Sun Devils Sun Bowl Shootout gives a glimpse into the program’s future

(Photo: Courtesy of AZ Family)

The great American author Mark Twain is often attributed to have said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Arizona State and Duke football did their best to prove that statement true when they met in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, 11 years after their first encounter.

On Dec. 27, 2014, the Blue Devils were trailing a high-scoring affair 36-31 in the closing moments of the game. The Sun Devils put pressure on the face of redshirt senior quarterback Anthony Boone, and when he tried to find senior wide receiver Jamison Crowder, the ball instead landed in the hands of junior defensive back Kweishi Brown.

The interception sealed a Maroon and Gold victory that day, but more than a decade later, the two teams found themselves in reversed roles.

ASU redshirt senior QB Jeff Sims was attempting to lead his team downfield for a winning touchdown, or at least a game-tying field goal, with just under two minutes on the clock.

Sims had his eyes set on redshirt sophomore WR Derek Eusebio across the middle of the field, but when he fired the ball, it ended up in the arms of redshirt sophomore linebacker Luke Mergott. Duke had sealed its victory.

The milk in the proverbial bowl of Frosted Flakes began to sour for Arizona State (8-5) as the realization of its loss became apparent. The Sun Devils had fought through injuries and misfortune all season long, but when the team left the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve, its last memory as a group was a loss to ACC Champion Duke (9-5), 42-39.

Still, the year was far from a failure, and the future of the program was exhibited over the course of the game. The team played with aggression and the offense accrued 619 yards, chunks of which were picked up by young players taking advantage of opportunities.

“I think that (the way we played) shows that the future is bright,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “There’s no moral victories, but there is a bright future here.”

One of the stars that shone brightest was redshirt freshman running back Jason Brown Jr. ASU was without its three most used running backs – redshirt junior Raleek Brown, junior Kyson Brown and junior Kanye Udoh – creating an opportunity that the former four-star recruit didn’t let fall by the wayside.

On his second rush of the game in the middle of the first quarter, he showed he meant business with a 17-yard gain, the longest rush of his career at the time, and equal to the total he produced when he got three carries against Colorado on Nov. 22.

From there, Brown couldn’t be stopped. He ran the ball a total of 13 times for 134 yards – an average of 10.3 yards per carry – and recorded a 44-yard run in the third quarter. Only Raleek Brown, who had an 88-yarder against Colorado, had a longer running back carry this season.

“It was his first time really starting in college football,” Dillingham said. “I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Brown’s day wasn’t perfect, though. At the end of a 14-yard run up the middle in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, he was met by Duke linebacker Kendall Johnson. As Johnson brought Brown to the ground, the young running back lost the ball, and before he or friendly hands could reach it, the Blue Devils scooped it up.

That was the fumble deep in Sun Devil territory that led to Duke’s game-winning touchdown. It was a heartbreaking end to what was undoubtedly the best game of Brown’s young career.

“He shouldn’t fumble, it’s a four-minute drill, everybody knows that, he knows that,” Dillingham said. “He didn’t try to fumble. He didn’t do it on purpose. We called a bunch of bad plays out there today, and I get paid to do it. So, I’m worse than him. That’s what I told him after the game.”

Brown wasn’t the only young running back to make an impact. True freshman Demarius “Man Man” Robinson ran 14 times for 42 yards, but his damage was felt the most in the passing game, where he brought in four receptions for 91 yards, including a near touchdown after he took a pass he caught in the backfield for a 68-yard gain.

Without NFL-bound AP All-America third team junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and leading tight end, redshirt senior Chamon Metayer, the Sun Devils needed threats in the passing game like Robinson to step up. Redshirt junior wide receiver Jalen Moss, who was only able to appear in eight games over the course of the season, was another bright spot.

Moss showcased why he was able to haul in 500 or more yards in each of his previous two seasons at Fresno State, hauling in five passes for 129. The highlight of his afternoon was his lone touchdown of the season, a 44-yarder, which he celebrated by jumping into an inflatable bowl of Frosted Flakes.

If Moss elects to stay at ASU for his redshirt senior season, his performance against the ACC Champions could serve as an audition for why he should be a larger piece of the offensive puzzle.

There were more struggles on the defensive side of the ball for ASU than on offense, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t moments of brilliance. The best was arguably when redshirt freshman DB Tony-Louis Nkuba recorded his first career interception at the end of the first half, picking off redshirt sophomore and second team AP All-ACC QB Darian Mensah.

Even with all the feel-good moments, ASU still ultimately fell short.

“We had a lot of guys play a lot more snaps,” Dillingham said. “To get Tony Nkuba’s out there, to get these guys on the field that haven’t really played, and not just play a team, play a team that just won a championship, and be in a position to win, makes it hurt more.”

This iteration of the Sun Devils will never take the field again as a unit, becoming history, just like the 2014 Sun Bowl or, now, even the 2025 Sun Bowl. Time doesn’t stop marching on, and while you can look back on the past, it’s often better to keep your head forward, pointed toward the future.

Dillingham had to walk that tightrope against Duke, saying goodbye to one thing, while welcoming what comes next. For ASU’s head coach, that means success in the form of continued growth and an ever-rising standard.

“I think this team has set a valley higher than it was when they got here. Significantly higher. Now our job is to continue to raise that, and raise that and raise that minimum standard in the program.”