Duke tops Arizona State in Sun Bowl: Blue Devils cap ACC title season Wild West wild shootout win

A late turnover helped Blue Devils preval in one of the most entertaining games of the college football bowl season so far

Duke flipped the script late with a forced fumble and quick game-winning touchdown to beat Arizona State 42-39 in a wild, high-scoring Sun Bowl. Eleven years after their dramatic meeting in El Paso back in 2014, this matchup again delivered a dramatic momentum swing in the final minutes. 

The Blue Devils capitalized when it mattered most, halting Arizona State's second-half surge with a takeaway and immediately turning it into points. Duke needed just two plays after the turnover, as quarterback Darian Mensah found Que'Sean Brown for a 17-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead with just over two minutes remaining.

The Sun Devils were poised to finish the comeback after erasing a double-digit deficit and taking a 39-35 lead early in the fourth quarter behind quarterback Jeff Sims, who made his sixth start in place of the injured Sam Leavitt. Sims accounted for five total touchdowns, but his lone interception proved costly. Still, he finished 27-for-38 for 375 yards and three passing touchdowns, while adding 70 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.

That performance wasn't enough to outduel Duke star Darian Mensah, who threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils to victory.

The game featured 1,162 total yards and 46 combined first downs.

The ACC champion Blue Devils (9-5) cap an up-and-down season with their third nine-win campaign in four years. Meanwhile, Arizona State (8-5) closes the season with a frustrating bowl loss after coming up short in a back-and-forth classic.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 6:27 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

Now for Duke, a program that somehow captured its first ACC championship since 1989. Forget the five losses -- this is a season that will be remembered in Durham for a long time. The Blue Devils overcame adversity all year and delivered when it mattered most, capping the campaign with a thrilling Sun Bowl victory over Arizona State -- which was in the College Football Playoff just a year ago.

Looking ahead, there's reason for optimism. Star quarterback Darian Mensah returns in 2026, and after a season in which he set the program record for most passing yards (3,973) in a single campaign with 34 touchdowns, he could emerge as a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. Depending on the supporting cast Duke is able to bring in through the transfer portal, the Blue Devils could have the pieces to continue to build sustained success.

This four-year stretch -- two seasons under Mike Elko followed by a seamless transition to Manny Diaz -- represents the best run in program history, totaling 35 wins over that span. The combination of stability, elite quarterback play and a strong culture puts Duke in position to make 2026 another memorable season and possibly extend its first real run of prominence in decades.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 6:20 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

Arizona State faces a pivotal offseason, one made heavier by a narrow Sun Bowl loss. Locking up coach Kenny Dillingham to a new contract was without question the most important move Arizona State made, providing stability at a moment when much of the roster -- and the program's direction -- remains in flux. The Sun Devils now must confront the reality of a reset if they hope to return to Big 12 title contention in 2026: quarterback Sam Leavitt appears destined for the transfer portal and nine major contributors -- including wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, offensive tackle Max Iheanachor and cornerback Keith Abney II -- have already declared for the NFL Draft.

The season never fully matched the promise of Arizona State's "run-it-back" campaign. Despite returning more combined starters on offense and defense than any Power Four team, continuity alone wasn't enough. Injuries and inconsistency defined the year, beginning with Leavitt's foot injury at Baylor on Sep. 20. He still started three of the next four games before being shut down in late October for season-ending surgery. College football journeyman Jeff Sims stepped in and went 3-3 as the replacement starter, keeping Arizona State competitive but rarely able to push the offense beyond its limits.

Arizona State finishes the season with eight wins, giving the program 19 victories over the past two seasons, but that progress came with frustration.

There were flashes of what could have been. The 26-22 win over eventual Big 12 champion Texas Tech -- the Red Raiders' lone loss entering the College Football Playoff -- highlighted the ceiling Arizona State could reach when healthy and executing. Too often, however, those moments were isolated.

Now the program turns fully toward rebuilding. Dillingham's extension provides a foundation, but the Sun Devils leave El Paso knowing the 2025 season will be remembered less for what was achieved and more for what slipped away.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 6:12 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

FINAL: Duke 42, Arizona State 39

Duke flipped the script late with a forced fumble and quick game-winning touchdown in a wild, high-scoring Sun Bowl, pulling ahead of Arizona State, 42-39. Eleven years after their dramatic meeting in El Paso back in 2014, this matchup again delivered a dramatic momentum swing in the final minutes. 

The Blue Devils capitalized when it mattered most, halting Arizona State's second-half surge with a takeaway and immediately turning it into points. Duke needed just two plays after the turnover, as quarterback Darian Mensah found Que'Sean Brown for a 17-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead with just over two minutes remaining.

The Sun Devils appeared poised to finish the comeback after erasing a double-digit deficit and taking a 39-35 lead early in the fourth quarter behind quarterback Jeff Sims, who made his sixth start in place of the injured Sam Leavitt. Sims accounted for five total touchdowns, but his lone interception proved costly. Still, he finished 27-for-38 for 375 yards and three passing touchdowns, while adding 70 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.

