Duke’s Manny Diaz Responds to Team’s Setback

It was a disastrous performance by the Duke Blue Devils, who suffered arguably their worst loss of the season against the Virginia Cavaliers.

Although the score was 34-17, the end result does not accurately depict how much the Cavaliers dictated the terms of this game with their physicality and speed. Virginia imposed its will from the first snap of the game, sacking Darian Mensah, which was a precursor of how dominant the Cavaliers were at the point of attack.

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarter back Darian Mensah (10) hands the ball to Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Despite the loss, head coach Manny Diaz does not believe this result defines his team long-term. The 51-year-old head coach relayed that message to the media during his postgame press conference on Saturday night.

Diaz's Thoughts

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz reacts during the third quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

"I think we have seen it all season, there's been some ups and downs," Diaz said. "The word you love to have is 'consistency'. You want to know that you are going to be the same team every week, and for the most part, I really feel like we have been. Today [Saturday] is the first time that there were parts of our game that looked out of place. It did not look this way for the previous nine games. That's something that I don't think defines us going forward."

A loss of this magnitude, with what the game represented in the big picture, could derail a team's focus for the remaining games, as the main priority was not achieved. However, Diaz feels that the next two weeks are monumental for his team's growth.

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarter back Darian Mensah (10) drops back for a pass against Virginia Cavaliers defensive lineman Jacob Holmes (23) during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

"I told the team in the locker room, if I hadn't seen the fight in the fourth quarter, I'd be really concerned," Diaz said. "But watching the way that the guys played, even on the sideline, the way the guys were, the positivity when things weren't going great, I thought was there. There is something to build on going forward."

The Blue Devils' struggles in the first half set the tone for the game, but there was no sense of panic or despair in the locker room. Diaz explained the team's mindset during halftime.

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Landon Danley (32) tackles Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

"When we came in at halftime down two touchdowns, we've done that before," Diaz said. "Being down two touchdowns and getting the ball out of the locker room, there was not a sense of panic. If we just raised our level of execution, we would be right there. [Virginia] started faster, but we felt like we had multiple chances to get ourselves back in the game."

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