Sun Bowl: Arizona St 36, Duke 31

[OldPhiKap]

Duke - Arizona State in Sun Bowl. Go Duke!

[nmduke2001]

It's official. sun bowl vs asu per the ncaa site.

[DU82]

It's official. sun bowl vs asu per the ncaa site.

And on the live ACC webcast.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

What I DO like...Arizona State is ranked 15th. Let's beat 'em.

You got that right. This is definitely do-able! Go Devils!
Love, Ima

[nmduke2001]

Does anyone know how to get tickets through Duke?

[DU82]

You got that right. This is definitely do-able! Go Devils!
Love, Ima

Go BLUE Devils!

[YmoBeThere]

Honestly, I don't know why people expected anything different, especially once Mississippi State got the Orange. Other than the ~25% chance the Sun Bowl landed Notre Dame, it was pretty obvious we were gonna head there. Look at it from the bowl and conference officials' POV: Duke = fanbase that won't travel to the bowl no matter what; Sun = bowl fanbases won't travel to no matter what. Of course they put us there, might as well minimize your losses right? :mad: :mad:

Ymobethere, you go' be there, yeah? You better. We need at least one fan on TV.


Yes, I'll be there. I'll call for tickets tomorrow.

[OldPhiKap]

Does anyone know how to get tickets through Duke?

Try www.goduke.com

Maybe specifically:

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=209712998?KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=4200&DB_LANG=C&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT=

[richardjackson199]

Duke - Arizona State in Sun Bowl. Go Duke!

I admire your enthusiasm. I'm devastated. I was at Peach Bowl last year, but I can't go to El Paso. My wife said - are you crazy? At least ASU has a weakish defense. Maybe we'll be treated to another shootout. But my remote will be handy. I have to after the UNC debacle, which now stings even more.

[fuse]

Go Duke!

I'm bummed as I can't make El Paso. Hope others can and cheer us loudly on to victory!

[OldPhiKap]

UNC v.Rutgers in Detroit. Go snow storm, go Scarlet Knights!

[richardjackson199]

Has anyone seen the Vegas spread? I heard it's ASU by 8 points, but I haven't found it yet. I'm not betting on the game - I just like to see what the experts think our chances are. Within 1 score is do-able for us to make it very interesting. I have loved watching the players on this Duke team. Let's do this and get that first bowl win! It would be a monumental win for us.

Go Duke!

[brevity]

If it's Arizona State, the Sun Devils on campus get to travel 424 miles on I-10. The Duke in Durham fan base gets to travel 1,799 miles.

Could be worse. Not an ACC team, and still not our rival, but Maryland travels 2,841 miles to play in the Foster Farms Bowl in Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Their opponent? Stanford, whose home stadium is a mere 12.8 miles away.

Would it be better to stay home than go across the country? Ask UAB, who was bowl-eligible but has already played its last game. Ever. (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11994929/uab-blazers-not-headed-bowl-program-shut-down)

[OldPhiKap]

Could be worse. Not an ACC team, and still not our rival, but Maryland travels 2,841 miles to play in the Foster Farms Bowl in Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Their opponent? Stanford, whose home stadium is a mere 12.8 miles away.

Would it be better to stay home than go across the country? Ask UAB, who was bowl-eligible but has already played its last game. Ever. (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11994929/uab-blazers-not-headed-bowl-program-shut-down)

How many Tar Heels are going to Detroit a day or two after Christmas?

As for Az. St., clearly the best team we have played this year. Beat 4 ranked teams (USC, Stanford, Notre Dame, Utah) and played great against Az. Last week. We have a challenge in front of us. Go Duke!

[DukieInKansas]

You got that right. This is definitely do-able! Go Devils!
Love, Ima

So I should bet big with Sun Devil nephew John?

Let's go, Duke!

[nyesq83]

No El Paso for this Richmond VA man. Teevee!

[arnie]

No El Paso for this Richmond VA man. Teevee!

If I counted right, predict the Big 10 goes 1-9 on their bowl games with Rutgers winning in a rout.

[Devilwin]

So much for an easy opponent. But we will win anyway, because we are due to win. Tar Heels going to Detroit to play in the Quick Lane Bowl.
Go BLUE DEVILS!
Oh.
And go Scarlet Knights!!
On our game:
Defense MUST show up here, and show up big!
Offense needs at least 31 points to win.
I hereby predict a 35-28 Duke win.

[nmduke2001]

Tickets and tailgate party pass purchased. See you there. Go Duke!

[-bdbd]

Tickets and tailgate party pass purchased. See you there. Go Duke!

Flights?


Am going to try to make it. I hope posters here with knowledge of El Paso will start sharing ideas for things to do in El Paso....

[nmduke2001]

Flights?


Am going to try to make it. I hope posters here with knowledge of El Paso will start sharing ideas for things to do in El Paso....

I live in albuquerque. It's a 3 hour drive.

[Tripping William]

Aside from location, I really like this outcome. Longstanding bowl. Great but beatable opponent with some history and cachet (Frank Kush and Jake the Snake Plummer say hi). Between Christmas and New Year's. Other than location, Mrs. Lincoln, the play rocked.

[roywhite]

So I should bet big with Sun Devil nephew John?

Let's go, Duke!

Ha....yeah, something along the lines of:
John, I love you, and I'm glad our schools are playing, but I will need some points. ;)

[hurleyfor3]

Driving directions from the Triangle: I-40 west, then turn left at Albuquerque.

(Actually 85/20/10 is faster with Texas' 80-mph speed limits and all, but I couldn't resist saying that.)

[Reilly]

Duke Football ‏@Duke_FB 1h1 hour ago
.@DavidCutcliffe "Our team is going to be extremely excited. It's going to be a huge challenge. That's what you want in bowl games."


Duke Football ‏@Duke_FB 1h1 hour ago
.@DavidCutcliffe "You know how to put together a bowl game filled with hospitality and excitement. El Paso is an incredible atmostphere."

Duke Football ‏@Duke_FB 1h1 hour ago
.@DavidCutcliffe "My wife and I jumped for joy at the announcement. Our first bowl game as a married couple was the @HyundaiSunBowl."

[camion]

I was in El Paso a while back (1974). I stayed in the BOQ. Not fancy, but the price was right. It only cost me an eight year commitment.

[wilson]

Driving directions from the Triangle: I-40 west, then turn left at Albuquerque.

(Actually 85/20/10 is faster with Texas' 80-mph speed limits and all, but I couldn't resist saying that.)Just don't follow this guy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e8TUwHTfOOU

[YmoBeThere]

Driving directions from the Triangle: I-40 west, then turn left at Albuquerque.

(Actually 85/20/10 is faster with Texas' 80-mph speed limits and all, but I couldn't resist saying that.)


I I thought it was a right turn at Albuquere?

[BlueTeuf]

Flights?


.... I hope posters here with knowledge of El Paso will start sharing ideas for things to do in El Paso....

I doubt I can be of much help, but will amuse myself pretending I can:

Visit the Tony Lama boot factory...or Rocketbusters if you cheated on your kids for Christmas
Get some cheap dental work in Juarez (Don't do this)
Sit down to a 60oz steak that is free if you consume your whole dinner - unfortunately that includes the fries.
Bet the ponies at Sunland Park Downs - I'll go out on a ledge and presume it's become a casino since I won money on Ferdinand in a Kentucky Derby simulcast. How long ago was that?

Outside town
Wife and my first date was at the Double Eagle Steakhouse in Old Mesilla ~45 min NW. A lot's probably changed in 27 years - except the twinkle she brings to my eye
Carlsbad Caverns - ~2 hrs east. Awesome and spectacular. I arrived the night prior to watch the bats exit the cave for the evening.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Some of the Good
-Long standing established bowl
-Fans in El Paso take this very seriously and generally do a great job
-ASU is an attractive opponent

Some of the Bad
-Hard to get to and little to do besides so to the game
-Much closer for ASU Fans
-Can be very windy which can affect the game

ASU is very good. While they were lucky to beat USC, they were playing without their best QB. A win would be a nice feather in Duke's sombero(btw expect lots of pics of Cut wearing a sombero).

When USC lost to Georgia Tech two years ago the wind really affect USC's QB, who was the backup with Barkley hurt. Did not look like a fun place to play.

Here's to good weather and a great game.

SoCal

[BlueTeuf]

Just don't follow this guy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e8TUwHTfOOU



"Hey, just a cotton-picking minute!"

[-jk]

I I thought it was a right turn at Albuquere?

It's definitely a left in Albuquerque.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8TUwHTfOOU

-jk

[hurleyfor3]

I was in El Paso this April. It would be weird to go there twice in the same year, and I plan on spending New Years' Eve in LA, anyway.

There's always the hike of North Franklin Peak. Eight miles roundtrip, 2300 feet of elevation gain, trail all the way. That's easier than the hike I did today! $5 admission.

Further away, but doable in a day, is Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas. Yes, you can do it in December; I did it in January.

The most prominent landmark in ELP/Juarez is a sculpture of a giant red X on the Juarez side, known as La Equis. Not kidding, it's a great big X, google it. I associate red X's with concepts such as "danger", "no good" and "stay away", which seems about right for Juarez.

[hurleyfor3]

Outside town
Wife and my first date was at the Double Eagle Steakhouse in Old Mesilla ~45 min NW. A lot's probably changed in 27 years - except the twinkle she brings to my eye
Carlsbad Caverns - ~2 hrs east. Awesome and spectacular. I arrived the night prior to watch the bats exit the cave for the evening.

The bats don't do winter, but the cave is still a worthy trip.

[OldPhiKap]

Ok, got provisional hotel. Guess I am 1/3 in.

Thinking of extra day at Carlsbad Caverns, always wanted to go.

Absolutely love northern NM, never been south of ABQ though.

[-bdbd]

FWIW, a quick search of a couple search engines find r/t airfares from the DC area to El Paso - no direct flights - were running round-trip as low as $830 if I went out Fri. early, 12/26, and returned on Sun., the 28th. BUT if I extended the trip until Mon. AM return, the fares were much more reasonable - as low as $450 r/t. Just some food for thought.

Airline options included Delta (through Atlanta), American (through DFW) and some United (HOU or Denver).

Looks like we'll be taking in those caverns on Sunday! (Or trekking up to Albuquerque.)

:cool:

[OldPhiKap]

FWIW, a quick search of a couple search engines find r/t airfares from the DC area to El Paso - no direct flights - were running round-trip as low as $830 if I went out Fri. early, 12/26, and returned on Sun., the 28th. BUT if I extended the trip until Mon. AM return, the fares were much more reasonable - as low as $450 r/t. Just some food for thought.

Airline options included Delta (through Atlanta), American (through DFW) and some United (HOU or Denver).

Looks like we'll be taking in those caverns on Sunday! (Or trekking up to Albuquerque.)

:cool:

FWIW -- a thread on ABQ for this East Coaster a few years ago:

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?28530-Albuquerque-with-kids&highlight=Albequerque

[nmduke2001]

Ok, got provisional hotel. Guess I am 1/3 in.

Thinking of extra day at Carlsbad Caverns, always wanted to go.

Absolutely love northern NM, never been south of ABQ though.

The caverns are great. Shell out the extra $50 for the private tours. You will have access to some great areas that the self guide tour does not allow.

[Wander]

Pretty clear that we were going to end up in Sun or Pinstripe bowl for a while. But even though we aren't in one of the top ACC bowls... we may have drawn the best opponent of any non-division-champion ACC team. Arizona State is far superior to crappy Penn State, and better than mediocre Oklahoma as well. They're probably comparable to Georgia and LSU. Tough opponent.

Also, add White Sands national monument to Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns on the list of cool possible things to see that are sort of close - closer and cheaper than the caverns (which are cool).

[nmduke2001]

Looks like we'll be taking in those caverns on Sunday! (Or trekking up to Albuquerque.)

