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  • Duke rises to No. 1 in AP Top 25 men’s hoops poll for record 148th time

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    Duke’s win against Michigan has propelled the Blue Devils to a familiar perch: No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.

    The Blue Devils climbed two spots to top Monday’s poll, marking the 148th appearance at No. 1 to add to what was already the record for any program. Duke (25-2) claimed 56 of 61 first-place votes to supplant Michigan (25-2) after Saturday’s 68-63 win against the Wolverines in Washington.

    That win came in a matchup of the top two teams in the NCAA men’s selection committee’s preliminary top 16 seeds for March Madness, released hours before the game. The Blue Devils enter this week with a national-best 12 Quadrant 1 wins, along with nine wins against AP Top 25 teams.

    And now the latest such win has pushed the Blue Devils back to a No. 1 ranking for the second straight season under fourth-year coach Jon Scheyer. Last year’s Final Four team sat atop the last two polls entering the NCAA Tournament, the first time Duke had reached No. 1 since Scheyer took over for retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski in 2022.

    Arizona rose two spots to No. 2 after beating BYU and winning at Houston, and secured the other five first-place votes. Michigan fell to No. 3 as its first appearance at No. 1 since January 2013 turned into a one-week stay, followed by a pair of Big 12 teams in Iowa State and Houston.

    The top tier

    UConn fell one spot to No. 6 after a week that included a home loss to Creighton, while reigning national champion Florida leapt five spots to No. 7 to return to the top 10 for the first time since late November. The Gators were ranked No. 3 in the preseason and spent a week among the unranked in early January. They have won seven straight and 12 of 13.

    Purdue, Gonzaga and Illinois rounded out the top 10.

    NCAA selection committee vs. AP Top 25

    The selection committee had Michigan, Duke, Arizona and Iowa State as the No. 1 seeds in Saturday’s reveal of the preliminary top 16 seeds. The Cyclones edged UConn and Houston for the fourth 1-seed, with the Huskies’ loss to Creighton and then Iowa State’s head-to-head win against Houston to start last week swinging the vote to T.J. Otzelberger’s squad.

    Monday’s poll largely aligns with the committee’s reveal, starting with the same four teams at the top in a shuffled order — with Iowa State moving up two spots even after Saturday’s loss at now-No. 19 BYU.

    In addition, the AP Top 25 and committee align on 15 teams being ranked among those top 16 seeds. The outlier is St. John’s at No. 15 in the AP poll, taking a slot that went to Vanderbilt — with the Commodores seeded 15th overall by the committee Saturday but sliding to No. 25 in Monday’s poll.

    Rising

    Alabama had the week’s biggest jump, rising eight spots to No. 17 after a thrilling double-overtime home win against Arkansas and a win at LSU pushed the Crimson Tide’s win streak to six games.

    Florida had the week’s second-biggest gain, while BYU rose four spots after the Arizona loss and Iowa State win.

    In all, 11 teams moved up from last week’s ranking.

    Sliding

    No. 14 Kansas joined Vanderbilt with the week’s biggest slide of six spots. The Jayhawks are coming off a 16-point home loss to a Cincinnati team that was reeling in early February but has won four straight.

    The Commodores lost at Missouri and at home to Tennessee last week, falling to 5-6 since a 16-0 start that carried them to a No. 10 ranking as of mid-January.

    Saint Louis tumbled five spots to No. 23 after last week’s loss at Rhode Island ended an 18-game winning streak, while 11 teams fell from last week but remained in the poll.

    Status quo

    Illinois and No. 20 Arkansas were the only two teams to hold their position from last week.

    Coming and going

    Tennessee was the lone new addition at No. 22, with the Volunteers beating Oklahoma and Vanderbilt last week to push its winning streak to four games. This starts a third stint in the poll for Rick Barnes’ Volunteers, who fell out for two weeks in mid-January, returned for a week at No. 25 to start February, then were unranked again for the past two weeks.

    The Vols replaced Wisconsin, which fell out from No. 24 after last week’s loss at Ohio State.

    Conference watch

    The Big 12 led all conferences with six ranked teams, while the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference each had five. The Atlantic Coast Conference was next with four, followed by the Big East with two.

    The West Coast Conference, Mid-American Conference and Atlantic 10 each had one ranked team.

