Weaknesses of the Duke Blue Devils' Offense

There are not a ton of complaints about the Blue Devils' offense, but there are some areas that need to be better moving forward if the program wants to meet the expectations the coaching staff has placed on the players.

With that in mind, let's take a look at where Duke could take its game to the next level with formidable opponents on the other side of the bye week.

Sep 6, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas (17) swats the ball from Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) during the second quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Pass blocking - keeping Darian Mensah upright

Again, this could be a bit harsh, but Mensah has been sacked a solid amount so far this season. Through six weeks, the former Tulane quarterback has been sacked 12 times, including two games with three sacks taken.

According to PFF, the Blue Devils possess a pass-blocking grade of 73.7, which ranks 34th in the entire country.

Overall, the offensive line has been solid, but in true pass sets is when the concerns arise for this unit in charge of providing Mensah with clean pockets to operate from.

Sep 6, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a pass during the third quarter against Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker James Kreutz (41) and linebacker Jojo Hayden (30) at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

According to PFF, in true pass sets, there is no offensive lineman with a pass-blocking grade above 78.4. Even more alarming is center Matt Craycraft's effectiveness on those specific sets. Craycraft grades out with a 57.6 pass-blocking grade in true pass sets.

The veteran interior lineman has played on 100% of snaps this season, and if he is going to be depended on that frequently, he has to be better.

Oct 21, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; The Duke Blue Devils and ACC logo on the pylon during the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

Sluggish starts early in games

This was evident in Duke's previous game against the California Golden Bears when the offense went three-and-out on the first possession of the game.

Oct 4, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (3) scrambles away from pressure by Duke Blue Devils defensive end Wesley Williams (97) during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

It has been a recurring theme for the offense, which struggled to get things going against Illinois in Week 2, scoring only three points in the first quarter. Unlike this past week, the Blue Devils were not able to overcome that slow start and fell 45-19.

The following week, Duke found itself in quicksand down 14-0 in the first quarter against Tulane, which snowballed into a 24-9 deficit at halftime. The Blue Devils would storm back in the second half, but ultimately fell short, losing 34-27.

Sep 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (1) runs the ball against the Clemson Tigers in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With Georgia Tech and Clemson as the next two games on the schedule, the Blue Devils' offense has to find ways to kick things into gear earlier.

Georgia Tech, which is Duke's opponent following the bye, averages 37 points per game, which ranks 37th in the country.

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