:cool:

If you have any questions on albuquerque, let me know.

[BD80]

... The most prominent landmark in ELP/Juarez is a sculpture of a giant red X on the Juarez side, known as La Equis. Not kidding, it's a great big X, ...

Wonder what "equis" means???

If it were me, I'd be trying to pair up as many of those suckers as I could.

Up here in the north, we go south of the border to Windsor to buy Molson XXX beer, 7.3% alcohol. It'll get her done!

Maybe we can lure a bunch of tar heels into Canada and then refuse to let them back in? Wonder if Ford Field security will search the heel players, coaches, managers and equipment for baby blue spray paint?

[YmoBeThere]

Wonder what "equis" means???

If it were me, I'd be trying to pair up as many of those suckers as I could.

Up here in the north, we go south of the border to Windsor to buy Molson XXX beer, 7.3% alcohol. It'll get her done!

Maybe we can lure a bunch of tar heels into Canada and then refuse to let them back in? Wonder if Ford Field security will search the heel players, coaches, managers and equipment for baby blue spray paint?

I've been through Detroit and Windsor on several occasions. I'm told the Molson isn't the highlight.

Ticket purchased...determining other arrangements.

[duke09hms]

Pretty clear that we were going to end up in Sun or Pinstripe bowl for a while. But even though we aren't in one of the top ACC bowls... we may have drawn the best opponent of any non-division-champion ACC team. Arizona State is far superior to crappy Penn State, and better than mediocre Oklahoma as well. They're probably comparable to Georgia and LSU. Tough opponent.


And that's unfortunate. Playing PSU in NYC would have been the ideal matchup. Duke alumni-heavy city and brand-name opponent having a down year. We really need to get our first bowl win in more than 50 years.

[burnspbesq]

Piece of cake. SoCal to El Paso is 800 miles each way. Leave right after early Christmas dinner, stop overnight in Tucson, be there midafternoon Friday. Leave right after the game, retrace steps, home midafternoon Sunday. Less than $200 for gas, and i have plenty of Hilton rewards points. And if i get Holiday Bowl tickets for spouse and kid, they won't care.

This could actually be on.

[duke09hms]

piece of cake. Socal to el paso is 800 miles each way. Leave right after early christmas dinner, stop overnight in tucson, be there midafternoon friday. Leave right after the game, retrace steps, home midafternoon sunday. Less than $200 for gas, and i have plenty of hilton rewards points. And if i get holiday bowl tickets for spouse and kid, they won't care.

This could actually be on.

Do it!!!!

[gurufrisbee]

Sun Devils versus Blue Devils? The entire stadium in El Paso will be protested by religious groups against those nicknames.

[brevity]

The most prominent landmark in ELP/Juarez is a sculpture of a giant red X on the Juarez side, known as La Equis.

Huh. I figured the area's most prominent landmark is The Bridge:

4563

Looking forward to obscure "I Am Fausto Galvan" signs at the game.

[conmanlhughes]

Wonder what "equis" means???

If it were me, I'd be trying to pair up as many of those suckers as I could.

Up here in the north, we go south of the border to Windsor to buy Molson XXX beer, 7.3% alcohol. It'll get her done!

Maybe we can lure a bunch of tar heels into Canada and then refuse to let them back in? Wonder if Ford Field security will search the heel players, coaches, managers and equipment for baby blue spray paint?

Equis literally means "X". La Equis translates as "The X".

[OldPhiKap]

Equis literally means "X". La Equis translates as "The X".

But what if there were two of them?

[AncientPsychicT]

But what if there were two of them?

I don't always drink beer...

[OldPhiKap]

I don't always drink beer...

I hope not, at 7:30 in the morning.

But then again, you are a very interesting person.

[budwom]

Watch a few episodes of The Bridge, then hide your passport.

[IsInTheDetails]

Even if you can't make it to El Paso on December 27th - and, let's face it, it's going to be a tough trip for many - please consider buying "outreach tickets" through the Duke ticket office. Outreach tickets purchased through Duke are made available to "deserving local people and military," which on its own is worthwhile. Additionally, I'd assume that tickets purchased in this fashion help Duke's ticket sales for the bowl game, though perhaps someone more in the know can confirm.

At $47 per ticket, this is an easy way to do something nice for deserving folks, including our military personnel, and to support our Blue Devils. Placing my order for 10 outreach tickets today. . .

Outreach tickets can be purchased online through GoDuke (http://www.goduke.com/tickets) or by phone at 919-668-9235.

[ChillinDuke]

Serious question...

Is this considered a good outcome for Duke Football? And be honest. ASU is obviously a quality opponent, but at first blush these are my thoughts:

1) El Paso is not a good destination for the alumni base - compared to the other options for Bowl games
2) ASU is arguably a level above Duke in terms of ranking/team strength. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - but I guess could be viewed as a sacrificial lamb type scenario
3) Tempe is MUCH closer to El Paso than Duke - could be viewed as easier travel for ASU (understanding that there's plenty of time before the game with the long layover)
4) I don't know anything about the Sun Bowl or its history, but it certainly doesn't jump out at me as a "Wow!" bowl game - not that any we would have qualified for would have necessarily been "Wow!"-inducing

Just my thoughts as I'm not a diehard college football fan. I could certainly be wrong about all of this (and I realize it's a bit glass-half-empty of me), but those are my first impressions.

- Chillin

[Reilly]

Serious question...

Is this considered a good outcome for Duke Football? And be honest. ASU is obviously a quality opponent, but at first blush these are my thoughts:

1) El Paso is not a good destination for the alumni base - compared to the other options for Bowl games
2) ASU is arguably a level above Duke in terms of ranking/team strength. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - but I guess could be viewed as a sacrificial lamb type scenario
3) Tempe is MUCH closer to El Paso than Duke - could be viewed as easier travel for ASU (understanding that there's plenty of time before the game with the long layover)
4) I don't know anything about the Sun Bowl or its history, but it certainly doesn't jump out at me as a "Wow!" bowl game - not that any we would have qualified for would have necessarily been "Wow!"-inducing

Just my thoughts as I'm not a diehard college football fan. I could certainly be wrong about all of this (and I realize it's a bit glass-half-empty of me), but those are my first impressions.

- Chillin

Serious answer ...

Going for our 20th win in two years against the #17 team in the country in a nationally-televised-on-broadcast-TV bowl game in which that #17 team is only about 6 points better than us per the computers is a very good outcome for Duke football.

1) El Paso is the 6th best bowl game that the 15-team ACC+ will be in this year, and only the Rose, Orange, and Russell are demonstrably better.
2) ASU is #17, Duke is #41. Yes, ASU is better than Duke. For many years, Duke was around #90 or #100 in FBS, and playing teams around #20 in the regular season only, and we saw how that turned out. A 17/41 match-up is a bit of an uphill climb but it is not #5/#41, and Duke and Cut with preparation can hang. See the last two bowl games.
3) Yes, Tempe is closer to El Paso than is Durham. I hope they bring a lot of fans. Will bring a lot of energy to the game/place. Duke plays well on the road. Will be exciting.
4) Duke football is in its 3d consecutive bowl game, was the ACC Coastal champion in 2013, and has a truly great guy as head coach, and a bunch of hard-working, likable players. Say "Wow" all you want, and mean it, for their many successes.

[ChillinDuke]

Serious answer ...

Going for our 20th win in two years against the #17 team in the country in a nationally-televised-on-broadcast-TV bowl game in which that #17 team is only about 6 points better than us per the computers is a very good outcome for Duke football.

1) El Paso is the 6th best bowl game that the 15-team ACC+ will be in this year, and only the Rose, Orange, and Russell are demonstrably better.
2) ASU is #17, Duke is #41. Yes, ASU is better than Duke. For many years, Duke was around #90 or #100 in FBS, and playing teams around #20 in the regular season only, and we saw how that turned out. A 17/41 match-up is a bit of an uphill climb but it is not #5/#41, and Duke and Cut with preparation can hang. See the last two bowl games.
3) Yes, Tempe is closer to El Paso than is Durham. I hope they bring a lot of fans. Will bring a lot of energy to the game/place. Duke plays well on the road. Will be exciting.
4) Duke football is in its 3d consecutive bowl game, was the ACC Coastal champion in 2013, and has a truly great guy as head coach, and a bunch of hard-working, likable players. Say "Wow" all you want, and mean it, for their many successes.

I fully understand the progress that Duke Football has made (I think the team won a total of maybe 6 games in my 4 years at Duke). I'm thankful for it, and I love following the team.

But history aside, you haven't convinced me that the Sun Bowl was a good outcome re: the various outcomes possible for our bowl game.

I, for one, would have MUCH rather been in any of the generally eastern destinations for this game as opposed to playing a solid #17 team (with a fairly clearly better schedule/results than us) much closer to their home turf/region. That's not to say we haven't made progress in our program, nor is it to poo-poo our current team. It's just my quick assessment of the hand we've been dealt. You can point to historical progress over Cut's tenure all you want, that doesn't hold much value to me in a question/discussion I intended to be regarding our next game. I'd love to hear other views.

- Chillin

[OldPhiKap]

I fully understand the progress that Duke Football has made (I think the team won a total of maybe 6 games in my 4 years at Duke). I'm thankful for it, and I love following the team.

But history aside, you haven't convinced me that the Sun Bowl was a good outcome re: the various outcomes possible for our bowl game.

I, for one, would have MUCH rather been in any of the generally eastern destinations for this game as opposed to playing a solid #17 team (with a fairly clearly better schedule/results than us) much closer to their home turf/region. That's not to say we haven't made progress in our program, nor is it to poo-poo our current team. It's just my quick assessment of the hand we've been dealt. You can point to historical progress over Cut's tenure all you want, that doesn't hold much value to me in a question/discussion I intended to be regarding our next game. I'd love to hear other views.

- Chillin

The Sun Bowl is tied for the second-oldest bowl (Rose is oldest; Sun, Orange and Sugar are next).

It gives us exposure in a different part of the country -- it always helps to show yourself in Texas as far as recruiting is concerned, and a little PAC-## exposure must help too.

For those who wanted the best opponent reasonably possible -- here you go. (Discounting the odds of really making the Russell).

the after-victory party in La Ciudad de Juarez will be off the chiz-ain.

[Reilly]

I fully understand the progress that Duke Football has made (I think the team won a total of maybe 6 games in my 4 years at Duke). I'm thankful for it, and I love following the team.

But history aside, you haven't convinced me that the Sun Bowl was a good outcome re: the various outcomes possible for our bowl game.

I, for one, would have MUCH rather been in any of the generally eastern destinations for this game as opposed to playing a solid #17 team (with a fairly clearly better schedule/results than us) much closer to their home turf/region. That's not to say we haven't made progress in our program, nor is it to poo-poo our current team. It's just my quick assessment of the hand we've been dealt. You can point to historical progress over Cut's tenure all you want, that doesn't hold much value to me in a question/discussion I intended to be regarding our next game. I'd love to hear other views.

- Chillin

I must have misunderstood your original question, which was "Is this considered a good outcome for Duke football?" I guess I wasn't exactly clear what "this" referred to. Is going to the Sun Bowl, playing on national TV, with a real chance to take down a top 20 opponent and get our 10th win a good outcome for Duke football -- yeah, that's a very good outcome.

So you're asking if the Sun Bowl is a good outcome as compared to the Belk Bowl, the Pinstripe Bowl, or the Music City Bowl? Yes, I think all four are good outcomes. In short, all four can be worthy accomplishments and be worthy of celebration and embracing, even if one of the four is considered to be at the bottom of the pecking order. Is getting cheesecake for dessert a good outcome when you could've had strawberry shortcake, chocolate chip cookies, or ice cream? Maybe you like cheesecake just fine but you like the other three a smidge more -- the cheesecake is still a good outcome.

