Duke redshirt senior safety Jeremy Cash underwent surgery on his right wrist Wednesday morning and will not play in the upcoming New Era Pinstripe Bowl against Indiana.
“We’re all certainly disappointed for Jeremy, especially in the sense that he’ll miss being on the field with his teammates for his final game in a Duke uniform,” said Duke head coach David Cutcliffe. “It’s really just so unfortunate because of the type of competitor, teammate and leader he is for our program. Jeremy’s incredible collegiate career should not have ended in Winston-Salem, but it did. As with every young man in our locker room, his health is what is most important. Going forward, we must continue our preparation for Indiana, and I know our team – and especially our defense – will embrace the challenge.”
The surgery was performed by Dr. Fraser Leversedge.
Cash, a 6-2, 210-pound native of Miami, Fla., earned first team All-America honors from every major outlet after recording 101 tackles, 18.0 tackles for lost yardage, 2.5 sacks, eight quarterback pressures, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery this season. The 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Cash was one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award and one of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Award. He also received the Jim Tatum Award as the ACC’s top scholar-athlete for football.
The only player in Duke history to earn first, second or third team All-America accolades in three seasons, Cash closes his 39-game Duke career with 333 tackles, 38.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 quarterback sacks, six interceptions, nine caused fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 15 pass breakups and 15 quarterback pressures. Duke’s all-time leader in forced fumbles, he also is one of 16 players to register 300-plus tackles in a career.
Over the past three seasons, Cash, a two-time team captain, has helped the Blue Devils to 26 wins, marking the best three-year stretch in the 103-season history of the program.
Redshirt junior Corbin McCarthy, who started the regular season finale at Wake Forest while Cash served a one-half suspension following his ejection from the Virginia contest, shifts into the starting lineup. A 5-10, 200-pound native of Norco, Calif., McCarthy has played in all 12 games this season while compiling 11 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, one interception, one pass breakup and one quarterback pressure. In 40 career games at Duke, McCarthy has posted 57 tackles.
Duke (7-5) meets Indiana (6-6) in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, December 26 in New York, N.Y. Kickoff at Yankee Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be televised live by ABC.