    Top 25 poll

    1. Duke 25-2, 1520 (56)
      1. Arizona 25-2, 1439 (5)
        1. Michigan 25-2, 1433
          1. Iowa State 23-4, 1272
            1. Houston 23-4,  1251
              1. UConn 25-3, 1211
                1. Florida 21-6, 1112
                  1. Purdue 22-5, 1062
                    1. Gonzaga 27-2, 1039
                      1. Illinois 22-6, 895
                        1. Virginia 24-3, 884
                          1. Nebraska 23-4, 858
                            1. Michigan State 22-5, 856
                              1. Kansas 20-7, 774
                                1. St. John’s 22-5, 763
                                  1. Texas Tech 20-7, 592
                                    1. Alabama 20-7, 402
                                      1. North Carolina 21-6, 388
                                        1. BYU 20-7, 361
                                          1. Arkansas 20-7, 356
                                            1. Miami (OH) 27-0, 335
                                              1. Tennessee 20-7, 288
                                                1. Saint Louis 25-2, 242
                                                  1. Louisville 20-7, 186
                                                    1. Vanderbilt 21-6, 171

                                                      Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 47, Saint Mary’s 30, Villanova 15, Miami 10, Utah St. 8, NC State 7, SMU 4, Texas A&M 3, Iowa 3, UCF 3, High Point 2, Stephen F Austin 2, Navy 1.

                                                      Point values in parentheses indicate the number of first place votes.

                                                      Chris Lea’s ballot

                                                      WRAL’s Chris Lea is a voter for The Associated Press Top 25 poll this season. Here is his ballot: 

                                                      1. Duke

                                                      2. Michigan

                                                      3. Arizona

                                                      4. UConn

                                                      5. Houston

                                                      6. Iowa State

                                                      7. Purdue

                                                      8. Gonzaga

                                                      9. Kansas

                                                      10. Florida

                                                      11. Nebraska

                                                      12. Virginia

                                                      13. Illinois

                                                      14. Michigan State

                                                      15. Texas Tech

                                                      16. St. John’s

                                                      17. UNC

                                                      18. Alabama

                                                      19. Miami (OH)

                                                      20. Saint Louis

                                                      21. Arkansas

                                                      22. Louisville

                                                      23. Tennessee

                                                      24. BYU

                                                      25. Vanderbilt  

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  • Duke’s Scheyer: Staff members were punched in the face during court storm at UNC

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    CHAPEL HILL — Duke coach Jon Scheyer said that Blue Devils staff members were punched in the face and his family feared for its safety when North Carolina fans stormed the court at the end of Saturday’s game.

    UNC won 71-68 on Seth Trimble’s 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining. Fans stormed the court after he made the shot, then had to be ushered off the court for a final play. After Duke’s final play, which didn’t result in a shot, fans again stormed the court.

    “I got staff members that got punched in the face,” Scheyer said. “My family [was] pushing people away, trying to not get trampled. That’s not what this game is about. You give them all the credit in the world. It’s not about the game, but obviously that was a scary ending and this rivalry is not about that.”

    The ACC implemented fines for storming the field or court this year, a move that came, in part, due to a February 2024 court storm at Wake Forest. Duke star Kyle Filipowski was injured in that storm.

    Schools face fines of $50,000, $100,000 and $200,000 per offense from the ACC that will accumulate through two seasons in football and basketball. Schools are expected to have a plan to get opposing teams and personnel off the court safely.

    “I think court storming’s fine,” Scheyer said. “I don’t have any issue with court storming. Shouldn’t have people getting punched in the face. Shouldn’t put our players in position where they’re face to face with people who can do anything at that time. It just takes one reaction. Even today, I had to push people away just to try to protect our players ,Court storming, I’m all for it. They won. They should celebrate. If they want to court storm, court storm. But just let’s get our guys off safely.”

    North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham spoke to the media after the game and said he offered his apologies to Scheyer.

    “I apologize to coach, his family and, obviously, if somebody got injured, that’s just really disappointing,” Cunningham said. “But we’ll do the best we can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

    Cunningham said North Carolina officials would review video of the incident to see what happened. He said people were knocked over.

    “Unfortunate things happen when so many people rush like that,” Cunningham said. “That was just unfortunate. Hope it doesn’t happen again.”

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  • Judge says Duke QB Mensah can’t enroll at another school for now

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    Duke quarterback Darian Mensah can’t enroll at another school, play football at another school or license his name, image or likeness to another school at this time, a judge ruled in a lawsuit filed by Duke University on Tuesday.