I would have preferred the Belk or Music City Bowl b/c of the timing of events -- I did not want to see us playing (getting 'lost') on the crowded Dec 27 bowl schedule. It's unclear to me how much of a reaonable possibility the Belk bowl was for us given we played in Charlotte in 2013 and 2012. And I don't know how much of a reasonable possibility Nashville was for us if they were the ones who won the ND lottery (if there was a ND lottery, which has been reported). I really would have preferred the Russell bowl but that was not a reasonable possibility once the ACC lost the Citrus slot.

I would have preferred something in the Southeast, too, for ease of travel. All that said, I do think the Sun Bowl is a good outcome -- better than the Pinstripe for the opportunity it provides us. And perhaps the Sun and the Pinstripe were, in fact, our only reasonable possibilites -- so, yeah, it's a good outcome.

There are 15 ACC teams + Notre Dame -- a good number of them would trade their 2014 holiday plans for ours, in a heartbeat. I think we have a good situation here. There may be others that we would have preferred -- but only maybe, given Charlotte and Orlando and Nashville may not have been reasonable possibilities.

Just get yourself to El Paso, and after you and OPK finish the post-victory tour of Juarez, you won't be questioning whether this was good -- you'll be in an other-worldly state of consciousness and wonder and light, and it'll all be good.

[Wander]

For those who wanted the best opponent reasonably possible -- here you go. (Discounting the odds of really making the Russell).


Right. We all knew that it was basically either this or Penn State in New York. Penn State went 2-6 in what is probably the weakest power conference, and those two wins were over Rutgers and Indiana. Yawn. I would just say:

1. Who cares what the bowl is if the match-up is good? The game is what matters. Nobody really cares about the bowls themselves as institutions (with the possible exception of the Rose Bowl) in the same way people care about the NCAA tournament or Superbowl or World Cup or whatever.
2. I get those who wanted Penn State for an easier win, but disagree. Again, I think "winning a bowl drought" is a thing that very few people actually care about and is sort of artificial. "Playoff drought," "NCAA tournament drought," "Final four drought," and "making a bowl game drought" are all things that people actually talk about. But the exhibition-like nature of bowl games sets up a system where winning them is secondary to making them. If winning this bowl game advanced Duke to the round of 16, then yes I'd rather play a worse opponent. But absent that, I'd much rather see a better match-up, and one that Duke will get more respect for if we win. We got the best realistic scenario.

[snowdenscold]

The most prominent landmark in ELP/Juarez is a sculpture of a giant red X on the Juarez side, known as La Equis. Not kidding, it's a great big X, google it. I associate red X's with concepts such as "danger", "no good" and "stay away", which seems about right for Juarez.

That paragraph was interesting to read w/ your signature picture right below - featuring 3 giant red X's. Nice coincidence.


As for me, my only experiences w/ El Paso have been watching 2 seasons of the The Bridge, and getting pulled over by a pickup-truck (!) for speeding on the Interstate through the city while on a cross-country trip.

[Olympic Fan]

(1) Is this a good result for Duke football?

Well, it's arguably the second-best bowl situation that Duke has played in since the 1961 Cotton Bowl against Arkansas. I'll concede that last year's Chick-fil-a Bowl in Atlanta against Johnny Football was a better trip, a better opponent and better exposure for our football team. But this is better than Cincinnati in the 2012 Belk Bowl, Wisconsin in the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl, or Texas Tech in the 1989 All-America Bowl.

This is a historic bowl with a long relationship with CBS. The provide a ton of promotion. The ONLY negative is the location is hard for most Duke fans to get to, If that's your criteria, then, no, it's not a good outcome for Duke football. If you care about any other factors, then it's a great outcome.

(2) It's basically the outcome we deserve. Want to play in a better bowl? Then make that kick against Virginia Tech or don't come out flat at Miami ... or super-flat against UNC. Duke won nine games against a weak schedule ... the Sun Bowl is an appropriate reward for that season.

(3) About Juarez ... back in the '70s and '80s, UNC made several trips to the Sun Bowl. Some of my best friends made that trip and the raved about the cross-border trips to Juarez -- the bars, the brothels and the like. They told funny stories about Mexican cab drivers taking them deep into the Juarez underworld. But not long ago, a friend of mine returned from El Paso and I asked him if he managed to visit Juarez. He told me that Juarez has become a VERY dangerous place. Everything, he said, was now run by the drug cartels and that tourists visit the city at their own risk. He said El Paso is relatively safe -- the cartels don't want to provoke the US into a response, so they keep the violence (largely) on their side of the border.

That's just second-hand information and maybe my friend was watching too much of The Bridge, but if you are going to the game, check it out before crossing the border. Be safe.

[sagegrouse]

I hope not, at 7:30 in the morning.

But then again, you are a very interesting person.

In Juarez, it's always after 5 pm.

[Wander]

I'll concede that last year's Chick-fil-a Bowl in Atlanta against Johnny Football was a better trip, a better opponent and better exposure for our football team.

Agreed about the rest of it, but note that Arizona State is actually ranked higher than Texas A&M was last year - even after they beat us. We have our work cut out for us.

[OldPhiKap]

Agreed about the rest of it, but note that Arizona State is actually ranked higher than Texas A&M was last year - even after they beat us. We have our work cut out for us.

This is the best team we have played all year, easily. This is a real test. I am glad we have several weeks to prepare, and one of the best coaching staffs in the country. Seriously.


(1) Is this a good result for Duke football?

Well, it's arguably the second-best bowl situation that Duke has played in since the 1961 Cotton Bowl against Arkansas. I'll concede that last year's Chick-fil-a Bowl in Atlanta against Johnny Football was a better trip, a better opponent and better exposure for our football team. But this is better than Cincinnati in the 2012 Belk Bowl, Wisconsin in the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl, or Texas Tech in the 1989 All-America Bowl.

This is a historic bowl with a long relationship with CBS. The provide a ton of promotion. The ONLY negative is the location is hard for most Duke fans to get to, If that's your criteria, then, no, it's not a good outcome for Duke football. If you care about any other factors, then it's a great outcome.

(2) It's basically the outcome we deserve. Want to play in a better bowl? Then make that kick against Virginia Tech or don't come out flat at Miami ... or super-flat against UNC. Duke won nine games against a weak schedule ... the Sun Bowl is an appropriate reward for that season.

(3) About Juarez ... back in the '70s and '80s, UNC made several trips to the Sun Bowl. Some of my best friends made that trip and the raved about the cross-border trips to Juarez -- the bars, the brothels and the like. They told funny stories about Mexican cab drivers taking them deep into the Juarez underworld. But not long ago, a friend of mine returned from El Paso and I asked him if he managed to visit Juarez. He told me that Juarez has become a VERY dangerous place. Everything, he said, was now run by the drug cartels and that tourists visit the city at their own risk. He said El Paso is relatively safe -- the cartels don't want to provoke the US into a response, so they keep the violence (largely) on their side of the border.

That's just second-hand information and maybe my friend was watching too much of The Bridge, but if you are going to the game, check it out before crossing the border. Be safe.

Agree with all of this. And, I guess I should clarify for those who might misread my (weak) efforts at humor -- DO NOT GO TO JUAREZ UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. DOUBLE SERIOUSLY; NO JOKE.

[ChillinDuke]

(1) Is this a good result for Duke football?

Well, it's arguably the second-best bowl situation that Duke has played in since the 1961 Cotton Bowl against Arkansas. I'll concede that last year's Chick-fil-a Bowl in Atlanta against Johnny Football was a better trip, a better opponent and better exposure for our football team. But this is better than Cincinnati in the 2012 Belk Bowl, Wisconsin in the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl, or Texas Tech in the 1989 All-America Bowl.

This is a historic bowl with a long relationship with CBS. The provide a ton of promotion. The ONLY negative is the location is hard for most Duke fans to get to, If that's your criteria, then, no, it's not a good outcome for Duke football. If you care about any other factors, then it's a great outcome.

(2) It's basically the outcome we deserve. Want to play in a better bowl? Then make that kick against Virginia Tech or don't come out flat at Miami ... or super-flat against UNC. Duke won nine games against a weak schedule ... the Sun Bowl is an appropriate reward for that season.

(3) About Juarez ... back in the '70s and '80s, UNC made several trips to the Sun Bowl. Some of my best friends made that trip and the raved about the cross-border trips to Juarez -- the bars, the brothels and the like. They told funny stories about Mexican cab drivers taking them deep into the Juarez underworld. But not long ago, a friend of mine returned from El Paso and I asked him if he managed to visit Juarez. He told me that Juarez has become a VERY dangerous place. Everything, he said, was now run by the drug cartels and that tourists visit the city at their own risk. He said El Paso is relatively safe -- the cartels don't want to provoke the US into a response, so they keep the violence (largely) on their side of the border.

That's just second-hand information and maybe my friend was watching too much of The Bridge, but if you are going to the game, check it out before crossing the border. Be safe.

Thanks, Oly. That explains the situation much better for me.

Sounds as though the CBS connection is pretty important here. I feel better about this now.

- Chillin

[AncientPsychicT]

This is the best team we have played all year, easily.

I'm not so sure. Georgia Tech might have something to say about that.

[Reilly]

Reasons to have no hope (Arizona State's results versus ....)

+24 Notre Dame (#33)
+16 Stanford (#24)
+14 @USC (#13)
+14 @Washington (#35)

.... beating up on teams better than #41 Duke ....

Reasons to have some hope (Arizona State's results versus ...)

+03 Utah (#32)
-07 @Arizona (#18)
-08 @OregonState (#74)

Arizona State beat Colorado (#84 team in the land who is 10 points worse than us) by 14 points at Colorado. Colorado's coach is Duke's ex-defensive coordinator, so even if Coach Mac does not want to talk to Cut about Ariz State out of some "don't give up the goods on your conference-mate" sentiment, Cut & Co. should have a very good idea what went on in that game and what Mac tried to do or did do well.


Rankings from www.sports-reference.com

[Turk]

I saw a bit of Arizona State when they beat ND thoroughly. Agree with comments up stream - Sun Bowl is well established and stable, which is impressive in today's revolving door bowl environment.

This is also a classic good guy vs. bad guy bowl. Todd Graham, coach at ASU, is a humblebragging, self-promoting, job-hopping weasel. He's everything that Coach Cut is not. Pitt hired Graham when he was at Tulsa, and then Graham bolted for ASU after one season at Pitt. He texted his resignation after the regular season, but before Pitt's bowl game. What a way to treat his seniors. I also recall that Graham said something like "God is calling me to Arizona" or something like that.

(And yes, leaving Pitt for ASU is a definite upgrade; I'm not bitter about that. Pitt does not draw well at Heinz Field, and the weather in Arizona is an upgrade).

Mark Schlabach at the Mother Ship did a righteous rip job:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7355451/arizona-state-sun-devils-coach-todd-graham-new-president-liar-club

Money quote:


Pittsburgh receiver Devin Street took out his frustration on Twitter on Wednesday night: "He's an actor he did it to rice then us now he's gonna do it to ASU ... That energy is fake he has them fooled."

More of Street's rants: "He just lied to all those damn recruits too not even 2 days ago."

And more: "No class, he's a quitter, soft, liar, hypocrite."

Added Panthers defensive end Brandon Lindsey on Twitter: "For someone who said they read the bible everyday, he must've missed the [page] that said 'thou shall not lie.'"


I hope the Blue Devils wipe up the Sun Devils. Maybe Graham will quit for another job between now and the game. He's about due for another move.

[OldPhiKap]

Reasons to have no hope (Arizona State's results versus ....)

+24 Notre Dame (#33)
+16 Stanford (#24)
+14 @USC (#13)
+14 @Washington (#35)

.... beating up on teams better than #41 Duke ....

Reasons to have some hope (Arizona State's results versus ...)

