Duke Falls To Ole Miss In Gator Bowl

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duke football 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.