Pinstripe Bowl: Duke outlasts IN at Yankee Stadium

IU kicker Griffin Oakes drilled a 45-yard field goal in the dying moments of the first half to make it 17-17. Duke had won the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl, 44-41 in overtime, ruining the Hoosiers’ chances of a first winning season since 2007.

On Duke’s first possession of the game they went down the field and kicker Ross Martin nailed the 52-yard field goal, which without the net behind the uprights would’ve sailed past the center field fence to put Duke up 3-0.

But it was Oakes’ field goal try that generated postgame discussion.

Momentum: Duke stayed in the game with big plays on special teams, namely Shaun Wilson’s 98-yard kick off return for a touchdown to tie the game at 34 and counter the Hoosiers highly-productive offense (650-plus yards). The first was an 85-yard run by Shaun Wilson late in the first quarter, followed by a 73-yard run from Sirk with a minute to go in the first half.

Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk was knocked out of the game on the second play of overtime, on his 20th rush attempt of the day.

IN made a valiant effort to kick a game-winning 56-yard field goal, but the laces on the ball weren’t turned out and the kick was badly missed to force overtime.

Deep in the bowels of Yankee Stadium, outside the home locker room on Saturday night, one saw a jubilant Duke football team and couldn’t help but wonder what might have been. There were two excellent pass break-ups, one of which saved a touchdown, but then there was also a 55-yard completion, two pass interference calls that led to IN touchdowns and a 3-yard touchdown reception right after the pass break-up IN the end zone. Duke followed that up with a 78-yard touchdown drive capped with a short scoring tote by Sirk.

The Indiana Hoosiers are going to take on the Duke Blue Devils in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl Saturday.

• IU had not won back-to-back Big Ten games since 2012, two Big Ten road games in the same year since 2001, back-to-back Big Ten road games since 1993 and three road games in a single season since 1994.

“The bowl game win is something that has eluded our team and something that we definitely talk about”, All-ACC linebacker Dwayne Norman said.

Miami (8-5) lost its sixth consecutive bowl game. – Indiana RB Devine Redding ran 35 times for 227 yards and a score. Jela Duncan ran 13 times for 109 yards Wilson finished with nine carries for 103 yards and one score. “I felt like we were a play or two from really breaking away”.

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Kevin Wilson walks onto the field during the third quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium. Four straight bowl appearances is like discovering the new world for the Blue Devils, but you’ve got to mix in a win eventually.

Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk (1) looks to pass against North Carolina during the first half of an NCAA college …

“The ball went beyond the end line over the top of the upright and when that occurs, the play is not reviewable”, crew chief Chris Coyte told a pool reporter”. He set the IN record for most passing yards IN a season with 3,573, breaking Ben Chappell’s mark of 3,295 yards set IN 2010.

Sirt threw for 163 yards on 17-37 passing, with a touchdown and two interceptions. We had too many errors. Duke senior S Jeremy Cash, the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year, underwent wrist surgery on Wednesday and was out for the game.

That one glaring omission can be erased on Saturday when they take on IN in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. The Hoosiers, who have plenty of offense but a beatable defense, are known for their heartbreaking inability to close out wins.