+03 Utah (#32)
-07 @Arizona (#18)
-08 @OregonState (#74)

Arizona State beat Colorado (#84 team in the land who is 10 points worse than us) by 14 points at Colorado. Colorado's coach is Duke's ex-defensive coordinator, so even if Coach Mac does not want to talk to Cut about Ariz State out of some "don't give up the goods on your conference-mate" sentiment, Cut & Co. should have a very good idea what went on in that game and what Mac tried to do or did do well.


Rankings from www.sports-reference.com

According to the new AP poll, AZ.St. is 15 and we are essentially 30. GT (the only team anywhere in the poll that we played) is 10.

[nmduke2001]

DO NOT GO TO JUAREZ UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. DOUBLE SERIOUSLY; NO JOKE.

Seriously, this is good advice. Don't go to Juarez.

[subzero02]

Juarez... Shmuarez

[SoCalDukeFan]

Reasons to have no hope (Arizona State's results versus ....)

+24 Notre Dame (#33)
+16 Stanford (#24)
+14 @USC (#13)
+14 @Washington (#35)

.... beating up on teams better than #41 Duke ....

Reasons to have some hope (Arizona State's results versus ...)

+03 Utah (#32)
-07 @Arizona (#18)
-08 @OregonState (#74)

Arizona State beat Colorado (#84 team in the land who is 10 points worse than us) by 14 points at Colorado. Colorado's coach is Duke's ex-defensive coordinator, so even if Coach Mac does not want to talk to Cut about Ariz State out of some "don't give up the goods on your conference-mate" sentiment, Cut & Co. should have a very good idea what went on in that game and what Mac tried to do or did do well.


Rankings from www.sports-reference.com

Maybe I don't understand but I think Notre Dame should be 24, not 25, and more importantly, USC 4 not 14.

The USC win was a complete fluke. USC dominated almost all of the game. On ASU's next to last position the USC dback went for the int, missed, and gave up a long touchdown run. (If just makes the tackle USC probably wins. ) USC gets the ball, fails to run out the clock, then ASU completes a Hail Mary as time runs out.

In looking at the results need to understand the QB. They are much better with the number 1 who was injured for several games, including USC.

SoCal

[Sandman]

Of course, there is always the world-famous "Marfa Lights" only about 170 miles from El Paso. (I ran across this in a novel by David Morrell, "The Shimmer").

From Wikipedia: "......the first published account of the lights appeared in the July 1957 issue of Coronet Magazine,[1][2] the earliest source for anecdotal claims that the lights date back to the 19th century. Reports often describe brightly glowing basketball-sized spheres floating above the ground, or sometimes high in the air. Colors are usually described as white, yellow, orange or red, but green and blue are sometimes reported. The balls are said to hover at about shoulder height, or to move laterally at low speeds, or sometimes, to shoot around rapidly in any direction. They often appear in pairs or groups, according to reports, to divide into pairs or to merge, to disappear and reappear, and sometimes to move in seemingly regular patterns. Their sizes are typically said to resemble soccer balls or basketballs.

Sightings are reported occasionally and unpredictably, perhaps 10 to 20 times a year. There are no reliable reports of daytime sightings.......".

[devildeac]

This is the best team we have played all year, easily. This is a real test. I am glad we have several weeks to prepare, and one of the best coaching staffs in the country. Seriously.



Agree with all of this. And, I guess I should clarify for those who might misread my (weak) efforts at humor -- DO NOT GO TO JUAREZ UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. DOUBLE SERIOUSLY; NO JOKE.

Wait. I thought you had strongly urged a trip to Juarez. Something about tatoo/s and tequila and Debby Crowder.:rolleyes:

I'm dadgum glad you have recanted and warned all of us.

[Reilly]

... Notre Dame should be 24, not 25, and more importantly, USC 4 not 14 ...

You're right. ASU beat ND by 24 not 25, and beat USC by 4 not 14. I had the wrong margins in my post. When we beat the Sun Devils, we'll be transitive propertying all over CFB traditional powers.

[OldPhiKap]

Wait. I thought you had strongly urged a trip to Juarez. Something about tatoo/s and tequila and Debby Crowder.:rolleyes:

I'm dadgum glad you have recanted and warned all of us.

No. I told you that I was going to Juarez to get a tattoo. Beach scene, shirtless Cut, and Debbie Crowder in a bikini. Tequila, obviously, is a big part.

i am simply warning others not to go to Juarez. Some folks can juggle fire, some cannot.

i am a professional. I can dance with the devil in the pale moonlight. My path is not for the weak, meek, or sensible.

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -- Hunter S. Thompson

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

On the subject of that shady Mexican town south of the border. I still get threat notices for that area as i was stationed at a nearby Air Force Base for a short time. But I have friends in the area who used to be regulars there and know the place well. They don't need a taxi to get around they can just walk to where they want to go. As the board has been saying do not visit there right now. The cartels have taken over and its unsafe for pretty much everyone. Last I heard military personnel were banned from going there which means that you should follow the same advice and stay away. Its bad news if the military is urged to stay away.

[devildeac]

No. I told you that I was going to Juarez to get a tattoo. Beach scene, shirtless Cut, and Debbie Crowder in a bikini. Tequila, obviously, is a big part.

i am simply warning others not to go to Juarez. Some folks can juggle fire, some cannot.

i am a professional. I can dance with the devil in the pale moonlight. My path is not for the weak, meek, or sensible.

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -- Hunter S. Thompson

I'll notify the appropriate US authorities.;)

[Reilly]

I took a look at the Scout database of recruiting commits.

Arizona State, for the years 2010-2014 (the years comprising this year's roster): 16 four-star recruits, 98 three-star recruits.

Duke, for the years 2010-2014 (the years comprising this year's roster): 0 four-star recruits, 54 three-star recruits.

The usual caveats apply about that's just Scout's assessment, other services may differ, not all of these kids are still on the team due to using eligibility, injury, transfer, what have you. And, we usually are less talented than our opponents, in raw potential.

Let's hope our stellar kicking teams can win us some field position ... our terrific conditioning pays off ... our super-organized staff has us prepared ...

[Reilly]

Saw where we are 9 point underdogs.

[budwom]

Saw where we are 9 point underdogs.

But since it's in the desert, it's a dry nine points....

[NM Duke Fan]

Flights?


Am going to try to make it. I hope posters here with knowledge of El Paso will start sharing ideas for things to do in El Paso....

I rarely will admit it to anybody, but I was born there... an accident of my fathers AF retirement.

You can always hop across the border to Juarez for major shopping and tourism experiences, which has calmed down compared to a few years ago. Though it still can be dangerous if gangs are shooting at each other. El Paso by contrast has one of the lower crime rates of major cities in the US.

On a much safer and very beautiful note, Hueco Tanks State Park to the east not even an hour away has some of the most spectacular Native American pictographs in the country. It also attracts some of the best rock climbers in the world too, some great bouldering. In the winter it gets crowded, and reservations would be wise if you are interested.

[NM Duke Fan]

I doubt I can be of much help, but will amuse myself pretending I can:

Visit the Tony Lama boot factory...or Rocketbusters if you cheated on your kids for Christmas
Get some cheap dental work in Juarez (Don't do this)
Sit down to a 60oz steak that is free if you consume your whole dinner - unfortunately that includes the fries.
Bet the ponies at Sunland Park Downs - I'll go out on a ledge and presume it's become a casino since I won money on Ferdinand in a Kentucky Derby simulcast. How long ago was that?

Outside town
Wife and my first date was at the Double Eagle Steakhouse in Old Mesilla ~45 min NW. A lot's probably changed in 27 years - except the twinkle she brings to my eye
Carlsbad Caverns - ~2 hrs east. Awesome and spectacular. I arrived the night prior to watch the bats exit the cave for the evening.

The Double Eagle is still in business in Old Mesilla, as is La Posta, another famous restaurant. Tiny old former Mexican town with plenty of ambiance, just outside of Las Cruces, NM.

[Reilly]

Arizona State's 1940 Sun Bowl .... entertaining write-up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_Sun_Bowl

[arnie]

Arizona State's 1940 Sun Bowl .... entertaining write-up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_Sun_Bowl

If the winds are howling, maybe some of Boone's normally errant passes will be "corrected by the wind". Kind of the way I approach golf.

[OldPhiKap]

So -- who else is going? May need a pre-game or post-game gathering. It may be a small group but quality>quantity anyway.

And for those of you who have not had a chance to see Duke in Durham, Charlotte or Atlanta over the last few years because you migrated/diasporad West -- come support the rebirth of Duke football!

[Henderson]

So -- who else is going? May need a pre-game or post-game gathering. It may be a small group but quality>quantity anyway.

And for those of you who have not had a chance to see Duke in Durham, Charlotte or Atlanta over the last few years because you migrated/diasporad West -- come support the rebirth of Duke football!

My nephew is getting married that day in Seattle, and my sister refuses to postpone the wedding for the Duke game. I just don't understand my family at all.

[OldPhiKap]

My nephew is getting married that day in Seattle, and my sister refuses to postpone the wedding for the Duke game. I just don't understand my family at all.

Family trumps all, and rightfully so. Missed you last trip to Vegas, hope to be out there again in the fall. I hear they play poker out there, may have to check it out.

[IsInTheDetails]

Even if you can't make it to El Paso on December 27th - and, let's face it, it's going to be a tough trip for many - please consider buying "outreach tickets" through the Duke ticket office. Outreach tickets purchased through Duke are made available to "deserving local people and military," which on its own is worthwhile. Additionally, I'd assume that tickets purchased in this fashion help Duke's ticket sales for the bowl game, though perhaps someone more in the know can confirm.

At $47 per ticket, this is an easy way to do something nice for deserving folks, including our military personnel, and to support our Blue Devils. Placing my order for 10 outreach tickets today. . .

Outreach tickets can be purchased online through GoDuke (http://www.goduke.com/tickets) or by phone at 919-668-9235.

From Iron Dukes this morning:

"The success of Duke Football under Coach David Cutcliffe has been nothing short of remarkable: 25 wins over the last three years, an ACC Coastal Division championship in 2013, three consecutive bowl bids for the first time in Duke history. And all of this has been accomplished without compromising the academic standards of the university. Duke remains among the leaders nationally in the Graduation Success Rate of its football student-athletes.

At the heart of this success lies an unshakeable commitment to the quality of the total student-athlete experience, in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. And a vital part of a first-rate experience for our students is the support of Duke fans; it means so much to our players to see you in the stands on game-day. I hope as many Blue Devils as possible will join us in cheering for our team in the Sun Bowl on December 27th in El Paso. At the same time, I recognize that it’s a long trip during a challenging time of the year. So as an alternative, we ask you to show your support for the Blue Devils and help turn the Sun Bowl Blue by purchasing a ticket or tickets to be distributed to servicemen, their families, and underprivileged youth. For only $50, not only will you provide a game ticket for these deserving individuals to cheer on our Blue Devils, but they will also receive a Duke blue football t-shirt to wear during the game. We want to do whatever we can to fill the house and provide our team with a great game-day atmosphere. Simply click here to order your Hyundai Sun Bowl tickets for donation. For these donated tickets, you will receive gift-in-kind credit on your Iron Dukes account, and will also receive a tax receipt.

Finally, your purchase of tickets for the Sun Bowl will benefit future Blue Devil teams, as well. Ticket sales for this year’s Sun Bowl will have a distinct impact on Duke’s attractiveness for bowl invitations in the future. In the past two years we have started to establish a strong tradition of support for our team in bowl games; we’re counting on you as Iron Dukes to step up and demonstrate once again that the Blue Devils have the best fans in all of college athletics.

See you in El Paso!

Regards,

Kevin White
Vice President and Director of Athletics"

[Bluedog]

Maybe this was already mentioned, but tickets are free for current Duke undergraduate and graduate students:

http://www.dukechronicle.com/blogs/bluezone/posts/2014/12/08/duke-offers-students-free-tickets-hyundai-sun-bowl#.VIhvknvGpNk


For the second straight year, a group of generous donors has teamed up with Duke Athletics to give free tickets to Duke students for team's postseason bowl game.