That performance wasn't enough to outduel Duke star Darian Mensah, who threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils to victory.

The game featured 1,162 total yards and 46 combined first downs.

The ACC champion Blue Devils (9-5) cap an up-and-down season with their third nine-win campaign in four years. Meanwhile, Arizona State (8-5) closes the season with a frustrating bowl loss after coming up short in a back-and-forth classic.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 6:00 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

4Q (2:10): Duke 42, Arizona State 39

What a momentum swing. The Blue Devils needed just two plays to find the end zone as Darian Mensah threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game and second to Que'Sean Brown for the 17-yard go-ahead score.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 5:57 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

4Q (2:42): Arizona State 39, Duke 35

Duke is going to get another shot after forcing a turnover. The Blue Devils start at the ASU 22 with two timeouts.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 5:54 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

4Q (2:51): Arizona State 39, Duke 35 

Duke's defense was able to get a defensive stop to put the ball back in the hands of Darian Mensah. But it was a 60-yard run by Nate Sheppard down to the ASU 6 that set up the red zone opportunity. However, the Blue Devils were unable to score, turning the ball over on downs.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 5:38 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

4Q (9:07): Arizona State 39, Duke 35

An important drive for the Duke offense ended with a turnover on downs after it was unsuccessful on fourth-and-7. Arizona State takes over with a chance to add to its scoring run and make it a two-possession lead as the midway point of the fourth quarter approaches.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 5:26 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

4Q (12:31): Arizona State 39, Duke 35

Arizona State has its first lead since there were nine minutes remaining in the first quarter. Jeff Sims threw his third touchdown pass -- fifth total -- in the game finding Malik McClain at the goal line.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 5:17 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

End 3Q: Duke 35, Arizona State 32

Just as they did 11 years ago, Arizona State and Duke are locked in a back-and-forth Sun Bowl battle. The Sun Devils got the forced punt it needed near the end of the third quarter to regain possession with an opportunity to take their first lead since the opening score early in the first quarter.

The two teams are now up to 887 total yards of offense, including a combined 350 yards rushing. 

[Dec 31, 2025 at 5:07 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

3Q (4:09): Duke 35, Arizona State 32

Arizona State continues to respond on the ground with a 68-yard catch and run by Demarius Robinson, who was brought down by a diving tackle at his feet. Two plays later Jeff Sims threw his second touchdown pass of the game, hitting Khamari Anderson for an 8-yard score. A successful 2-point conversion trimmed the margin to only a field goal.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 5:01 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

3Q (5:20): Duke 35, Arizona State 24

Darian Mensah, not known for his ability to run the ball, had a 34-yard scramble -- the longest of his career -- that positioned Duke in the red zone. After an offside penalty on Arizona State gave the Blue Devils another set of downs, they added to their lead with a 3-yard touchdown run by Nate Sheppard. 

[Dec 31, 2025 at 4:37 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

3Q (13:27): Duke 28, Arizona State 24

The third quarter started right where the first half end with explosive gains as Jason Brown Jr. broke loose for a 44-yard run followed by a 10-yard gain to get Arizona State into the red zone. But again a turnover by the Sun Devils resulted in an empty possession. Jeff Sims threw a perfect tunnel screen to Jalen Moss who went 13 yards before the ball popped out and into the hands of Duke's Caleb Weaver.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 4:07 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

End 2Q: Duke 28, Arizona State 24

Well, no shortage of action in that opening half of the Sun Bowl. The sides combined for 52 points and nearly 600 total yards of offense. Both quarterbacks were efficient with Arizona State's Jeff Sims totaling three touchdowns, while Duke's Darian Mensah had three touchdowns before throwing an interception just before halftime.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 3:51 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

2Q (1:50): Duke 28, Arizona State 21

Arizona State tried to catch Duke off guard with an onside kick, but the ball went out of bounds, giving the Blue Devils a short field late in the half. Duke capitalized as Anderson Castle powered in a 3-yard touchdown. 

The celebration was cut short, however, when Duke's Landen King was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected after spitting following the score. 

[Dec 31, 2025 at 3:41 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

2Q (3:49): Duke 21, Arizona State 21

Arizona State continued the back-and-forth scoring with its most productive rushing drive of the game. Jeff Sims broke free for a 38-yard touchdown, capping a series that included a 25-yard run by Jason Brown Jr. The Sun Devils have 139 yards rushing on 22 carries, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt after a slow start on the ground.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 3:35 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

2Q (6:06): Duke 21, Arizona State 14

Much different than its previous two quick scoring drives, Duke put together a more methodical 12-play, 60-yard touchdown series to take back the lead as Darian Mensah found tight end Jeremiah Hasley down the sideline on a little trickery for a 14-yard score.

