Manny Diaz Discusses Takeaways for Duke's Offense

The Duke Blue Devils fell to the Connecticut Huskies 37-34 on Saturday night at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.

For the second consecutive week, the Blue Devils' offense scored at 30+ points, but unlike last week, it was not enough against Connecticut.

While speaking with the media in his postgame, head coach Manny Diaz provided some thoughts on how his offense performed. The rushing attack, headlined by Nate Sheppard, was the focal point of the offense in the second half.

Diaz's Thoughts

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz on the field for warm up 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

"I think that was the most frustrating thing about the game dynamic. We knew we could really run the ball well against them," Diaz said. "The combination of the first half, we just didn't have the ball very often. They were able to control the ball with the long drives that they had. Then we come out after halftime, and we're just going through them."

Darian Mensah struggled at points during the game, and Diaz explained how the Huskies' defense applies pressure on an opposing offense.

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

"The way their defense is, once [the game] turns into a throwing [contest], they have such exotic coverages and blitzes and things that you do not see any other week," Diaz explained. "In a time of a game where we have normally been outstanding, this is the first game we did not score in under two minutes under the clock since the season opener."

"We threw an interception, which led to them [scoring] a field goal," Diaz continued. "So, where we have been so dominant, they beat us in the end of two-minute situations in both halves. Ultimately, that was the difference in the game."

Oct 26, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Aaron Hall (99) takes off his helmet prior to the first half of the game against Southern Methodist Mustangs at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

"The fact we did not score before halftime, and we gave them three [points] at the end of the first half, we could not score at the end of the game when we normally would. [You] would back us in those scenarios to execute, and that's a credit to them."

"It is a credit to what they do, but it was a disappointment in ourselves that we couldn't put ourselves in a situation. That's why we were defeated."

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

Duke's offense certainly was not the issue on Saturday night, but the three turnovers and poor execution in specific situations, were things the Blue Devils could not afford in a shootout matchup.

In most games, scoring 34 points would be enough to win, but against a team like Connecticut, offenses have to take care of the football.

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