    Mensah is allowed to enter the transfer portal, Judge Michael O’Foghludha wrote in his opinion. The restrictions are in effect until Feb. 2 when there will be a preliminary injunction hearing. 

    “Mr. Mensah has an existing contract with Duke which the university intends to honor, and we expect he will do the same,” Duke said in a statement. “The court-ordered temporary restraining order (TRO) issued yesterday ensures he does not violate his contract. The university is committed to supporting all our student-athletes, while expecting each of them to abide by their contractual obligations.”

    Mensah signed a two-season contract with Duke before the 2025 season worth a reported $4 million per season. He led Duke to the ACC championship and earned second-team All-ACC honors. In December, Mensah recommitted to Duke, posting a social media video announcing his intentions.

    But on Jan. 16, the last day for players to enter the transfer portal, Mensah announced that he intended to transfer. He emailed Duke asking that the school enter his name into the transfer portal. 

    Miami is his expected destination.

    Duke filed a lawsuit alleging that Mensah had violated various terms of his contract.

    The court “finds that Duke has good cause related to its demand for arbitration as to the Mensah contract and that a temporary restraining order is therefore needed and authorized,” O’Foghludha wrote.

    Mensah threw for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2025 for the Blue Devils. He played for Tulane in 2024.

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  • Mensah throws for 4 TDs and leads Duke to a 42-39 win over Arizona State in the Sun Bowl :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By John Erfort

    ELPASO, Texas (AP) — Darian Mensah threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns to lead Duke to a 42-39 victory over Arizona State in the Sun Bowl on Wednesday.

    Mensah, named the game’s MVP, was 29 of 51 passing with an interception. He helped Duke to its fourth straight win and tied a Sun Bowl record for TD passes in a game.

    The Blue Devils (9-5) also won nine games for a second consecutive season — only the second time in program history they accomplished the feat.

    Arizona State (8-5) was led by quarterback Jeff Sims, who was 27 of 38 passing for 375 yards and three TDs. He also ran for 70 yards and two scores on seven carries, including a 38-yard run in the second quarter that tied the game at 21-all.

    The game, which set Sun Bowl records for combined total offense (1,158 yards), individual team offense (ASU, 619 yards), and most points in a half (52 in the first half), was tied three times and had two lead changes.

    The Sun Devils took the lead at 39-35 on a 6-yard TD pass from Sims to Malik McClain at 12:31 of the fourth quarter — their first lead since the game’s opening score, a 4-yard run by Sims.

    Manning uses arm and legs to lead No. 14 Texas to a 41-27 Citrus Bowl win over No. 18 Michigan

    Devon Dampier leads No. 15 Utah past Nebraska in Las Vegas Bowl, 44-22

    CFP quarterfinals get started with defending champion Ohio State against Miami in Cotton Bowl

    After exchanging possessions, the Blue Devils were driving for a go-ahead score and looked to have it on an 8-yard pass from Mensah to Cooper Barkate, but ASU’s Nyland Green knocked the ball out of Barkate’s hands in the end zone.

    The Sun Devils took over with 2:51 remaining and seemingly in control, but Demarius Robinson fumbled at the end of a 14-yard on the next play. Kendall Johnson forced the fumble and Ma’Khi Jones recovered for the Blue Devils on the ASU 22-yard line.

    Two players later, Mensah connected with Que’Sean Brown on a receiver screen to the left side and Brown broke a tackle en route to a 17-yard score that regained the lead for Duke at 42-39.

    Arizona State got one more crack with just over two minutes to play, but a Sims’ pass over the middle was intercepted by Duke’s Luke Mergott, sealing the win.

    The takeaway

    Duke was a small favorite going into the game, not only because it was the ACC champ, but also because it only had two players who were unavailable. Arizona State was without 22 players who had been on the roster and played at some point this season, led by quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. Leavitt, who has been out with a foot injury since November, entered the transfer portal, while Tyson is expected to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft. The Sun Devils had four players making their first start, and 18 who were on the gameday roster for the first time.

    Up next

    Arizona State: Opens the 2026 season at home against Morgan State on Sept. 5.

    Duke: Opens its season at home against Tulane on Sept. 5.

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  • Duke uses late fake field goal to stun North Carolina, Bill Belichick :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By Brian Murphy, WRAL News

    Duke Blue Devils 32
    North Carolina Tar HeelsNorth Carolina Tar Heels 25
    Final

    CHAPEL HILL — Duke pulled off a stunning fake field goal and scored the game-winning touchdown on the next play as the Blue Devils pulled off a memorable 32-25 victory over host North Carolina on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.

