Duke HC Manny Diaz Makes Mic-Drop Statement After Opening Win

The Duke Blue Devils are 1-0 for the third straight year under head coach Manny Diaz. Duke defeated Tulane 17-3 at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday night behind a fantastic defensive effort.

The Blue Devils held the Green Wave scoreless until the fourth quarter, and Tulane converted just 3-of-14 third-down attempts. The offense as a whole is clearly a work in progress, but star sophomore Nate Sheppard put the nation on notice in Week 1 with 35 carries for 227 yards and two touchdowns.

Duke HC Manny Diaz Looks To Exceed Expectations Once Again

Sep 5, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) and Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jared Richardson (17) celebrate Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard's (20) touchdown against the Tulane Green Wave during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Duke was one of the transfer portal cycle's biggest victims this offseason. Coming off an ACC Championship victory in 2025, Diaz and Co. lost star quarterback Darian Mensah and their top three receivers. The Blue Devils also lost several other key contributors to the NFL Draft.

As a result, Duke didn't have the highest expectations from general fans and folks around college football heading into the year, which made sense.

Sep 5, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on during the second half against the Tulane Green Wave at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In his postgame press conference after the victory over Tulane, Diaz made a big statement about his team's mentality despite outside doubts.

"At a time, in an offseason when nobody really believed in Duke football, and it was easy to suggest that we would take a step back- not that we're proclaiming anything, but what I can proclaim is the guys in that locker room, they pushed back on that," Diaz said. "They believed in themselves. They believed in this program. They believe in how we win at Duke."

Duke Faces Big Test in Week 2

The Blue Devils looked great defensively on Saturday night, but they will need some contributions from elsewhere on the offensive side of the ball before their big test in Week 2. Diaz and Co. will take on Illinois on the road next Saturday. Illinois defeated UAB 42-23 in its first regular-season game.

Walking away from Duke's opener, fans should be really excited about the defense. Tulane looked all out of sorts offensively all night long, only compiling 258 yards of total offense.

Sep 5, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Tulane Green Wave linebacker Chris Rodgers (4) is tackled by Duke Blue Devils linebacker Luke Mergott (34) and Duke Blue Devils defensive end Bryce Davis (12) at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The passing game is clearly the weak point of this Duke team right now. San Jose State transfer QB Walker Eget struggled in his debut in Durham, and the team combined for just 13 receptions for 131 yards.

Nonetheless, Diaz has exceeded expectations in both of his years at the helm, and there's no reason to doubt him now. Behind Sheppard, who could seriously turn into one of the best running backs in college football, Duke has the potential to shock the world yet again.

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