The Duke football program kicked off its 2025 season on the right foot, taking down FCS opponent Elon 45-17 at Wallace Wade Stadium. New Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah shone in his debut, specifically in the second half. Mensah tallied 389 passing yards and three touchdowns on 27-of-34 (79.4%) passing, while completing his final 14 passing attempts of the night. However, the ACC program that came into the season as the clear-cut favorite to win the conference title didn't have the same success in Week 1, and now Duke's aspirations of winning its first ACC title since 1989 just got a lot more real.
Clemson leaving the door open for Duke after Week 1 loss to LSU
Cade Klubnik and No. 4 Clemson kicked off their 2025 campaign against No. 9 LSU in Death Valley. Not only did Clemson fall 17-10 in a weak offensive performance, but Klubnik was fairly disappointing in his debut after coming into the year regarded as potentially the best quarterback in the nation. The senior totaled 230 yards in the air and an interception on 19-of-38 (50%) passing. LSU held Clemson scoreless through the entirety of the second half.
Practically every insider and analyst around the country deemed it a shoo-in that the Tigers would take the ACC crown, and they're still the heavy favorite according to the betting markets. Per FanDuel, Clemson is +140 to win the conference championship game, followed by Miami at +390. Duke is still being disrespected as a true threat in the conference, as the Blue Devils sit with +3000 odds to win the ACC title, the sixth-best.
Considering how it seemed impossible to many insiders that any program could take the conference title away from the Tigers, Clemson's lackluster performance as a whole, along with Klubnik's struggles, sure makes the door look a lot more open than it was a week ago.
The ceiling of Duke's season may be decided within the next week, as Manny Diaz and his group are gearing up for a marquee matchup against No. 12 Illinois next Saturday at home. If Duke can squeak out a massive victory this early in the season, the team's conference title hopes get much closer to reality.