    Kicker Todd Pelino took a pitch from the holder and ran 26 yards down the left sideline to the UNC 1 late in the fourth quarter. Duke running back Anderson Castle had his third 1-yard touchdown run of the game on the next play to give Duke the lead in a back-and-forth battle for possession of the Victory Bell.

    Duke improved to 6-5 and earned bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season. UNC, under first-year coach Bill Belichick, is 4-7 and will not reach six regular-season wins for the first time since 2018, Larry Fedora’s last season as coach.

    It was the fourth straight nailbiter between the rivals, the first two won by UNC and the last two by Duke.

    The North Carolina offense, which ranked among the worst in the ACC and the nation entering the game, came to life against the Blue Devils. UNC took a 25-24 lead early in the fourth quarter after a 12-yard touchdown run by Davion Gause.

    Duke led 24-10 early in the second half after a touchdown run by Castle. UNC opened the second half with an unsuccessful surprise onside kick attempt.

    Down by two touchdowns, UNC responded with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Gio Lopez to wide receiver Jordan Shipp. The pair connected on a two-point conversion as well.

    Entering the game, UNC ranked next to last or last in the 17-team ACC in passing offense, total offense, scoring offense, third-down offense and red zone offense.

    UNC was much better Saturday against the Blue Devils’ defense.

    But Duke was a bit better, aided by converting 5-of-6 fourth-down tries, including the fake field goal. A successful 44-yard kick would have given Duke the lead and few expected the daring call. UNC’s Marcus Allen crashed hard in an attempt to block the field. It left Pelino plenty of space to run.

    Two key penalties hurt the Tar Heels in the first half.

    With the score tied at 7, Allen was called for roughing the kicker when Pelino missed a 46-yard attempt. Duke had picked up a personal foul penalty on the play before, pushing the Blue Devils into a longer attempt.

    On the first play after the UNC penalty, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah connected with Jeremiah Hasley for a 14-yard touchdown.

    The Blue Devils added a field goal on its next possession to extend the lead, but the Tar Heels got a field goal of their own in the final seconds of the half. An ineligible receiver down field penalty stopped the Tar Heels from a first-and-goal situation on the drive.

    Things started well for UNC.

    Lopez completed all six of his passes as the Tar Heels marched for an opening-drive touchdown. Lopez also rushed for six yards, including a one-yard touchdown, on the opening drive. Lopez had 65 yards passing on the drive. It was the third time UNC has scored a touchdown on its first drive this season.

    Duke answered with a long touchdown drive of its own on their first drive, capped by a 1-yard run by Castle. Duke, who entered the game with the best passing offense in the ACC behind Mensah, converted on two fourth-down tries on its opening drive, including a 27-yard gain on fourth-and-2 from the UNC 46.

    Duke defeated UNC 21-20 last season, rallying from a 20-0 second-half deficit.

    Scoring summary

    First quarter

    UNC — Gio Lopez 1 run (Rece Verhoff kick), 7:57. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:03. Key play: Lopez completed a pass down the left sideline to receiver Jordan Shipp for 22 yards on third-and-1 at the UNC 41. UNC 7, Duke 0.

    DUKE — Anderson Castle 1 run (Todd Pelino kick), 2:59. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:51. Key play: Duke converted on two fourth-down tries on the drive, including a 27-yard pass on fourth-and-2 at the UNC 46. UNC 7, Duke 7.

    Second quarter

    DUKE – Jeremiah Hasley 14 pass from Darian Mensah (Pelino kick), 10:25. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 6:11. Key play: North Carolina’s Marcus Allen was flagged for roughing the passer after Pelino missed a field goal, giving Duke a first down at the UNC 14. Duke 14, North Carolina 7.

    DUKE – Pelino 33 kick, 2:33. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 6:51. Key plays: Duke converted on three third-down attempts on the drive, including an 8-yard gain on third-and-3 from its own 35. Duke 17, UNC 7.

    UNC — Verhoff 47 field goal, :07. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 2:26. Key play: An ineligible receiver down field penalty cost the Tar Heels a 21-yard pickup on third-and-2 from the Duke 26. Instead, the Tar Heels were pushed back and kicked a field goal. Duke 17, UNC 10.

