The Blue Devils ended the 2014 season with a 36-31 loss to No. 15 Arizona State in the Sun Bowl and will begin spring practice Feb. 6. The Blue Zone will be recapping Duke's performance in all phases of the game and will be looking ahead to 2015. In our final installment of the series, we review the Special Teams unit's performance and look ahead to 2015.
X's and O's: The Blue Devil special teams unit was a key part of this year's 9-4 performance and is paid special attention to by David Cutcliffe and his staff. Duke's special teams performance was amongst the best in the nation this season, as the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI), which "considers each of the nearly 20,000 possessions every season in major college football" rated Duke the number one team in terms of special teams performance. It's easy to see why, as the Blue Devils returned All-American kick returner DeVon Edwards and punt returner Jamison Crowder, who accounted for a combined three return touchdowns this season.
In their third years as specialists, punter Will Monday and kicker Ross Martin made a few mistakes down the stretch, but have made the special teams disasters in recent memory a thing of the past. In 2014, the team was in the top 30 in the FBS in just about every major special teams category, except for kickoff coverage. The team's special teams unit should continue to be a crucial strength in the years to come, providing intangibles and explosive plays at all moments of the game.
Punts: In his third year punting for Duke, Monday has maintained a solid average that of 43 yards per punt that ranks 26th in the nation. The redshirt junior has also shown nice precision, accuracy and hang time this season, which is a major reason why the Blue Devils are ranked third in the FBS in punt return defense after giving up only 33 total yards and no touchdowns this season. Monday could potentially punt at the next level, but a lot is riding on the type of season he will have in 2015.
Punt Return: After returning a pair of punts for a score back in 2013, Crowder followed up last season with another All-ACC and All-American performance, returning punts for touchdowns against Syracuse and Arizona State at critical moments. The NFL-bound senior was sixth in the nation and first in the ACC, averaging 12.7 yards per return. Crowder's presence in the return game will be sorely missed next season, as the Monroe, N.C., native, will be playing on Sundays.
Kick: Martin was one of the top kickers in the nation heading into the Nov. 15 matchup against Virginia Tech, having made all 13 of his attempted field goals with a long of 49 yards. However, in the 17-16 loss Martin missed a pair of field goals, including a 40-yard kick late in the fourth quarter. The junior did end the season on a high note, going 3-of-3 to end the season. Martin's accuracy has only continued to improve during his three years in Durham and he might be the most talented kicker to ever play in a Duke uniform.
Kickoff Return/Coverage: Edwards had another stellar season returning kicks, with his marquee moment coming in the 51-48 win against Pittsburgh, when he took a kickoff 99-yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter to give the Blue Devils a 38-31 lead. Edwards didn't have another touchdown on the season, but still averaged 25.7 yards per return.
Kickoff coverage, however, was the Achilles heel for the special teams unit. The unit allowed an average of 23.3 yards per return, which was 108th in the FBS and 15th in the ACC. Although the Blue Devils never allowed a return touchdown, they gave up big returns to Pittsburgh's Tyler Boyd and the huge 95-yard return by Arizona State's Kalen Ballage in the Sun Bowl that eventually led the go-ahead touchdown. Cutcliffe and his staff will undoubtedly look to improve this aspect of the game during the offseason.
Three Key Moments:
September 20, 2014: Joe Ajeigbe makes amazing special teams interception, returns it for first career touchdown in 47-13 rout of Tulane. We'll let this spectacular play speak for itself in the video below, but it was one of the unit's best moments this season and the second time in the game that the Duke punt return unit wreaked havoc for Tulane punter Peter Picerelli.
November 1, 2014: Pittsburgh's Chris Blewitt misses a 26-yard field goal to win the game, Blue Devils win in double overtime thriller. After the Panthers drove down to the Duke eight-yard line, Blewett lined up for a chip shot with two seconds play. Cutcliffe strategically called two straight timeouts to ice the sophomore, who pushed the kick wide left. With new life, the Blue Devils scored a touchdown in the second overtime to win the game 51-48.
December 27, 2014: Jamison Crowder's explosive 68-yard punt return ignites Duke comeback in 36-31 Sun Bowl loss. After forcing a three-and-out inside Arizona State territory and trailing 20-10, Sun Devil punter Matt Haack booted the football to Crowder, who weaved through a maze of defenders and then turned on the jets toward the end zone. The return brought the Blue Devils within three points just before halftime, providing momentum heading into the locker room.
MVP: Jamison Crowder earns his second MVP award (he also was named Chronicle co-offensive MVP) after his All-ACC and All-American performance as a punt returner. He currently holds the Duke record for most punt returns with four, all of them coming during the last two seasons. Whenever the Blue Devils needed a pick-up on special teams, Crowder was usually able to avoid defenders and tackles, setting up good field position. Even if a receiving career doesn't pan out in the NFL, some have compared him to Devin Hester, and Crowder could start returning punts and kicks on Sundays as early as this September.
Looking Ahead to 2015: Not much will change in 2015 for the special teams unit, as Martin, Monday and Edwards all return and are expected to keep their starting jobs. Crowder is headed to the NFL, but there is plenty of talent to replace him in the punt return game. Edwards could slide into Crowder's position, but it looks like receivers Ryan Smith and Johnell Barnes are the favorites to return punts next season. The only other loss is senior kicker Jack Willoughby, who handled all of Duke's kickoffs this season in lieu of Ross Martin. Luckily, Martin is fully capable of taking over these duties if another walk-on kicker cannot rise into the role. All in all, the unit will be without this year's MVP, but there is plenty of returning talent that will make the Blue Devils a dangerous team in all aspects of special teams.
READ: 2014 Duke Football Season Review: Offense
2014 Duke Football Season Review: Defense
Be sure to check the Blue Zone for more Duke football offseason and recruiting news.
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