Nice! Obviously, the costs of getting there and staying there are fairly significant, however. The $47 pricetag for a ticket actually sounds reasonable in this day and age. I thought they would be more. Hopefully, we have a decent showing and the stadium isn't completely red and yellow.

[killerleft]

From Iron Dukes this morning:

"The success of Duke Football under Coach David Cutcliffe has been nothing short of remarkable: 25 wins over the last three years, an ACC Coastal Division championship in 2013, three consecutive bowl bids for the first time in Duke history. And all of this has been accomplished without compromising the academic standards of the university. Duke remains among the leaders nationally in the Graduation Success Rate of its football student-athletes.

At the heart of this success lies an unshakeable commitment to the quality of the total student-athlete experience, in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. And a vital part of a first-rate experience for our students is the support of Duke fans; it means so much to our players to see you in the stands on game-day. I hope as many Blue Devils as possible will join us in cheering for our team in the Sun Bowl on December 27th in El Paso. At the same time, I recognize that it’s a long trip during a challenging time of the year. So as an alternative, we ask you to show your support for the Blue Devils and help turn the Sun Bowl Blue by purchasing a ticket or tickets to be distributed to servicemen, their families, and underprivileged youth. For only $50, not only will you provide a game ticket for these deserving individuals to cheer on our Blue Devils, but they will also receive a Duke blue football t-shirt to wear during the game. We want to do whatever we can to fill the house and provide our team with a great game-day atmosphere. Simply click here to order your Hyundai Sun Bowl tickets for donation. For these donated tickets, you will receive gift-in-kind credit on your Iron Dukes account, and will also receive a tax receipt.

Finally, your purchase of tickets for the Sun Bowl will benefit future Blue Devil teams, as well. Ticket sales for this year’s Sun Bowl will have a distinct impact on Duke’s attractiveness for bowl invitations in the future. In the past two years we have started to establish a strong tradition of support for our team in bowl games; we’re counting on you as Iron Dukes to step up and demonstrate once again that the Blue Devils have the best fans in all of college athletics.

See you in El Paso!

Regards,

Kevin White
Vice President and Director of Athletics"

I just made a ticket donation as a token of my appreciation for Duke Football, Cut, and the school's continued commitment to having a fine athletic program in general. That this is all done without gaining unfair advantages on our opponents makes my small donation so easy to give.

I challenge all Duke fans and grads who cannot make the game to do the same. Not only will we potentially put more Duke fans in seats at this game; future bowls may favorably look upon our team with favor because of it.

As always, Go Duke!

[budwom]

OK, so I clicked the "here" in Kevin White's note and only got sent to the Sun Bowl ticket site, saw no option for donating which is what I'd like to do.
Where do you find something that indicates you're donating?

[BigWayne]

OK, so I clicked the "here" in Kevin White's note and only got sent to the Sun Bowl ticket site, saw no option for donating which is what I'd like to do.
Where do you find something that indicates you're donating?

Try this link. (https://tkt.xosn.com/tickets/TicketHome.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=4200&_MODE_=EVENTSELECT&SALE_TKT_EVENT_ID=609520) It lists a $47 option to buy tickets and a $50 option to do the donation thing.

[IsInTheDetails]

OK, so I clicked the "here" in Kevin White's note and only got sent to the Sun Bowl ticket site, saw no option for donating which is what I'd like to do.
Where do you find something that indicates you're donating?

For an easier, old-fashioned approach, just give the nice folks in Duke's ticket office a call: 919.668.9235. They'll have you squared away in no time.

[Tripping William]

Try this link. (https://tkt.xosn.com/tickets/TicketHome.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=4200&_MODE_=EVENTSELECT&SALE_TKT_EVENT_ID=609520) It lists a $47 option to buy tickets and a $50 option to do the donation thing.

I cannot make it to the game, but ordered two Outreach tickets on Monday. At that time, it said you should simply put "Outreach" in the comments section of the $47 ticket option. I hope I didn't goof this up . . . .

[killerleft]

For an easier, old-fashioned approach, just give the nice folks in Duke's ticket office a call: 919.668.9235. They'll have you squared away in no time.

I couldn't figure out the link details either, so the old phone call was just what the doctor ordered.

[devildeac]

Page 2? WTH?

Just got an email from the Duke Alumni Association about a pre-game party. For $45 you get a buffet of Southwest-style favorites, open bar with beer, wine and specialty drinks, tailgating games and a special Duke Alumni stadium-approved bag filled with Duke goodies. (Don't shoot me, I'm only repeating the email here:p.) That doesn't sound too bad compared to some of the "deals" they've offered at other Duke events (cough, cough, Miami FB game this year).

[Reilly]

... That doesn't sound too bad compared to some of the "deals" they've offered at other Duke events (cough, cough, Miami FB game this year).

Actually, I was sort of interested in learning what all could be had for $115 in the greater El Paso/Juarez metropolitan area ...

[OldPhiKap]

The pre-game to-do at the Peach-fil-A Bowl was pretty happening last year.

The Sun Bowl starts at noon local time -- not sure I'm gonna do much of a tailgate. A Bloody Mary and some huevos con chorizo sounds more pre-gamish to me.

Depends in large part whether I get my Juarez tat Friday night, or wait until Saturday.

[Reilly]

... Depends in large part whether I get my Juarez tat Friday night, or wait until Saturday.

Saturday would seem to make more sense. That way, you can incorporate a game scene -- Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo taking down the ASU QB across your back or something ... or, God forbid, a teardrop below your eye if we lose ...

[OldPhiKap]

Saturday would seem to make more sense. That way, you can incorporate a game scene -- Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo taking down the ASU QB across your back or something ... or, God forbid, a teardrop below your eye if we lose ...

Valid point. Although I was thinking of "Born to be Hated" on one bicep, and "Dying to be Loved" on the other.

In Spanish, of course.

I am changing my signature block accordingly.

[YmoBeThere]

Brisket breakfast tacos are the rage in the circles I run in here in San Antone.

[hurleyfor3]

Valid point. Although I was thinking of "Born to be Hated" on one bicep, and "Dying to be Loved" on the other.

In Spanish, of course.

I am changing my signature block accordingly.

You're going to nail that job interview you have with MS-13, I can tell.

[Henderson]

But since it's in the desert, it's a dry nine points....

Duke is an 8 point underdog now. And Florida State is a 9 point underdog to Oregon. That last bit surprised me.

[Reilly]

News from the Phx paper: Ariz St saying all the right things yet still seem down/disappointed ... their possibly-NFL-bound WR is not 100% ... they benched their 3-year starter QB during the last game so a bit of unhappiness there ...

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2014/12/12/sun-devils-say-plenty-play-sun-bowl/20331503/

[Reilly]

report on Duke's first bowl practice ...

http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=3601592&db_oem_id=4200

[Reilly]

List of gifts that various bowls give:

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2014/12/05/Colleges/Bowl-gifts.aspx

Sun Bowl: Timely Watch Co. watch; Ogio Politan backpack;
Helen of Troy hair dryer; Majestic fleece pullover; Top of the World cap

[Dukehky]

Valid point. Although I was thinking of "Born to be Hated" on one bicep, and "Dying to be Loved" on the other.

In Spanish, of course.

I am changing my signature block accordingly.

I saw Rashad at the Durham DMV in 2010. They let him cut everyone in line, which I was originally peeved at. When he walked out the door I said, "born to be hated!!!" and he turned, saw my Duke hoodie and gave me a huge smile, wave, and up nod. I've been a McCants fan ever since. The Henry Hill of UNC basketball. Devils operate in worlds with devils, you can't expect angels to be there to testify against devils (not blue devils).

--Last sentence was some kind of paraphrasing from "Playing for the Mob" about said Henry Hill case.

[Reilly]

Cut was in El Paso for a media event ...

http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?&db_oem_id=4200&id=3604242

[nmduke2001]

List of gifts that various bowls give:

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2014/12/05/Colleges/Bowl-gifts.aspx

Sun Bowl: Timely Watch Co. watch; Ogio Politan backpack;
Helen of Troy hair dryer; Majestic fleece pullover; Top of the World cap

A hair dryer? That is, by far, the most random gift of all the bowls.

[brevity]

List of gifts that various bowls give:

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2014/12/05/Colleges/Bowl-gifts.aspx

Sun Bowl: Timely Watch Co. watch; Ogio Politan backpack;
Helen of Troy hair dryer; Majestic fleece pullover; Top of the World cap


A hair dryer? That is, by far, the most random gift of all the bowls.

Not any hair dryer, but a Helen of Troy hair dryer. Nations go to war over products like that. It's just a form of appreciation.

By eBay reselling standards, I think Duke players could part with a hair dryer easier than Carolina players could sell the custom-made Fathead versions of themselves.

[Faustus]

Presumably a Helen of Troy hairdryer could launch a thousand ships. That's a pretty powerful hairdryer in my book. The only p[roblem is, after ten years or so, you have to return it to Greece.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Presumably a Helen of Troy hairdryer could launch a thousand ships. That's a pretty powerful hairdryer in my book. The only p[roblem is, after ten years or so, you have to return it to Greece.
Yes, but with the Timely Watch Company watch, you'll know when your time is up.

[OldPhiKap]

Yes, but with the Timely Watch Company watch, you'll know when your time is up.

Unless someone pulls the fleece over your eyes.

[Reilly]

Presumably a Helen of Troy hairdryer could launch a thousand ships ...

Helen of Troy's face launched a thousand ships. The Helen of Troy hairdryer launched a thousand electrical fires.

[Duvall]

Per Duke football, Duke has sold 4000 tickets to the Sun Bowl, nearly double the ACC allotment. (https://mobile.twitter.com/Duke_FB/status/545006736403619842?p=v)

[OldPhiKap]

Per Duke football, Duke has sold 4000 tickets to the Sun Bowl, nearly double the ACC allotment. (https://mobile.twitter.com/Duke_FB/status/545006736403619842?p=v)

Good news. Wonder how Az.st. Is doing though. Much closer, but disappointed fan base from what I can gather.

[hurleyfor3]

Helen of Troy's face launched a thousand ships. The Helen of Troy hairdryer launched a thousand electrical fires.

How many hairdryers would you need to launch, say, a 35-foot boat with mainsail and jib? Someone ask Randall Munroe.

[OldPhiKap]

Not to double-post, but GoDuke.com (free!) has three outstanding short videos up -- an interview with Cut, an interview with the Sun Devil Coach, and an interview with a rep from the Sun Bowl. Worth watching before they get scrolled off the spool.

And btw, how about a huge shout out to Dave Harding? Outstanding job all year.

Man, I am pumped!

[Bob Green]

I watched a lot of Arizona State video clips on ESPN.com this afternoon. I watched clips from their games against Washington, Stanford, Colorado and Washington State. A few observations:

1. They love to blitz and play man-to-man in the secondary. We can exploit this.

2. ASU has the ability to run the ball. We are going to have to respect their run game.

3. QB Taylor Kelly (#10) is effective when he passes the ball quickly. When he sits in the pocket, it appears he becomes indecisive.

4. WR Jaelen Strong (#21) is a beast. We will have to know where he is at all times.

5. DL Marcus Hardison (#1) is a dominant performer.

[OldPhiKap]

I watched a lot of Arizona State video clips on ESPN.com this afternoon. I watched clips from their games against Washington, Stanford, Colorado and Washington State. A few observations:

1. They love to blitz and play man-to-man in the secondary. We can exploit this.

Hope we learned from VT. Sounds similar; we did not handle that too well.

2. ASU has the ability to run the ball. We are going to have to respect their run game.

Is it mainly a single runner like Pitt and Miami, or a stable?