    Third quarter

    DUKE — Castle 1 run (Pelino kick), 9:15. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 5:45. Key play: Darian Mensah rushed for 13 yards on fourth-and-7 from the UNC 41 to keep the drive alive. Duke 24, UNC 10.

    UNC — Jordan Shipp 20 pass from Gio Lopez (Shipp pass from Lopez), 4:52. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:23. Key play: The Tar Heels converted on two third-down tries. UNC entered the game as the ACC’s worst offense on third down. Duke 24, UNC 18.

    Fourth quarter

    UNC — Davion Gause 12 run (Verhoff kick), 13:13. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 4:30. Key play: The Tar Heels picked up chunks of yards on the drive: 16, 13, 15, 11, 11, 11 and 12. Lopez hit Shipp for 11 yards on third-and-8 at the Duke 45. North Carolina 25, Duke 24.

    DUKE — Castle 1 run (Nate Shephard pass from Mensah), 2:18. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 4:19. Key play: Kicker Todd Pelino rushed for 26 yards on a fake field goal. Duke 32, North Carolina 25.


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  • Nate Sheppard’s 3-yard TD, Duke’s 2-point conversion stun Clemson 46-45 :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By PETE IACOBELLI, Associated Press

    CLEMSON, S.C. — CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Duke coach Manny Diaz did not want to chance overtime at Clemson’s Death Valley. His team made sure he wouldn’t have to.

    Nate Sheppard had a 3-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds left and Duke followed with a two-point conversion from Darian Mensah to Shamir Hagans to win at Clemson for the first time since 1980 with a 46-45 victory Saturday.

    “Going extra innings at Death Valley isn’t really a good plan,” Diaz said.

    Winning in regulation somewhere you hadn’t in 45 years? “This is a major step for our program,” Diaz said.

    The Blue Devils (5-3, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 45-38 and started the game-winning drive on their 6-yard line. Mensah led an 11-play drive in which he converted two fourth downs to set up Sheppard’s TD run.

    There was no hesitation from Duke’s Diaz who kept the offense on the field and Mensah quicky found Hagans for the decisive points.

    It was a quirky game of dramatic momentum swings. Duke looked unstoppable in gaining 199 yards in the first quarter to lead 21-7. But Clemson woke up with three straight TDs to lead 28-21. The Tigers looked in control again with six minutes left until Duke’s final drive.

    “We just stayed poised and showed our confidence,” Mensah said.

    It was another low moment in a terrible season for Clemson (3-5, 1-4), the defending ACC champions and a trendy pick to win Dabo Swinney’s third national title. The Tigers have lost four home games for the first time since 1998.

    They’re on pace for Swinney’s worst season since 2010 when the Tigers were 6-7 and the coach thought his time at the school was done. Instead, he won eight ACC titles and national championships after the 2016 and 2018 seasons.

    “I feel like I’m in 2010 all over again,” Swinney said.

    After Duke took the final lead, the Tigers tried a desperation, pass the ball to anyone open play as the clock ran out. When Duke finally stopped the play, the sidelines jumped into joyous celebration. After all, it had been more than four decades since the football Blue Devils had left Death Valley with a victory.

    Mensah finished with 361 yards passing and a career-best four touchdown passes.

    Clemson piled up the yards and points, too — 560 yards and its most points this season — but could not get the critical stops to avoid a third straight home loss.

    Cade Klubnik, in his first game back since getting injured against Boston College last month, passed for 385 yards and two touchdowns for Clemson.

    Receiver Antonio Williams caught 10 passes for 139 yards, running for one score and catching another.

    Likely NFL first-round defensive lineman Peter Woods added a 1-yard rush off a direct snap for Clemson.

    Clemson linebacker Wade Woodaz said this season has made him sick. “It’s not like we’re not practicing. It’s not like we’re not working,” he said. “It hurts.”

    Duke: The Blue Devils pulled out all the stops to snap a 15-game losing streak here. They finished 5-of-5 on fourth downs, four of those coming in the first half. Hagans also had a 100-yard kickoff return score in the third quarter.

    Clemson: Things can’t get much lower for the Tigers, on the verge of their worst season of Swinney’s 17 full seasons. They play Florida State next week and have road games at Louisville and rival South Carolina.

    Duke’s late rally kept the Blue Devils in the hunt for a spot in the league’s title game next month. Coming off a loss to Georgia Tech two weeks ago, the Blue Devils could’ve fallen out of the hunt. Instead, they are assured of bigger games ahead.

