Assessing Duke QB Darian Mensah's Performance vs. Georgia Tech

The Duke Blue Devils and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets entered Week 8 with premier spots in the ACC up for grabs, especially after Miami's loss to Louisville on Friday night.

Nov 19, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Duke Blue Devils helmets on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Coming off a bye, the Blue Devils had extra time to prepare for Georgia Tech, and it showed, particularly in the first half when Duke was clearly the better team through the first 30 minutes.

However, the Blue Devils missed out on multiple opportunities after self-inflicted miscues cost Duke points on the first two drives.

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils offensive lineman Justin Pickett (77) looks on during the first half of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

With all that being said, here is how Mensah performed against one of the top 15ete teams in the country.

Mensah's Stat line

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz runs out before the first half of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

In the 27-18 defeat to Georgia Tech, the sophomore quarterback completed 32-of-44 pass attempts for 373 yards and two touchdowns. Some of this production came on the final drive in garbage time, but that does not take away from how proficient Mensah was throughout the game.

Completing 72.7% of his passes against a defense such as Georgia Tech is just another example of Mensah's elite efficiency, which has been apparent throughout the season.

Oct 4, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a pass against the California Golden Bears during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

In the first half, the former Tulane quarterback completed 16-of-21 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately, because of the aforementioned miscues, Duke was only able to score seven points in the first 30 minutes.

Mensah's extraordinary first-half production would have been more of a forefront discussion if the Blue Devils were in control at halftime. Nonetheless, the sophomore quarterback has the potential to be a starting quarterback at the next level and yesterday was evidence for that claim.

Sep 27, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) runs out of the pocket in the first quarter against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Who Helped Mensah the Most

There does not need to be much of a discussion when identifying who stepped up the most for Mensah on Saturday against the Yellow Jackets.

The Harvard transfer wide receiver was monumental in Duke's offensive output against Georgia Tech, securing 13 passes for 172 yards and a successful two-point conversion.

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Cooper Barkate (18) celebrates during the first half of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Barkate made his impact early, right out of the gates, totaling four receptions for 71 yards on the first drive, including a 35-yard reception on the first play of the game for Duke's offense.

It can be safely said that Barkate is the clear-cut top pass-catching option for Mensah and this offense.

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