Darian Mensah Discusses What to Expect vs. UNC

It is always difficult to set aside a tough loss and move on to the next game, but that is exactly what the Duke Blue Devils will have to do. This week, the Blue Devils travel to Chapel Hill to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in a historic rivalry.

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

Although the ramifications of the game have lessened with Duke falling out of contention for the ACC title game, this contest remains monumental to both programs, who are battling for bragging rights.

While speaking with the media on Tuesday during his press conference availability, quarterback Darian Mensah provided his viewpoint on the rivalry.

Mensah's Thoughts

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 haven't," Mensah said to being asked if he had ever played for a trophy in a rivalry game. "There is definitely some juice going into this game, huge rivalry. I think we will be ready. Today [Tuesday] was a good day and a step in the right direction. Rivalry games are always fun, so we will be ready to go."

While watching film, Mensah has learned several tendencies and characteristics of North Carolina's defense. He explained what he noticed during his preparation for this week's contest.

"They play with two wide-nine techniques, who are both solid players," Mensah said. "They have long corners. They play a lot of man on early downs and are an NFL-style defense. That's a credit to the defensive coordinator and the players that they have over there."

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

Duke's offensive line struggled against Virginia last week, and some of those pressures were attributed to Mensah holding onto the ball too long. The sophomore quarterback explained how he has to do a better job of making the offensive line's responsibilities easier.

"I'm just going to have to make quick, decisive decisions whenever we are dropping back and throwing the football," Mensah said. "[I need] to be elite on early downs, so we can mix in some runs on third downs, [which] is when [North Carolina] likes to get some pressure on the quarterback. I would say be elite early in the game, and make sure that we can dominate the line of scrimmage."

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

Nate Sheppard and the rushing attack's involvement in the game has not been there throughout the last few weeks. Mensah talked about how that must be a factor against North Carolina.

"If you can run the ball, you have a much higher chance of winning the game," Mensah said. "We've got to come out with some fire and make sure we can run the ball, so we're not in obvious drop-back situations."

As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE and following us on X (formerly Twitter) HERE