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Arizona State escapes with Sun Bowl win over Duke

Dec 28, 2014 - 3:22 AM El Paso, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Demario Richard posted four touchdowns and Kweishi Brown came up with a key late interception as No. 15 Arizona State held on to take out Duke, 36-31, in the Sun Bowl.

Richard racked up just 63 yards of total offense, yet crossed the goal line twice on rushes and twice more on Taylor Kelly passes for the Sun Devils (10-3).

"It's a great feeling," Richard said. "It's hard coming in as a freshman. I knew my role was increasing. I just stepped up and played my part."

Kelly finished 24-of-34 for 240 yards, while Jaelen Strong led all receivers with 103 yards on seven receptions.

Anthony Boone completed only 15 of his 31 attempts for 193 yards, two scores and that late pick for the Blue Devils (9-4). Jamison Crowder also threw a TD pass and racked up 102 yards on seven catches while also recording a 68-yard punt return score.

Isaac Blakeney, Shaquille Powell and Johnell Barnes each posted a touchdown reception in defeat. Powell also totaled 117 yards on 29 carries.

Boone found Barnes for a 14-yard score with 10:10 to play and Duke pulled to 30-24.

On the Blue Devils' next drive, punter Will Monday hit Barnes for 30 yards to the ASU 20, on 4th-and-11, then a potential interception by Damarious Randall at the three on the following snap was overturned since the ball hit the ground.

A reprieve given, Duke didn't waste the chance as Blakeney's 12-yard TD catch from Crowder on 4th-and-2 plus the extra point gave it a 31-30 edge with 5:03 to play.

Kalen Ballage took the momentum right back, when he returned the kick 96 yards to the Duke 4, and on the next play Kelly hit Richard for the go-ahead score.

"It felt great," Ballage said. "I told the seniors, 'I got to do something.' They helped me grow. That was going through my head. I really wanted to do that for them."

The Blue Devils received the ball on their own 29 and quickly moved to the red zone. However, Boone's bid for the end zone on 3rd-and-10 from the ASU 14 was picked off by Brown.

Kelly knelt on three straight plays to run off the remaining time.

"We shot ourselves in the foot early. Unfortunately, we got in a position to win the game and didn't win it. If you give up a play in the kicking game, generally it will haunt you," said Duke head coach David Cutcliffe. "I'm not dejected about the way we played or frustrated. I am sad we lost the ballgame because of our seniors."

Richard's 9-yard run capped ASU's first drive of the contest, then Zane Gonzalez added a 28-yard make on its ensuing possession.

Duke got on the board when Ross Martin converted a 40-yard try late in the first quarter before Gonzalez made a 38-yarder just over two minutes into the second.

Richard broke through again and hit the end zone from 1 yard out midway through the second and the Sun Devils led 20-3, though the Blue Devils came right back on a 14-yard Boone-to-Powell connection.

Duke clawed back within three as Crowder returned a punt 68 yards, but had an interception on ASU's next drive overturned by replay and failed to score for the remainder of the half.

Richard's 11-yard TD catch provided a 27-17 edge for the Sun Devils early in the third quarter and Gonzalez capped another ASU drive with a 47-yard boot and 13-point margin heading to the fourth.

Game Notes

Arizona State has won at least 10 games in consecutive seasons for the second time in program history, following a four-year stretch from 1970-73 ... Richard matched Woody Green's school bowl record of four TDs, set in the 1972 Fiesta Bowl victory (49-35) over Missouri ... Duke totaled 400 yards of offense to 392 for ASU.