Mensah is 11-for-19 with 180 yards and three touchdown passes while setting the single-season Duke record for most passing yards.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 3:17 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

2Q (11:28): Duke 14, Arizona State 14

Mobile quarterbacks have given the Duke defense trouble all season, and Jeff Sims showed why early in this drive. He scrambled for 20 yards, moving the Sun Devils past midfield. Still, the drive stalled, and Arizona State turned it over on downs for the third time.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 3:03 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

End 1Q: Duke 14, Arizona State 14

Plenty of fireworks in the opening quarter, with 28 combined points -- the most in a Sun Bowl first quarter since 2005, when UCLA and Northwestern combined for 29. Arizona State threatened to regain the lead late in the quarter, driving into the red zone. On a confusing fourth-and-short, a Duke defensive lineman appeared to jump offside, and the Arizona State center snapped the ball for what could have been a free play. 

No flag came, however, and the Sun Devils turned it over on downs. The two offenses have combined for 359 yards of total offense.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 2:54 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

1Q (5:05): Duke 14, Arizona State 14

Arizona State answers right back. After a brief delay for a gruesome injury to Duke defensive end Kobe Smith, Jeff Sims fired a deep ball to Jalen Moss for a 44-yard touchdown. Moss is now up to 95 yards on just two catches.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 2:41 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

1Q (6:43): Duke 14, Arizona State 7

Darian Mensah fired another deep ball to Que'Sean Brown, this time for 46 yards, setting up the go-ahead score. On the next play, Mensah found Cooper Barkate in the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown. Mensah is already rolling with 124 passing yards and two touchdowns in the opening quarter.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 2:34 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

1Q (7:26): Arizona State 7, Duke 7

Arizona State can't establish any rushing attack without Raleek Brown -- who opted out of the Sun Bowl -- in the backfield. The Sun Devils turned it over on downs after a failed fourth-down attempt on a short drive that started with a 15-yard face mask penalty on Duke.

Arizona State has just nine yards on seven carries.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 2:29 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

1Q (8:53): Arizona State 7, Duke 7

That's quite the answer by the Blue Devils. After two short carries set up a third down, Darian Mensah connected on a 69-yard strike to Que'Sean Brown.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 2:22 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

1Q (10:11): Arizona State 7, Duke 0 

After Arizona State's defense forced a quick three-and-out, the Sun Devils' offense came out firing with two quick passes by Jeff Sims for a first down. Facing a third-and-long, Sims went deep for a 51-yard completion to Jalen Moss, eventually setting up a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Sims himself.

Sims was 4-for-6 with 73 yards on the first drive.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 12:45 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

Opt-outs galore make this a tough Sun Bowl to project. The sheer number and impact of absences hits Arizona State harder than Duke, which retains most of its offensive pieces. Duke has sometimes been laughed at as a five-loss ACC champion, but the Blue Devils are a solid team looking to prove themselves and finish with nine wins in consecutive seasons. The matchup could hinge on whether Duke's defense can contain Arizona State's backup quarterback Jeff Sims, who may struggle to sustain drives without much proven help. Darian Mensah adds another issue for the Sun Devils, completing nearly 68% of his passes for 30 touchdowns and only five interceptions this season as Duke's prized (and expensive) transfer addition. Pick: Duke ML (-154)

[Dec 31, 2025 at 12:30 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

CBS Sports lead college football analyst Gary Danielson, 74, will call the final game of his career at the Sun Bowl, completing 20 years with the network. He retires as the longest-tenured college football analyst on any network, capping a distinguished career in the broadcast booth.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 12:00 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

The 2025 matchup marks Arizona State's eighth Sun Bowl appearance, with the Sun Devils winning four of their previous five games. Their most memorable came in 2014, when they beat Duke 36-31. After blowing an early 17-point lead, Arizona State regained momentum on the ensuing kickoff with a 96-yard return, then scored the game-winning touchdown on the first play of that drive. That game also remains Duke's only Sun Bowl appearance.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 11:30 am ET · Cody Nagel]

Arizona State secured coach Kenny Dillingham with a new five-year deal earlier this month. While speculation about Michigan briefly distracted the program early in bowl prep, the new contract gives the Sun Devils one less thing to worry about. An Arizona State alum, Dillingham has quickly elevated the program, with a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth in 2024. With major departures looming, the deal ensures Dillingham can continue building the program and maintain momentum in Tempe.

[Dec 31, 2025 at 11:00 am ET · Cody Nagel]

Ten years after their dramatic 2014 Sun Bowl clash, Arizona State and Duke are set to meet again in El Paso for a postseason showdown. What looked like an intriguing matchup even a month ago has grown more complicated with the realities of modern college football. Opt-outs and roster absences have become a staple of bowl season, and both teams will feel the impact -- especially the Sun Devils.

Arizona State vs. Duke prediction, pick, odds, spread: Short-handed Sun Devils, Blue Devils meet in Sun Bowl

Cody Nagel