The Duke football program hit the road for the first time this season on Saturday, traveling to New Orleans to take on Tulane. In Duke quarterback Darian Mensah's homecoming, things didn't go as planned, as Duke has now suffered its second straight loss. The Blue Devils fell to the Green Wave 34-27, as the offense continues to look slow and sloppy. Duke entered the halftime locker room down 24-9 but began to find a little bit of a rhythm in the second half. However, an inability to stop the run mixed with miscues on the offensive side of the ball kept the Blue Devils from ever truly getting back into it.
Duke football in panic mode after loss to Tulane on the road
Manny Diaz's group has now lost two straight games to drop to 1-2 on the season. A victory over the Green Wave was a huge bounce-back opportunity for Duke after a disappointing 45-19 loss last week against No. 9 Illinois, but instead the Blue Devils will fall below .500, with any preseason College Football Playoff hopes now likely out the window.
Mensah has continued to look great at times, but with some inconsistencies as well. The former Tulane QB completed 30-of-51 (58.8%) of his passes for 313 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Concerns are beginning to arise after Duke signed Mensah to a two-year, $7.5 million NIL contract this offseason. Mensah missed 10 of his first 17 throws of the night for another slow start.
After Diaz built an elite defense in 2024, Duke came into the season with the potential to have the best defensive unit in the ACC. But against Tulane, the Blue Devils were tossed around for the most part. Green Wave quarterback Jake Retzlaff ran for four touchdowns on his own as Tulane put up 24 points in the first half.
Now 1-2, Diaz and the rest of his staff have some serious regrouping to do if Duke is going to be competitive at all in the ACC. Next weekend, Duke will host NC State, which will be another close game. A win over the Wolfpack is absolutely crucial for the Blue Devils to have any sort of ACC Championship hopes moving forward.