With a 3-2 overall record but a 2-0 record in ACC play, consistency wasn't exactly a thing of note for the Duke Blue Devils' football program through the first five weeks of the season.
The wins over NC State and Syracuse were impressive, and primed the Blue Devils to be tied for first place in the conference. The biggest points of concern? The offensive line and protecting quarterback Darian Mensah.
Through the first five games of the season, Mensah was sacked 10 times for a loss of 55 yards as the O-Line struggled to remain healthy, leaving its quarterback vulnerable on numerous occasions.
Before Week 6, when Duke flew to California to face the Golden Bears, the Blue Devils released their availability report, and the offensive line was once again riddled with question marks.
Duke offense missing key pieces vs. Cal
Senior Micah Sahakian, freshman Jamin Brown, freshman Evan Scott, and freshman Nathan Kutufaris were all listed as "OUT" on the report, as was junior running back Peyton Jones, who frequently stepped into blocking roles in the first three games of the year.
Not to mention, tight end Landen King was listed as "QUESTIONABLE" as fellow TE was finally listed as "PROBABLE."
Once again, it looked like Mensah would be vulnerable in the backfield, relying on a pieced-together offensive line.
Luckily, star running backs Nate Sheppard, Anderson Castle, and Jaquez Moore were all listed as healthy and available, a big step in the right direction for the Duke offense.
The offense wasn't the only unit missing some stars as the Blue Devils prepared to play agains the Golden Bears. The defense was also missing star safety Terry Moore, cornerback Vontae Floyd, and linebackers Nick Morris Jr., Memorable Factor, and Kendall Johnson.
Meant to post this last night but Duke’s first availability report ahead of its game vs. Cal: pic.twitter.com/cubqLo4LSh
— Anna Snyder (@annaesnydr) October 3, 2025
Despite all of the injuries, Duke was expected to march into Berkley and defeat Cal, favored by 2.5 points on the road, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
The unranked Blue Devils (3-2 overall, 2-0 ACC) and unranked Golden Bears (4-1 overall, 1-0 ACC) were scheduled to kick off at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 4, and the game was set to be broadcast on ESPN.