3. QB Taylor Kelly (#10) is effective when he passes the ball quickly. When he sits in the pocket, it appears he becomes indecisive.

Pass rush not our strong suit -- need some nice pressure from different spots. Again, not something we do often.

4. WR Jaelen Strong (#21) is a beast. We will have to know where he is at all times.

Ugh.

5. DL Marcus Hardison (#1) is a dominant performer..

Like our O line.

Really tough match; best team we have played so far. But several weeks to prepare, and a great coach with an experienced team. We can do this.

Go Duke!

[duke09hms]

Per Duke football, Duke has sold 4000 tickets to the Sun Bowl, nearly double the ACC allotment. (https://mobile.twitter.com/Duke_FB/status/545006736403619842?p=v)

Seems like great news! Much better than expected given the distance between El Paso and major Duke alumni centers. What does "ACC allotment" mean?

[jimsumner]

Really tough match; best team we have played so far. But several weeks to prepare, and a great coach with an experienced team. We can do this.

Go Duke!

Georgia Tech was/is pretty good.

[OldPhiKap]

Georgia Tech was/is pretty good.

True, but this is a more balanced team I think. And GT was stronger at the end than they were when they played us I think; their games with UGa and FSU were at least the best they played all year (Clemson had their less effective QB playing when they met, although that still is a good win).

FBS season rankings, for what they are worth:

Team--PassingYds--RushingYds--PointsFor--PointsAgainst

Duke-----81st----------47th---------45th-------20th
GT-------122nd----------3rd---------18th-------52nd
Az.St.----29th----------59th---------18th-------75th

Should be a shoot-out, if we can hold our end of the equation up. Whether this is a tougher match for us than GT depends in part on how you feel about our run defense as opposed to our pass defense.

[Reilly]

Forecast high temps in El Paso for Dec 22 (day Duke arrives) through Dec 26 (Sun Bowl eve) -- with that 68 on Christmas.

[Reilly]

Per the SRS at http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2014-ratings.html,

GT is the 12th best team and ASU is the 17th best team [Duke is #41].

GT has the 5th best Offense, and ASU the 14th best Offense [Duke #42].

GT has the 47th best Defense, and ASU the 49th best Defense [Duke is #40].

GT is a 1-trick pony w/ their O, and we've learned how to play it over the years, and they helped us w/ bad turnovers. ASU strikes me/scares me as much more dynamic, with their stud 1,000 yrd, projected 1st or 2d round WR, and their stud 1,000 yrd RB who has a lot of receptions as well, and their senior QB w/ QB ratings in the mid 140s for his whole career (levels Renfree never reached I don't think and certainly not Boone).

GT played the 30th toughest sched; ASU the 36th; Duke the 78th.

What these numbers don't totally account for (I guess) are kicking teams, and intangibles like happy to be in the bowl, and uber-prepared. I hope we can make up some ground on ASU w/ our kicking teams, and by being the more energetic, focused, prepared team.

Our offensive numbers from 2013 and 2014 are sort of similar (I think) yet for some reason I feel a lot worse about our O this year -- maybe due to recent VT and UNC struggles ... not sure exactly why.

[Reilly]

Kevin White was the athletic director at ASU .... now at Duke.

I'd love to see Pro Football HOFers Sonny Jurgensen and Charley Taylor come out for the coin toss. I'm pretty sure my first NFL jersey was a Charley Taylor model, and he's who I was in the backyard, running the down-and-out in the 2 minute drill w/ my brother as QB, a non-existent defense, and us counting down the seconds, and always making the winning score ....

[AustinDevil]

Seems like great news! Much better than expected given the distance between El Paso and major Duke alumni centers. What does "ACC allotment" mean?

I'm curious what "ACC allotment" means as well. I'm buying a couple of donation tickets. I can't believe Duke finally has a bowl game in Texas and I'll be in Dublin (and not the one in Texas that until recently had the good Dr Pepper). Of course, all of the Louisiana bowls are closer to Austin than Austin is to El Paso, but still ...

[OldPhiKap]

Looks like the line is now 7.5 with an over/under of 65.5. Shootout.

[Bob Green]

Looks like the line is now 7.5 with an over/under of 65.5. Shootout.

Duke 37, Arizona State 29 works for me.

[Olympic Fan]

I'm curious what "ACC allotment" means as well. I'm buying a couple of donation tickets. I can't believe Duke finally has a bowl game in Texas and I'll be in Dublin (and not the one in Texas that until recently had the good Dr Pepper). Of course, all of the Louisiana bowls are closer to Austin than Austin is to El Paso, but still ...

I don't know the exact number, but when the ACC negotiates a deal with any bowl, the contract stipulates that the competing team MUST buy a certain number of tickets (it's different for different bowls). If those tickets are unsold, the cost of the unsold tickets is deducted from the bowl payouts.

I'm assuming that the "ACC allotment" is the number of tickets the ACC team must sell.

I'm sure the Sun Bowl -- a fairly small stadium with terrific local support (they sell out almost every year) -- has a small allotment. If the story is true that Duke's 4,000 tickets are more than twice the allotment, then I assume we were obligated to sell 2,000-2,500.

This is GREAT news for the future. Two years ago, Duke sold more tickets for the Belk Bowl than any other ACC bowl team sold that year. Our sales for the Chick-fil-A Bowl were terrific. Now this -- great sales for a distant bowl. That's going to factor in when it comes to future bowl selections.

[hedevil]

I haven't posted for quite a while, although I do check in on the board on a daily basis. We are El Pasoans who happen to be lifelong Duke fans. We are surprising our children with tickets(already purchased) to the bowl game. They are going to be thrilled to see a Duke game in person. We have always wanted to make it to a game in Cameron, so for the meantime this is the next best thing. Duke fans might be outnumbered at the game, but we'll do our best to show support for our Blue Devils.

[AustinDevil]

I don't know the exact number, but when the ACC negotiates a deal with any bowl, the contract stipulates that the competing team MUST buy a certain number of tickets (it's different for different bowls). If those tickets are unsold, the cost of the unsold tickets is deducted from the bowl payouts.

I'm assuming that the "ACC allotment" is the number of tickets the ACC team must sell.

I'm sure the Sun Bowl -- a fairly small stadium with terrific local support (they sell out almost every year) -- has a small allotment. If the story is true that Duke's 4,000 tickets are more than twice the allotment, then I assume we were obligated to sell 2,000-2,500.

This is GREAT news for the future. Two years ago, Duke sold more tickets for the Belk Bowl than any other ACC bowl team sold that year. Our sales for the Chick-fil-A Bowl were terrific. Now this -- great sales for a distant bowl. That's going to factor in when it comes to future bowl selections.

Thanks - I knew most of that, just not that the commitment varies quite a bit bowl by bowl.

Agree it's great news!

[Reilly]

... We are El Pasoans who happen to be lifelong Duke fans. We are surprising our children with tickets(already purchased) to the bowl game. They are going to be thrilled to see a Duke game in person ...

Sounds like a terrific family gathering.

Is there a chance the locals at the game (who follow UTEP) do not like Arizona State and would like to see them lose, so will be rooting strongly for Duke?

It looks like UTEP and ASU have played 49 times in history, from 1925 to 2004. ASU leads the series 33-13-3.

From 1951 to 1978, UTEP and ASU played every year, and ASU was 25-3 over that 28-year span against UTEP.

From 1968 to 1977, both were in the WAC, and over those ten years, ASU won 91 games (9.1/season) and UTEP won 28 games (2.8/season).

[OldPhiKap]

I haven't posted for quite a while, although I do check in on the board on a daily basis. We are El Pasoans who happen to be lifelong Duke fans. We are surprising our children with tickets(already purchased) to the bowl game. They are going to be thrilled to see a Duke game in person. We have always wanted to make it to a game in Cameron, so for the meantime this is the next best thing. Duke fans might be outnumbered at the game, but we'll do our best to show support for our Blue Devils.

Excellent!

Where are some good places to eat? L&J Cafe? Anywhere in walking distance of UTEP?

Great gift for the kids. Go Duke!

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

Looks like the guys will be the lucky receivers of an epic Helen Of Troy Hair Dryer. Also included in the gift suite is a watch, a fleece pullover and a top of the world hat. I am sure a ton of Duke moms will be getting awesome Hair Dryers here in the near future.

[Henderson]

Looks like the guys will be the lucky receivers of an epic Helen Of Troy Hair Dryer. Also included in the gift suite is a watch, a fleece pullover and a top of the world hat. I am sure a ton of Duke moms will be getting awesome Hair Dryers here in the near future.

A hair dryer in the desert southwest is about as weird as a Top of the World hat at 32 degrees of north latitude. But hey, El Paso does sit at 3740 feet which puts them 13.8% toward the top of the world.

I love swag. It's my favorite thing about professional conferences. If anyone needs a flashlight pen, a carabiner key chain, or calculator, I'm your man. Come the zombie apocolypse, you guys who can't find your keys in the dark and are unable to calculate at night the quantity of blood you can lose before the Zombies overwhelm you... Yeah, you will be dreaming of swag.

[hedevil]

Sounds like a terrific family gathering. Is there a chance the locals at the game (who follow UTEP) do not like Arizona State and would like to see them lose, so will be rooting strongly for Duke?It looks like UTEP and ASU have played 49 times in history, from 1925 to 2004. ASU leads the series 33-13-3.From 1951 to 1978, UTEP and ASU played every year, and ASU was 25-3 over that 28-year span against UTEP.From 1968 to 1977, both were in the WAC, and over those ten years, ASU won 91 games (9.1/season) and UTEP won 28 games (2.8/season).

Due to the history between the two teams, there is a possibility that the hometown fans could lean towards Duke. In past bowls, the El Paso fans tend to be mostly neutral. Mainly in attendance to enjoy two out of state teams competing in a bowl atmosphere. Certain things visitors can expect in El Paso: Great weather, authentic mexican food, safe city, great hospitality, western history, and a lot of hispanic culture. We've enjoyed some of the past bowl games, but this is extra special for us.

[hedevil]

OldPhiKap - Excellent!Where are some good places to eat? L&J Cafe? Anywhere in walking distance of UTEP?Great gift for the kids. Go Duke!

Thank you. They will love it.
L&J's is definitely worth a visit. The sopapillas(I think I spelled that correctly) are a must. They come plain or with cinnamon. As to walking distance to UTEP, the Rib Hut is a good BBQ establishment. We live on the far side of the city from UTEP, so we don't eat around there too often. I can tell you that you will have plenty of options. Mesa street is filled with dining options. Mesa runs right by the college and is lined with everything from restaurants, diners, night clubs, to bars. Friday and Saturday nights can get hectic. If you have a chance you can visit the Fountains of Farrah. It is a recently constructed outdoor mall(across the street from one of the indoor malls, Cielo Vista)about 15 minutes from UTEP, driving time. Fun place to walk and browse. It is worth a visit, if possible.

[OldPhiKap]

OldPhiKap - Excellent!Where are some good places to eat? L&J Cafe? Anywhere in walking distance of UTEP?Great gift for the kids. Go Duke!

Thank you. They will love it.
L&J's is definitely worth a visit. The sopapillas(I think I spelled that correctly) are a must. They come plain or with cinnamon. As to walking distance to UTEP, the Rib Hut is a good BBQ establishment. We live on the far side of the city from UTEP, so we don't eat around there too often. I can tell you that you will have plenty of options. Mesa street is filled with dining options. Mesa runs right by the college and is lined with everything from restaurants, diners, night clubs, to bars. Friday and Saturday nights can get hectic. If you have a chance you can visit the Fountains of Farrah. It is a recently constructed outdoor mall(across the street from one of the indoor malls, Cielo Vista)about 15 minutes from UTEP, driving time. Fun place to walk and browse. It is worth a visit, if possible.

