Manny Diaz Addresses What Went Wrong vs. UConn

The Duke Blue Devils fell short against the Connecticut Huskies, losing 37-34 in a tough road matchup on Saturday night.

It was obviously a disappointing result for a team looking to build momentum after a crucial win in Week 10.

Nov 30, 2019; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils helmet against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

While speaking with the media during his postgame press conference, head coach Manny Diaz reflected on the loss, giving Connecticut full credit for the win.

Diaz's Thoughts

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

"First of all, full credit to Connecticut. They were fully deserved winners of the game tonight," Diaz said. "We knew the first time [putting] film on early in the week that this was an outstanding football team. Coach [Jim] Mora has done a great job. The quarterback [Joe Fagnano] is the real deal. In our preparation, we were well-aware of that."

This loss will be placed solely on the offense's miscues and turnovers, but Diaz believes the Blue Devils struggled in all three phases.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a pass against the UConn Huskies in the second half at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

"It was a loss where in all three phases, we just made too many mistakes to beat a quality opponent on the road," Diaz said. "We lost [the turnover battle] three to zero, which is going to make any game difficult to win. The fact that it was a three-point game [showed] how well we did to try to overcome that, but it was just too much."

"The fake punt almost behaves as another turnover in the game. It stole another possession for them," Diaz continued. "We just couldn't execute our pass defense as good as they can throw the football. That was a huge point in the game."

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz on the field before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Diaz also revealed the mindset in the locker room, following a disappointing result, such as this one.

"In our locker room, we're going to fully absorb how horrendous this feels to lose this game and own it," Diaz said. "College football is preparation and mindset. I'm responsible for getting our preparation ready to win and our mindset ready to respond after a game like we had a week ago. Obviously, we were not capable of doing that. That's my responsibility."

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils cornerback Landan Callahan (21) reacts after a play against the UConn Huskies in the second quarter at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The defeat to the Huskies is certainly disappointing and frustrating for a team that has not been able to string together wins every week. The positive for the Blue Devils' players and coaching staff is that this result does not affect their position in the ACC standings. In fact, there were two teams - Virginia and Louisville - that suffered monumental in-conference losses.

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