CFB: Daniel Jones leads Duke in Quick Lane Bowl

Duke (7-6) has defeated Northern Illinois (8-5), 36-14, in the 2017-18 Quick Lane Bowl, played in Detroit, Michigan, at Ford Field. Duke was favored by 6.5 points coming into the game, and according to ESPN’s FPI, the Blue Devils had a 68.4 percent chance to win. After starting the year at 4-0, they hit a losing streak and were an abysmal 4-6 heading into the final stretch of the season. Duke ended up running off three straight wins, over Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, and Northern Illinois to close out the year.

QB Daniel Jones threw for 252 yards on 67.5 percent passing, and two touchdowns against the Huskies. He finished the year with 2,691 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. RB Shaun Wilson led the ground game in the bowl with 75 yards on 16 carries. Duke was averaging 25.8 points per game in the regular season, but was able to surpass that, compiling 36 points, on 465 total yards. The Blue Devils outscored their opponents 129-102 in their last five games, which included three previously mentioned victories.

“We want to cap this off the right way,” said C Austin Davis prior to the game, who was playing in his final collegiate game. “There’s no time left after this. This is the last guaranteed game of our career.” Duke HC David Cutcliffe, who was receiving some consideration by Tennessee for the head coaching job last month, explained the importance of consistently playing in a bowl game, so being able to lead his team to another bowl win has got to feel great. “It’s critically important to be an annual bowl team.”

Photo Credit: 247 Sports.