Excellent, thanks

[CameronBornAndBred]

#13 out of 38 bowls. That's a decent ranking, and is where MSN places the Sun Bowl matchup in their list.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/ranking-the-bowls-from-worst-to-first/ss-BBgQShf#image=27

[hurleyfor3]

I love swag. It's my favorite thing about professional conferences. If anyone needs a flashlight pen, a carabiner key chain, or calculator, I'm your man. Come the zombie apocolypse, you guys who can't find your keys in the dark and are unable to calculate at night the quantity of blood you can lose before the Zombies overwhelm you... Yeah, you will be dreaming of swag.

My retirement fund consists of Lehman Brothers swag.

[Reilly]

Article on Duke selling 4K tix, w/ it looks like 1.5K o that nmber donated to military members ...

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209815881&DB_OEM_ID=4200

[Reilly]

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209815987&DB_OEM_ID=4200

neat video story on the o-line, and an out of this world feature on Boone's and Crowder's moms (shown previously on Cut's tv show, it looks like)

From the photos, it looks like we wore a diffrent uniform combo in all 9 of our wins ....

[Reilly]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12041054/duke-blue-devils-football-players-bonded-tragedy

[OldPhiKap]

Bump

[Reilly]

Team traveled to El Paso today, right?

[Reilly]

https://twitter.com/BlueDevil_NTWRK/status/547194460640002048

Looks like a man enjoying his life ....

[OldPhiKap]

Team traveled to El Paso today, right?

I think that's right. We also need to adjust to the altitude, about 3,700-3,800 feet +/-. Not radical, but not ACC.

Trying to come up with my own altitude adjustment regimen -- all ideas welcome.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

The team usually arrives early in the bowl week.

The big rig carrying the equipment arrived yesterday or today.

There are many local activities planned for the two teams by most host committees, so last minute arrivals just don't work.

[devildeac]

I think that's right. We also need to adjust to the altitude, about 3,700-3,800 feet +/-. Not radical, but not ACC.

Trying to come up with my own altitude adjustment regimen -- all ideas welcome.

1. Shiner Christmas Ale
2. Tequila
3. A visit here: http://thehoppymonk.com/elpaso/new-arrivals

Oh, wait. Sorry. You said altitude.:o

[OldPhiKap]

1. Shiner Christmas Ale
2. Tequila
3. A visit here: http://thehoppymonk.com/elpaso/new-arrivals

Oh, wait. Sorry. You said altitude.:o

1. I have yet to have a Shiner that didn't taste like some nasty mass-produced brew. But always willing to look.
2. Given.
3. Close to hotel, open late. Win-win.

Altitude and attitude are closely aligned. It's all about operating on a higher plane.

[Reilly]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2015/story/_/id/12068574/2015-nfl-draft-jaelen-strong-arizona-state-sun-devils-enters-draft

[Tappan Zee Devil]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2015/story/_/id/12068574/2015-nfl-draft-jaelen-strong-arizona-state-sun-devils-enters-draft

OK - but I assume he will still play in the bowl game.

[subzero02]

OK - but I assume he will still play in the bowl game.

That's not a safe assumption if Jay-Z gets his ear ;-)

[hurleyfor3]

I think that's right. We also need to adjust to the altitude, about 3,700-3,800 feet +/-. Not radical, but not ACC.

Trying to come up with my own altitude adjustment regimen -- all ideas welcome.

I could drop down a mile and *still* be higher than that.

[peloton]

A few things:

1) HurleyParaTres (in the spirit of the Sun Bowl in El Paso), I hope you're enjoying the weather there now ;). I'm afraid it'd be much too cold for this native North Carolinian but after finally heading west of the Mississippi a few years ago with family and seeing some of Colorado (during August though), it does indeed have some beautiful scenery.

2) Like any Duke football fan, I'm very excited to see how the guys respond to the challenge of playing a solid Sun Devils team this Saturday. We're going to have to play very well to return to Durham with the Hyundai Sun Bowl winner's trophy. Although we certainly don't have an impossible task ahead of us, most would agree that we definitely have a formidable one before us. That said, we are capable of winning this game for our first bowl victory since 1961.

3) I thoroughly enjoyed the video of Coach Cut and the team being greeted in El Paso...worth watching if you haven't yet. Whatever the result of the game this Saturday, these young men will have some special memories for the rest of their lives.

4) Go Duke! Let's win the Devils Bowl and make more Duke football history...this team has the talent, ability, and experience to do it.

[Bob Green]

Altitude and attitude are closely aligned.

The Sailor in me says it is latitude and attitude which are closely aligned.

[Bob Green]

Here is a photo gallery of the team's arrival in El Paso:

http://photos.elpasotimes.com/2014/12/22/photos-duke-arrives-for-sun-bowl/#1

[OldPhiKap]

I could drop down a mile and *still* be higher than that.

In Colorado, altitude is only a secondary consideration to how hi -- er, never mind.



The Sailor in me says it is latitude and attitude which are closely aligned.

Sounds more like the Jimmy Buffett pirate in you. ;-)


Agree wholeheartedly with peleton's excellent post. LGD!

[devildeac]

I could drop down a mile and *still* be higher than that.

A statement like that coming from Colorado still might require some additional clarification:rolleyes:.

[devildeac]

1. I have yet to have a Shiner that didn't taste like some nasty mass-produced brew. But always willing to look.
2. Given.
3. Close to hotel, open late. Win-win.

Altitude and attitude are closely aligned. It's all about operating on a higher plane.

That's about the only Shiner brew I'd recommend;).

[devildeac]

The Sailor in me says it is latitude and attitude which are closely aligned.


Did you mean this?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpsTRbJKoa0

(I see OPK kinda/sorta beat me to it but I've got Mr. Link included:D.)

[hurleyfor3]

A statement like that coming from Colorado still might require some additional clarification:rolleyes:.

The elevation of Sun Bowl Stadium looks to be 3920' to the nearest contour line, so in fact it's some 40 feet less than a mile.

[devildeac]

The elevation of Sun Bowl Stadium looks to be 3920' to the nearest contour line, so in fact it's some 40 feet less than a mile.

Thanks! Still high, but not by Colorado standards.;)

[OldPhiKap]

The elevation of Sun Bowl Stadium looks to be 3920' to the nearest contour line, so in fact it's some 40 feet less than a mile.

Isn't it 1,360 feet short?

Of course, my seats are about halfway up the bowl. And I will be standing on my chair. So, like, I'm practically there.

(And I don't know what the Mile High Club is, but that commercial from Carl, Jr. sure makes me hungry)

[CameronBornAndBred]

The elevation of Sun Bowl Stadium looks to be 3920' to the nearest contour line, so in fact it's some 40 feet less than a mile.
I'm hoping we are doing lots of running this week.

[DukeDevil]

http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/78662/duke-has-one-objective-bowl-win?ex_cid=espnapi_public

Article I didn't see posted in the thread yet from ESPN, some nice quotes.

Go Duke!!!

[peloton]

I'm hoping we are doing lots of running this week.

In more than one way...both in practice and during the game! I look for The Stable to have a big game and take some pressure off Anthony.

[Kfanarmy]

Isn't it 1,360 feet short?

Of course, my seats are about halfway up the bowl. And I will be standing on my chair. So, like, I'm practically there.

(And I don't know what the Mile High Club is, but that commercial from Carl, Jr. sure makes me hungry)


1,340 anyone? those 20' matter.

[killerleft]

I'm hoping we are doing lots of running this week.

Agreed. That means we're doing very ... oh! Never mind.

Go Duke! It's high time we won a bowl game. I wish I was there.

[jimsumner]

Agreed. That means we're doing very ... oh! Never mind.

Go Duke! It's high time we won a bowl game. I wish I was there.

"High time?" I see what you did there. :)

[peloton]

Losing yet another bowl game would be a drag! (nothing like low hanging fruit) Hopefully Cut will say to the team early on, "smoke 'em if you got 'em!" :D I'm not a smoker mind you, but I say, "let's smoke 'em!"

[Reilly]

Will be a difference-maker. Will get it done.

[hurleyfor3]

Isn't it 1,360 feet short?

I'm at 9156 feet (http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicv/vfiles31638.jpg). (What are you confusing here with, Aspen?) That minus 3920 is 5236.

[AncientPsychicT]

I'm at 9156 feet (http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicv/vfiles31638.jpg). (What are you confusing here with, Aspen?) That minus 3920 is 5236.

[explaining the joke] 3920 feet is 1360 feet short of 5280 feet. [/explaining the joke]

:cool:

[OldPhiKap]

I'm at 9156 feet (http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicv/vfiles31638.jpg). (What are you confusing here with, Aspen?) That minus 3920 is 5236.


[explaining the joke] 3920 feet is 1360 feet short of 5280 feet. [/explaining the joke]

:cool:

"Um, I was under the impression that there would not be any math on this test . . . ."

[Indoor66]

"Um, I was under the impression that there would not be any math on this test . . . ."

You must have gone to uncrap.

[Henderson]

3920 feet? OMG, El Paso is a giant millipede! Kill it, Duke!

[Reilly]

[deleted on edit]

[Bob Green]

Here is my stab at an Arizona State scouting report and Sun Bowl preview:

http://bluedevilnation.net/2014/12/sun-bowl-preview-arizona-state-vs-duke/


The Sun Devils are a powerful offensive team, which averages 37 points per game and features a 1,000 yard receiver and a 1,000 yard rusher.

[Reilly]

asu qb article

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2014/12/22/asu-football-sun-bowl-taylor-kelly-duke/20767933/

[Reilly]

looks like the boys are having fun .... also, the video of the first el paso practice and interviews seems to show a good intensity ...

http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/pl...200&id=3625693

[Bob Green]

Not the combo I was wishing for but whatever...

4595

...just win the game!

[wavedukefan70s]

My pick is duke 34 asu 28. I believe the defense can use the bump off the line and disrupt the timing routes.the hook routes with the db's having to hedge on the run and leaving the flats open is my only real concern.

[uh_no]

My pick is duke 34 asu 28. I believe the defense can use the bump off the line and disrupt the timing routes.the hook routes with the db's having to hedge on the run and leaving the flats open is my only real concern.

my biggest question is which offense will show up?

tear it up in the peach bowl last year? or stink it up vs VT and others this year?

[peloton]

I am somewhat envious of Anthony Boone (and the entire team) in that they have a real chance to make Duke football history with a victory in this game, as we all know. While the Sun Devils are a formidable foe (especially offensively), this is definitely a winnable game if we play as we're capable of playing. I'm sure many of us are asking the same question as uh_no...will the potent, run and pass effectively offense show up or will the stumbling, bumbling, mistake prone offense rear its ugly head again? If the former, I like this team's chances of making history. How motivated and just as important, how disciplined will they be come Saturday? I'm hoping that this game will be an absolute dogfight...if so, I like our chances to win with a Ross Martin field goal. Here's hoping that the team seizes this opportunity that they've earned and takes it to the Sun Devils!

[OldPhiKap]

Sorry if this was posted before, but a really good preview of the game from an Arizona State perspective. Always interesting to see your team through the eyes of (what seems like) a knowledgeable observer who probably hasn't thought about Duke until two weeks ago:

http://arizonastate.scout.com/story/1495477-duke-preview?s=43

[OldPhiKap]

Sorry if this was posted before, but a really good preview of the game from an Arizona State perspective. Always interesting to see your team through the eyes of (what seems like) a knowledgeable observer who probably hasn't thought about Duke until two weeks ago:

http://arizonastate.scout.com/story/1495477-duke-preview?s=43

BTW, found this Scout chat room:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=43&f=1679&t=13504797

Not sure if it is the big one for them, but at least Ctivity. Saw that "NavyBob" (wonder who) posted, and I did too. It would be nice to strike up some conversation, so I give the link. Please, no barking -- we are guests there, and we're not IC.

LGD!

