Know the Enemy 2025: Duke Football

Can a Blue Devil drag a Golden Bear to hell?

Image Courtesy of Duke Football on X @DukeFOOTBALL

This week we are honored to welcome Executive Director of the Blue Devil Network Dave Harding to the KTE forum to answer a few questions about the visiting program and what we might expect from Saturday night’s matchup.

1. How are the vibes so far this season? What are the feelings around Manny Diaz thus far?

The vibes around Duke football are really positive right now. After a shaky start to the season with some turnover issues and inconsistencies on defense and special teams, the team seems to have flipped a switch following the first quarter of the NC State game. Since then, they’ve been playing at an incredibly high level, protecting the football on offense, tackling more consistently on defense, and executing efficiently on special teams. Back-to-back conference wins, including a road victory at Syracuse, have only added to the momentum. As for Manny Diaz, he’s exceeded expectations. Winning nine games in his first year, retaining key talent during the offseason, and supplementing the roster with impactful transfers have all positioned him as the right leader to elevate Duke football. There’s a growing sense that under his direction, Duke can legitimately contend for an ACC championship and even push toward a College Football Playoff berth.

2. How have the expectations surrounding Darian Mensah fared after five games? Is he exceeding or falling short of where the fanbase thought they’d be?

Expectations for Darian Mensah were incredibly high coming into the season, and I’d say he’s exceeded them. Through five games he’s completing over 69% of his passes, with 13 touchdowns to just two interceptions, and he’s helped make Duke’s offense one of the most productive in the ACC. What stands out is his ability to spread the ball to multiple receivers while also using his athleticism to extend plays and keep his eyes downfield. His decision-making has been impressive, he’s aggressive in looking for deep shots, but he’s also disciplined enough to work through progressions and take checkdowns rather than forcing the ball into coverage. On top of that, he’s emerged as a respected leader, earning the trust and confidence of his teammates.

3. Who is a defensive player to watch out for on Saturday?

A defensive player to keep an eye on this Saturday is linebacker Tre Freeman. With injuries hitting the linebacker group hard - including the loss of starting Mike linebacker Nick Morris for the season - Freeman’s experience and reliability have been invaluable. He’s been outstanding in pass coverage, has tackled consistently in space, and has a knack for producing momentum-shifting plays. Already this year he’s come away with an interception against NC State that helped spark Duke to victory. His ability to steady the defense and make impact plays has been critical to the team’s success.

4. What are you most excited to see out of Duke this weekend?

I’m most excited to see this Duke team, which really seems to have found its rhythm, continue to build on the momentum they’ve created by starting conference play 2-0. They’ve learned from some early season mistakes and are playing a clean, complimentary brand of football—where offense, defense, and special teams all feed off each other to sustain momentum. This weekend will be a major test, traveling across the country to face a talented Cal team that consistently pushes games into the fourth quarter. But with the way this roster has started to come together, I’m eager to see how they respond to that kind of challenge.

5. What does Duke need to do to win the game?

For Duke to win this weekend, the formula is pretty straightforward: play clean football. Nobody needs to be a hero, this is a talented roster with players who can win one-on-one matchups all over the field. The key is for everyone to stay focused on doing their job. In the past, turnovers and missed tackles have hurt us when guys tried to do too much, but over the last few weeks the team has really settled in, built confidence, and started to play within itself. If that focus and discipline continue, this group has everything it needs to be successful.

6. How do you see this game playing out?

I see this game as a true strength-on-strength matchup. Duke’s offense, which has really started to gel and consistently produce big plays, will be going up against a Cal defense that plays as fundamentally sound as any group in the conference. They’re well-coached, disciplined, and rarely beat themselves, so it’ll be fascinating to see which side gains the upper hand. On the other side of the ball, Cal is led by an impressive true freshman quarterback, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. While he’s talented, he’s still relatively inexperienced, which means it will be critical for Duke’s defense to disguise coverages and muddy the picture downfield. With a stout defensive front, Duke has the ability to pressure Sagapolutele and make him uncomfortable. If the Blue Devils can combine that defensive pressure with their clean, efficient offensive play, they’ll put themselves in a strong position.