(Photo by Charles Massey/Florida Sports Wire)
JACKSONVILLE – Duke fell, 52-20, to No. 16 Ole Miss in the 80th playing of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The Blue Devils (9-4) finished their first season under head coach Manny Diaz with nine wins, as Diaz matched Mike Elko as the only Duke head coaches to win nine games in their respective debut seasons.
Henry Belin IV made his second career start at quarterback, throwing for a career-high 236 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan Moore paced the Blue Devils with 63 receiving yards on five catches and Peyton Jones finished with a team-high 18 yards on the ground.
On the defensive side of the ball, Terry Moore logged a 59-yard interception return in the first quarter – a program record in a bowl game – and Ozzie Nicholas carded 11 stops to lead the team in tackles. The Blue Devils added their final score of the game on a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Sahmir Hagans.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After driving 65 yards on the opening possession, Ole Miss attempted a trick play that resulted in a Terry Moore interception and 59-yard return – the longest interception return by a Duke player in a bowl game.
- After Duke was stopped on fourth down on its first possession, the Rebels put the game’s first points on the board with a 32-yard touchdown pass.
- Ole Miss expanded its lead on its next possession, punching it in on the ground from one yard out. The Rebels added to their lead, converting a 28-yard field goal to make it 17-0.
- Duke responded with its first touchdown drive of the night, marching 75 yards in eight plays, capped by a 16-yard touchdown pass from Henry Belin IV to Javon Harvey. The Blue Devils trailed, 24-7, at the conclusion of the first half.
- A pick-6 by Ole Miss started the scoring in the second stanza. Duke remained behind, 38-7, heading into the fourth quarter.
- Two touchdowns by each side in the fourth accounted for the 52-20 final. Before Sahmir Hagans’ 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Jordan Moore caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Belin IV to lift Moore’s career TD total to 21, the fifth most in Duke history.