[Jim3k]

Two ASU stories from the Arizona Republic

Scouting report and prediction (http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2014/12/24/asu-duke-football-sun-bowl-scouting-report-prediction/20860007/)

Quarterback questions
(http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2014/12/24/mike-bercovici-arizona-state-football-taylor-kelly/20827839/)
Hometown paper with appropriate hometown optimism.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I was going back through some photos and found a fun comparison, especially as we head into our third straight bowl game. This is a photo from the first Devil's walk before Duke beat JMU in Cutcliffe's first game, followed by 2 photos from this season. Compare how Blue Devil Alley looked then to now. :D

4597 4598 4599

[Indoor66]

I was going back through some photos and found a fun comparison, especially as we head into our third straight bowl game. This is a photo from the first Devil's walk before Duke beat JMU in Cutcliffe's first game, followed by 2 photos from this season. Compare how Blue Devil Alley looked then to now. :D

4597 4598 4599

That is amazing. It is a testament to the success of Coach Cut AND your loyalty.

[YmoBeThere]

Forecast for Saturday is similar to the NYC area. Might as well have been the Pinstripe BowL, LOL.

[Reilly]

I was going back through some photos and found a fun comparison, especially as we head into our third straight bowl game. This is a photo from the first Devil's walk before Duke beat JMU in Cutcliffe's first game, followed by 2 photos from this season. Compare how Blue Devil Alley looked then to now. :D

4597 4598 4599


That is amazing. It is a testament to the success of Coach Cut AND your loyalty.

A little bit of an apples and oranges comparison, given the Blue Devil Walk before the JMU game started at the west campus bus stop in front of the Chapel -- there was a very large crowd there on Main West -- I was in the photo on the front page of the next day's Durham Morning Herald ... eventually they made the walk just down Blue Devil Alley ...

[Thurber Whyte]

Forecast for Saturday is similar to the NYC area. Might as well have been the Pinstripe BowL, LOL.

I was originally rooting for Duke to go to the Pinstripe Bowl. New York is an easy train ride for me. As a Ravens season ticket holder, I have all the cold weather gear I need for watching football in December and January so weather would not have been a problem. The one downside of the Pinstripe Bowl is the stupidity of watching football in a baseball stadium. Yeah, that was a thing 50 years ago before pro football managed to nose ahead of professional wrestling in terms of prestige. There is no reason to do it today. Look at this photo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yankee_Stadium_Football.jpg). Is there a good seat anywhere?

My only concern with the Sun Bowl was making travel arrangements for a medium sized city during the Christmas travel season. However, Mrs. Whyte, who is a wiz at travel, had my flight and hotel booked within hours of Duke receiving its assignment. With that taken care of, I am really excited. The Sun Bowl, to my mind, is a better, more established bowl. I am looking forward to Texas barbecue. Although, I am not sure exactly where my seats are, they are somewhere on the sideline in an actual football stadium.

[Reilly]

http://www.dukechronicle.com/blogs/bluezone/posts/2014/12/25/highlights-sun-bowl-coordinator-press-conferences-christmas-day#.VJyerV4AB4

[subzero02]

I just realized our kickoff is the same time as the UK/Louisville tipoff... Oh well

[YmoBeThere]

I just realized our kickoff is the same time as the UK/Louisville tipoff... Oh well

Should this be in the how not obsessed we are with KY thread?

[Reilly]

And Godspeed and good luck to those living more dangerously such as with trips to Best Buy or the cable company trying to get your Santa gifts up to speed by 2 pm EST Saturday ....

[Trinity_93]

Hi all,

I don't live in the States and subscribe to ESPNPlayer to watch Duke games online but just saw that the Sun Bowl isn't on the schedule, probably because it's a CBS game. Is there another option for me?

Cheers and merry Christmas,
Trinity_93

[devilish]

Hi all,

I don't live in the States and subscribe to ESPNPlayer to watch Duke games online but just saw that the Sun Bowl isn't on the schedule, probably because it's a CBS game. Is there another option for me?

Cheers and merry Christmas,
Trinity_93

Try this... http://www.collegesportslive.com/

[Reilly]

http://www.goduke.com/HomePage2.dbml

[OldPhiKap]

http://www.goduke.com/HomePage2.dbml

We're fixin' to make it rain points in the Sun Bowl! Go Duke, Go Anthony, Go Crowder!

[nmduke2001]

Been in El Paso five hours and I can report that it seems like we are severely outnumbered when it comes to fans. I've seen one other Duke fan and dozens of ASU fans. Guess we'll just have to be extra loud.

[hurleyfor3]

Been in El Paso five hours and I can report that it seems like we are severely outnumbered when it comes to fans. I've seen one other Duke fan and dozens of ASU fans. Guess we'll just have to be extra loud.

An entire Duke class is some 1600-1700 people. (Source (http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/duke-university-2920); int(6646/4) = 1661.) That's like a freshman poli sci lecture at Arizona State, no?

[-bdbd]

An entire Duke class is some 1600-1700 people. (Source (http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/duke-university-2920); int(6646/4) = 1661.) That's like a freshman poli sci lecture at Arizona State, no?

Proximity doesn't exactly hurt them a whole lot either. El Paso is, what, a day trip down and back for them???
Kinda akin to us playing in Charlotte, and I think we turned out pretty well for that one two years ago, no?

[OldPhiKap]

Been in El Paso five hours and I can report that it seems like we are severely outnumbered when it comes to fans. I've seen one other Duke fan and dozens of ASU fans. Guess we'll just have to be extra loud.

Yeah, my hotel is the same. See like nice folks though. But this is definitely a road game.

[Reilly]

Fight, fight Blue Devils.

[Bob Green]

Been in El Paso five hours and I can report that it seems like we are severely outnumbered when it comes to fans. I've seen one other Duke fan and dozens of ASU fans. Guess we'll just have to be extra loud.

The good news is it will be 11 against 11 on the field. Let's go Duke!

[YmoBeThere]

The good news is it will be 11 against 11 on the field. Let's go Duke!

I haven't run into too many ASU fans yet. I'm about 7 miles west of the Stadium off of Mesa St.

[OldPhiKap]

I haven't run into too many ASU fans yet. I'm about 7 miles west of the Stadium off of Mesa St.
I am at Hilton Garden on campus. More Duke fans shaking this am than last night. Just walked around campus, ASU tailgates starting. LGD!!!!!

Foggy, cold morning but, but no wind.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I haven't run into too many ASU fans yet. I'm about 7 miles west of the Stadium off of Mesa St.
Hopefully the ones that you DID run into didn't leave too big of a dent.

[YmoBeThere]

Hopefully the ones that you DID run into didn't leave too big of a dent.

LOL, headed over to campus now.

[OldPhiKap]

4605

[OldPhiKap]

Drizzle is over, sun is out.

We are outnumbered, but we will not be out-scored.

Go Duke!

(Quote borrowed from a trustee)

[left_hook_lacey]

Just realized I don't have CBS or fox sports one. Contact dispute with dish network apparently. Stupid dish netwok. Oh well, the Mexican restraunt it is. I needed an excuse to drink dos Equis at 2 pm anyway. Maybe a good omen?

[OldPhiKap]

4606

[Reilly]

I'm hoping for a Duke win ... and that DBR has every available moderator watching this thread for when OPK starts posting photos of his tat ...

[killerleft]

Just realized I don't have CBS or fox sports one. Contact dispute with dish network apparently. Stupid dish netwok. Oh well, the Mexican restraunt it is. I needed an excuse to drink dos Equis at 2 pm anyway. Maybe a good omen?

After five of them you really will be the most interesting man in the world! To yourself, at least.:o

Go Duke!

[Avvocato]

It's a comfortable 57 degrees here in NYC and no rain. Wish the boys were in NYC today, but I'll take watching the game with alumni. Tough task ahead of us today, but I think we are due. Let's go get it.

[nyesq83]

Holding penalty is a killer.

AB looks awful.

Annd another penalty.

Annnd a crap punt.

Bleeecccchhhh.

[JBDuke]

DBR Chat is open, here:

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/misc.php?do=cchatbox

[nyesq83]

Thanks

[arnie]

Holding penalty is a killer.

AB looks awful.

Annd another penalty.

3 running plays in a row and a 1st down. 4 pass plays in a row and 4th and 16. If Boone looks bad next series, gotta keep on the ground.

[A-Tex Devil]

Boone is as important of a football player as we've had at Duke, but based on the last half of this season, I can't lie that I am interested to see something new next year. Hopefully his accuracy will come back to him at some point today.

[PDDuke85]

AB running has sadly surpassed AB passing

[arnie]

Boone is as important of a football player as we've had at Duke, but based on the last half of this season, I can't lie that I am interested to see something new next year. Hopefully his accuracy will come back to him at some point today.

When the announcers are making fun of him; you kinda know he's playing as poorly as any college QB they have watched. Maybe the light can switch back on.

[Devilwin]

Boone looks awful passing, but a nice run there. Had he not threw that one pass high and behind Crowder, Crowder was gone.
Bad play call on third and five. We could have got the first down, we had two shots!

[A-Tex Devil]

So whose sponsorship check bounced to create those 2 blank green patches of new field turf on either side of the field? Y'know -- the one McCaffrey slipped on?

[Devilwin]

HOW DID WE NOT RECOVER THAT FUMBLE?!?!!!!!!!!!!! Come on, guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[A-Tex Devil]

They are gonna have to bench Boone. I'm sorry -- but it's a bowl game and we have backups. Either his hand/arm is hurt or he has the yips. Either way, I don't see it changing.

[PDDuke85]

Does Cut sit AB down for a series or two and insert Sirk??

[Devilwin]

Does Cut sit AB down for a series or two and insert Sirk??

Yes. Absolutely. Or we're done for.

[WakeDevil]

Does it matter which QB is in the game if the defense can't stop them?

[Mabdul Doobakus]

You can't sell out the rest of the team out of loyalty to one guy, even if it's his last game. This is not how anyone wanted to see Boone close out his career, but what's done is done.

[PDDuke85]

Damn it

[PDDuke85]

The offense has to be on the field to give the defense a break and give the team a chance.

[arnie]

The offense has to be on the field to give the defense a break and give the team a chance.

Powell looks like he wants to carry the O single handedly - I hope Cut let's him.

[A-Tex Devil]

Powell looks like he wants to carry the O single handedly - I hope Cut let's him.

Scotty is calling a really good game. He may be able to work Boone back into this one. If our D can continue to make some stops and we aren't afraid to run the ball, we are in this one.

Thanks, Jamison!

[Avvocato]

To be down 3 at the half is a miracle. Great job by the defense to hang in there and the rest of the team. With even a mediocre Boone in the second half, we can steal this one. Let's get it done.

[PDDuke85]

Perhaps the 3 cylinders will be firing in synch for the second half. The jitters jettisoned, the half time adjustments, and perhaps AB will find the vertical game and this game is winnable Mes Amies.

[arnie]

Perhaps the 3 cylinders will be firing in synch for the second half. The jitters jettisoned, the half time adjustments, and perhaps AB will find the vertical game and this game is winnable Mes Amies.

Very weak receiver - that probably does it.

[killerleft]

Well. One defensive stand, one drive for the win. Can we do it?

[killerleft]

There's the stop!

[CDu]

Wow, didn't think we'd have a shot at this, but here we are with a legitimate chance to take the lead. Go Duke!

[arnie]

Wow, didn't think we'd have a shot at this, but here we are with a legitimate chance to take the lead. Go Duke!

Wow and then ugh!

[CDu]

Uggh! Anthony Boone just having a rough rough day. So far it is not a great way to end his career. Let's hope this gets overturned. Boone needed to lead Crowder more there.

[CDu]

Whew! Caught a break there on Boone's bad throw. Now let's capitalize!

[killerleft]

I'd go for it. Timeout.

[arnie]

Whew! Caught a break there on Boone's bad throw. Now let's capitalize!

Either a fg or play ok here. ASU then pjays safe and we get last chance.