    The Blue Devils won their fifth straight ACC road game, something they had not done since a stretch from Sept. 1961 through Sept. 1963. Duke had lost 15 straight games at Death Valley since its last win in 1980.

    Duke goes to UConn on Saturday.

    Clemson plays its final ACC home game against Florida State on Saturday night.

    —- Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • Duke starts slow then rolls past California 45-21 :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By MICHAEL WAGAMAN, Associated Press

    BERKELEY, Calif. — BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Duke quarterback Darian Mensah passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Blue Devils rally and beat California 45-21 on Saturday night.

    Que’Sean Brown caught six passes for a career-high 104 yards and a touchdown, helping Duke (4-2, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to the win on its first trip to Memorial Stadium since 1963.

    Nate Sheppard and Anderson Castle each ran for two touchdowns, while Jaquez Moore also had a rushing touchdown as the Blue Devils won their third straight.

    “We stayed real calm, we trusted our coaching, we trusted everybody on the field,” Brown said. “We just came out with the mindset ’we can catch them, they can’t catch us.’”

    California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutete passed for 245 yards with three interceptions and one touchdown.

    “(The) team’s gotta grow up,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “We have glimpses where we can play good football but it’s too much of a roller coaster.”

    The Bears (4-2, 1-1) have lost two of three.

    Trailing 14-0 midway through the first quarter, Mensah engineered four consecutive scoring drives to give Duke control.

    Castle scored on a pair of short scoring runs, and Mensah threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Brown before guiding another late drive to set up Todd Pelino’s 25-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

    Mensah threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Barkate in the second half.

    Duke’s defense had three interceptions and six sacks.

    Duke: Mensah was sharp and had the Blue Devils’ up-tempo offense humming in the second quarter when they scored three touchdowns in a span of 6 ½ minutes against a defense that had been allowing an average of 18 points per game.

    California: Sagapolutele’s accuracy and poise as a true freshman stands out every week but the Bears were unable to do much on the ground, allowing Duke’s defense to focus on stopping the passing game.

    Duke: Hosts No. 17 Georgia Tech on Nov. 15.

    California: Hosts North Carolina on Oct. 17.

    ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • Blue Devils welcome Illinois for first Top-11 home opponent in nearly two years :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By Joseph Ochoa, WRAL multiplatform producer

    11Illinois Fighting Illini
    Duke Blue DevilsDuke Blue Devils
    ESPN | Saturday, September 6th 12:00 PM EDT

    It will be an exciting atmosphere on Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium as the Duke Blue Devils take on the No. 11 Illinois Fighting Illini.

    The matchup is expected to be one of the most anticipated games at Wallace Wade Stadium since 2023, when the Blue Devils hosted the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a primetime game on ABC. Duke University also played host to the popular pregame show College GameDay.

    While there won’t be as much fanfare as in 2023, Duke head coach Manny Diaz said the Blue Devils will be ready.

    “When you look at two teams that were so good in the fourth quarter a year ago? I think both teams will show toughness, and I think we have a team that feels the same way,” Diaz said.

    If Diaz wants the matchup to go in Duke’s favor, the Blue Devils will need to get to a hot start.

    The Blue Devils (1-0) hit the ground walking on Thursday, August 28, but turned it around in the second half for a 45-17 win against the Elon Phoenix at Wallace Wade Stadium.

    The Fighting Illini have not been ranked this high in the AP Top 25 polls since 2008, when the Illini won an at-large bid to the Rose Bowl against the USC Trojans. The Fighting Illini are also on a tear, with a five-game winning streak dating back to November 2024.

    Diaz said games like Saturday’s are the ones the Blue Devils want.

    “What I know is the best way to get eyeballs on our games is to get Duke better,” Diaz said. “I think it’s awesome that Illinois is ranked what they’re ranked. I like to think we have a hand in the fact that it’s a noon kickoff as well.”

    Who to watch for the Blue Devils: Transfer power on display at QB

    Quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred to Duke after one season with the Tulane Green Wave, was lights out against Elon. He completed 79.4% of his passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns.

    The Blue Devils will need him to get out to a hot start if Duke wants to upset the Illini and make their way into the AP Top 25. With more than a week of rest under them, they could be in good shape for an upset.

