There is no further proof of progress for the Duke Football program than the fact they accepted their fourth consecutive bowl bid under David Cutcliffe.  The Blue Devils have become a main stay on bowl selection Sunday and the future remains bright.  But Duke will once again face a very tough match up, this time with an Indiana team that can score in bunches.  The New Era Pinstripe Bowl knows what it's doing during its short time on the bowl front.  Their bowl committee knows how to create fireworks and this match up points to a high scoring affair in famed Yankee Stadium.  The game will kick off the day after Christmas at 3:30 on ABC.  Here are some initial thoughts on the match up -

Both Teams Are Hungry

Indiana will be playing in their third bowl game in twenty-three seasons.  They have steadily improved under head coach Kevin WIlson and they rolled over in state rival Purdue on the road for the opportunity to keep playing.  To have a winning season against what was a challenging schedule they need a season capping victory.   While going to bowl games has now become common place for Duke, they have yet to win one in some time.  The last bowl win for the program was in 1961 when they won the Cotton Bowl over Arkansas.  If nothing else motivates Duke, the chance to get this long time monkey off it's back should.

Why Indiana is a Dangerous Opponent

In some corners, the fan base is saying this is a bowl game Duke should win.  But a further look at the match up shows it will be far from easy.  Firstly, Indiana played in the best conference this season in the Big Ten.  They come into the game with more momentum than Duke having beaten Maryland on the road 47-28 and rival Purdue in their house 54-36. in their last two outings.

The Hoosiers feature one of the the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten in Nate Sudfeld who has 3184 yards through the air and 24 touchdowns. The X-Factor is running back Jordan Howard who rushed for 1213 yards.  He did that in just nine games for he has battled injuries.  Most recently he tore through the Wolverines defense for 238 yards,  When the Hoosier offense is clicking nobody stops them and that always seems to be the case when Howard is healthy.

Indiana lost games to Ohio State 34-27, Michigan 48-41 and Iowa 35-27.  Those are quality opponents where they came up one score short from being even.   The Hoosiers have the 22nd best scoring offense in the nation while playing  in arguably the best conference division in college football.

On the Other Hand

Indiana let's up 37,1 ppg on defense which is translates into the 116th in the country.  They can be stopped as witnessed by Penn State allowing the a season low 7 points.  Their second lowest total was 26 to Michigan State.  There is one common opponent with Duke in Wake Forest.  The Hoosiers won that game 31-24 in Winston Salem.  The Deacons scored two late touchdowns to make the game seem closer than it actually was.  Still, teams have had success in scoring on the Hoosiers and the Duke offense will have to do so in order to come away with a win.

Where is Duke Mentally?

After rolling to a 6-1 start the ridiculously controversial loss to Miami seemed to knock the Blue Devils flat on their back.  A talented UNC team really put a beat down on Duke hanging 66 points on the Blue Devils.  The team was reeling until they toughed out a win over Wake Forest. But even that win was not easy and the Blue Devils have not played their best football since early October.  Now Duke faces an opponent tailor-made to keep their defensive woes in the late season an issue of concern.  A major key will be for the staff to get the Blue Devils mind-set to where it was at the beginning of the season.

Duke Usually Prepares Well

The Blue Devils have been underdogs in each of their bowl match ups.  But they have always put on a good show for fans, especially when they almost defeated Texas A & M and Johnny Manziel a bit back.  Not many have given Duke a chance against some very tough draws.  In fact, Arizona State and Texas A & M were both top ten teams to start their seasons before slightly stumbling.  The Blue Devils will start practice Saturday and they have plenty to figure out a game plan.

Can Duke Flip It

Duke has been a few finger tips away from having better results on both sides of the ball.  The defense has struggled to produce turnovers and the secondary has been suspect at certain positions. The offense has not had that one game where it has all come together in both passing and rushing against a big  time opponent, save Virginia Tech.  A little better passing touch and crisper routes in the passing game can open up the flood gates against a suspect Indiana defense.  Make no mistake that Indiana is a quality opponent in that they played a very tough schedule and did some good things while doing so.  A win over the Hoosiers could allow Duke quite the hook to hang their hat on going into the off season with a bowl game trophy in the Yoh Center to show the continued progress,  Duke will be playing in a fully renovated Wallace Wade Stadium next season and they want nothing more than to hoist some hardware before that happens.

Ticket Availability

Go to GoDuke.com to purchase tickets in that you will be guaranteed to sit with the Duke contingent.  Duke is banking on their solid alumni base in the New York area to turn out and it is important that happens.  With the game being the day after Christmas it does present some travel and logistical issues for some of the local fan base.  It will be interesting to see how it plays out but an opportunity to play in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx is an attractive draw.  It is important to keep in mind that bowl game attendance is a vital factor on selection day each year.  If you can make it to the game, and support Duke,  please do so.  The phone number for tickets is 919-681 BLUE (2583).