All Positive Signs for Duke Heading into Week 12

The Duke Blue Devils are coming off a tough loss last week against UConn. It was a game that Duke knew it should have won. They had their opportunities throughout that game, but they came out short at the end of the game.

Now Duke has moved on and will learn from all the key mistakes that they made last week. Duke is preparing for a massive ACC conference games against their rival, the Virginia Cavaliers. This is going to be a showdown that could determine one team is going to the ACC title game.

Both teams come into this game with only one loss in conference play, and one team is going to leave with only one loss after the game. Duke wants to make sure it is them.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a pass against the UConn Huskies in the second half at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

"All season long, Duke head coach Manny Diaz has done a great job of making sure his team is playing good football following a loss," said Anna Snyder of The Fayetteville Observer. "That is what he will try to do in this game. It is going to be the biggest game of the season, and the Blue Devils have to be at their best if they want a shot at winning this. Duke is feeling confident going into this game, and that is something a team has to do."

"Now, Duke looks ahead to hosting No. 19 Virginia for its first game at Wallace Wade Stadium since Week 8. The Cavaliers are also coming off a loss, falling 16-9 at home to Wake Forest in a game it failed to score a touchdown. After falling to 1-3 in nonconference play, Duke not only focuses on realigning but also on rediscovering its joy and passion."

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) warms up before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

"I think that after the Clemson win, spirits were high, guys were hype about it" defensive tackle Josiah Green said on Tuesday, Nov. 11. "Going into UConn – I'll it give it to the team, they played really hard. We made a lot of mistakes, but they played hard and I want to give them the credit. I think that we need to reestablish the joy and the passion that we had, just as a team, as a sense. I don't know if we had that, per se, going into the game or at least match that of the opponent."

Sep 10, 2021; Durham, North Carolina, USA; A Duke Blue Devils helmet sits on an equipment chest during the third quarter of the game against the North Carolina A&T Aggies at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

The matchup between Duke and Virginia will take place Saturday, Nov 15, and will be held at the Blue Devils' home field.

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