    When, where and how to watch Duke

    When: Noon, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025

    Where: Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, North Carolina

    How to watch: ESPN

    Hollywood Smothers, Max Johnson and Darian Mensah

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  • Mensah shines in debut as Blue Devils rout Elon 45-17 :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By Joseph Ochoa, WRAL multiplatform producer.

    Durham, N.C. — It didn’t start pretty, but the Duke Blue Devils stomped the Elon Phoenix 45-17 to kick off their campaign for the 2025 college football season.

    Redshirt sophomore Darian Mensah made his debut for the Blue Devils after transferring in during the offseason, throwing for 389 yards and three touchdowns. It was the second-most yards by a Duke quarterback in their debut with the team.

    It was a difficult start for the Blue Devils, who were tied with the Phoenix at halftime, but the Blue Devils came alive in the second half, outscoring them 35-7 in the third and fourth quarters.

    The Blue Devils scored on the opening drive of the third quarter on an 83-yard drive capped off with a 15-yard touchdown reception by Sahmir Higgins, which was one of his two touchdown receptions on the night.

    After extending their lead late in the third quarter on a 27-yard touchdown reception from Andrel Anthony, Elon’s Landyn Back scored early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 24-17. The Phoenix didn’t get close again, with the Blue Devils scoring three unanswered touchdowns to close the game.

    The Blue Devils will look to play spoiler on Saturday, Sept. 6, when they host No. 12 Illinois.

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  • Holliday: Unbeaten Duke takes on badly beaten Carolina :: WRALSportsFan.com

    Holliday: Unbeaten Duke takes on badly beaten Carolina :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By Bob Holliday, WRAL Sports contritbutor, and Joseph Ochoa, WRAL multiplatform producer

    The Duke Blue Devils lead the North Carolina Tar Heels late in the fourth quarter, 21-20, Saturday afternoon in Durham. Duke trailed 20-0 midway through the third quarter before surging back.

    Scoring summary

    Fourth quarter summary

    5:43 remaining Duke 21, UNC 20: Duke takes its first lead of the game with a 20-yard touchdown run by Peyton Jones.

    14:21 remaining UNC 20, Duke 14: Duke comes out of swinging as Maalik Murphy capped off an 11-play, 85-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Star Thomas.

    Third quarter summary

    5:49 remaining UNC 20, Duke 7: Maalik Murphy hits Star Thomas on a 29-yard touchdown pass.

    8:23 remaining UNC 20, Duke 0: Noah Burnette drills a 37-yard field goal.

    Second quarter summary

    5:32 remaining UNC 17, Duke 0: Jacolby Criswell hits Bryson Nesbit for a 10-yard touchdown pass after a 10-play, 61-yard drive.

    First quarter summary:

    4:34 remaining UNC 10, Duke 0: On the Tar Heels’ next drive, the Tar Heels hit paydirt with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Jacolby Criswell to J.J Jones.

    10:19 remaining UNC 3, Duke 0: After picking off Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy, Tar Heels kicker Noah Burnette kicked a 40-yard field goal after a six play drive that went 33 yards.

    Preview: Unbeaten Duke takes on badly beaten Carolina

    While Duke’s rival was suffering an epic beatdown at home from a Group of Five opponent, the Blue Devils were taking care of business on the road at Middle Tennessee. Manny Diaz’s Devils begin ACC play with a perfect 4-0 slate and host the Tar Heels at 4 p.m. on Saturday (ESPN2).

    Sizing up Saturday’s Battle of the Blues

    Duke strengths

    Defense: Duke ranks 5th in scoring defense at 15.3 points per game, 2nd in total defense, 259 yards per game, and 1st in pass defense. Duke allows just 132 yards per game through the air. The Blue Devils are second in sacks with 15, just behind Miami.

    Discipline: Duke commits fewer than four penalties per game for 43 yards, one of the cleanest work sheets in the conference. Duke did not commit a single penalty in its game against Elon.

    Passing: Only Miami and Pitt have more touchdown passes than Duke. Murphy has passed for 11 six pointers, completing 65% of his tosses for 256 yards per contest. He does occasionally force passes and has thrown four interceptions.

    Receivers: Jordan Moore is #7 in the conference with 24 catches for 85 yards per game. He has three touchdowns. Eli Pancol is a deep threat and can also turn short passes into big gains. Tight End Nicky Dalmolin, off a 100 yard game against Middle Tennessee, must also be accounted for. Ditto Que’Sean Brown.

