEMPE -- Nearly all of the focus as far as the Arizona State football program is concerned is on the 2026 season at the moment.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham and staff have been surfing the transfer portal at an extremely rapid rate, even securing a top-10 class nationally at the moment.

However, the Sun Devils' season-closing Sun Bowl loss to Duke remains in the spotlight to an extent, largely due to the incredibly entertaining nature of the game - Arizona State on SI breaks down how the game is being viewed, and why it sets the 2026 team up well below.

lknnk — Arizona State’s Jeff Sims (2) takes the snap against Duke in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Why 2025 Sun Bowl is Amongst Top Bowl Games

Brad Crawford of CBS Sports ranked the 42-39 loss to Duke as the sixth-best game of bowl season overall, and the fourth-best among non-playoff games.

"The ACC champions won their ninth game in shootout fashion behind four touchdown passes and 327 yards from Darian Mensah. His 17-yard strike to Que'Sean Brown with 2:10 left was the dagger for the Blue Devils, who were left out of the playoff in favor of James Madison despite winning the league title over Virginia in early December. Nate Sheppard rushed for 170 yards and a score for Duke, which won despite allowing 619 yards of total offense to the Sun Devils."

This contest was certainly one that fans of potent offenses loved to see - Arizona State QB Jeff Sims enjoyed the game of his career in what was his final game in college, while skill position players such as RB Jason Brown Jr. and Jalen Moss stepped up in what laid the foundation for the 2026 unit. Sun Devil fans also got to see Mensah's tantalizing skillset first hand, as the potential future NFL quarterback dazzled with a supporting cast that stacked up roughly in the middle of the pack in the ACC.

Why Sun Bowl Contest Set Positive 2026 Foundation

Losses in postseason play are obviously frowned upon, but there's little doubt that Arizona State has many positives to build off of after the game.

Brown Jr. is poised to factor into the running back room in 2026 after the explosive performance as a rusher, while Moss is going to be a prime target in the slot alongside transfer additions in Omarion Miller and Reed Harris.

Perhaps most important was the performance that Sims put forth, which should serve as a reminder that the Arizona State offense is more than just one player - paving the way for Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley or any of the other players at the position that have a chance to start next season.

fffewwef — Nov 29, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8) passes the ball against the Louisville Cardinals during the first quarter at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

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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