    Duke weaknesses

    Rushing: Duke ranks 15th in the ACC at 104 yards per game. The injury to Jaquez Moore is a factor, along with an injury in the offensive line. Also Murphy is not a threat to run the football which simplifies defensive assignments.

    Third down conversions: Maybe because of rushing deficiencies Duke converts just 32% of third downs. The Blue Devils do much of their scoring with big plays-both in the pass game and on defense.

    Rushing defense: Good as Duke’s overall defense is, the Blue Devils’ defense against the run has slipped a bit. Duke allows 127 yards per game which is not bad, but ranks only 11th best in the ACC. Middle Tennessee rushed for 168 yards Saturday.

    UNC strengths

    Rushing: North Carolina leads the ACC in this category, primarily because Omarion Hampton averages 139 yards per game with six touchdowns. The Tar Heels as a team average 222 yards per game.

    Rushing defense: Strange to consider this a strength after giving up 223 yards on the ground to JMU but the running ability of quarterback Alonza Barnett created confusion over assignments, something the Tar Heels had not seen in previous games. UNC allowed just 203 yards rushing in the first three games combined, which is top three in the ACC. After Saturday’s disastrous performance the Heels still rank 8th at an average of 106 yards per game.

    Pass rush: UNC, like Duke can pressure the passer. Jahvaree Ritzie leads the ACC with five sacks, although he did not appear in Saturday’s box score. UNC has 12 sacks overall, 4th best in the league.

    Third down conversions: This team converts 46% of third downs,4th best. Carolina can put together long drives.

    UNC weaknesses

    Pass defense: The Tar Heels allow 8.8 yards per pass attempt. That’s the worst in the ACC. Often it seems UNC’s strategy is to just pressure the passer and hope he throws the ball away. If the quarterback has time to throw, it’s almost always a completion against this secondary. The Heels have given up an unusual number of long completions, including four this past Saturday. UNC also gave up long passes to both Charlotte and NC Central.

    Discipline: UNC averages 72 penalty yards per game. Only two teams are worse in this category.

    Red zone defense: Teams that get inside the 20 against the Tar Heels score 93’% of the time. The Heels have allowed 9 touchdowns and 4 field goals in 14 trips to the red zone.

    Passing: UNC ranks just 13th in passing offense with six touchdowns and four interceptions. And not one Tar Heel receiver ranks among the league’s top 25. But 475 of UNC’s 984 yards through the air came on the strong arm of Jacolby Criswell in his first start, so passing could become a strength for UNC in the near future.

    Key (players) to the game

    Duke really misses Jaquez Moore. UNC’s pass rush has not been the same since Kaimon Rucker got hurt the week after the Minnesota game. If either team gets their key player back they’ll get a boost.

    Maalik Murphy will salivate watching video of open receivers against UNC’s secondary. UNC’s pass rush should be more effective against a quarterback that doesn’t try to run, but Duke is among the league’s best at protecting the passer. Only four sacks allowed in four games.

    UNC must do a better job of blocking for Omarion Hampton. Yes, he gained 139 yards, but many of those came on chunk plays. 8 of Hampton’s 19 runs went for two yards, one yard, or no yards at all.

    Duke will key on Hampton, as Jacolby Criswell is not an option or zone read type quarterback. He can scramble for yards, but Conner Harrell’s speed makes UNC’s run game harder to defend. The Blue Devils need to gang tackle Hampton near the line of scrimmage as much as possible-like JMU did. Once he gets into the secondary he is very difficult to tackle one on one and has deceptive speed.

    If Duke cannot take away the run, UNC’s passing attack with Criswell will challenge the Blue Devils’ excellent pass defense, which to date is the best in the ACC.

    UNC cannot be careless with the football, because Duke is among the leaders in takeaways. UNC protected the ball well in the first three games but coughed it up five times in Saturday’s debacle.

    Finally, Mack Brown of UNC and Manny Diaz of Duke have some history. Brown hired Diaz as his defensive coordinator at Texas in 2010. In Diaz’s second season, the Longhorns gave up 550 yards rushing to BYU and Taysom Hill. Brown fired Diaz after the game. 2011 was Brown’s last season coaching in Austin.

    Brown returned to UNC in 2019 and Diaz took the head coaching job at his home town school, Miami. The Tar Heels and Hurricanes played three times between 2019 and 2021. The Heels crushed the Canes during the pandemic in 2020 62-26. But the other two games were extremely close three-point games.

    So here’s a possible intangible Saturday: Mack leads Manny 3-0. Manny is due.

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