David Pollack Has Epic Meltdown Over $8M QB’s Turnover Troubles in College Football Week 2

Duke started strong in Week 2 of the college football season, taking an early 3-0 lead behind a locked-in defense and promising offense led by QB Darian Mensah. However, things quickly turned as Illinois responded with relentless pressure, led by Vincent Anthony’s impactful sacks and a series of costly Duke turnovers. What started as a competitive first quarter snowballed into a humbling 45-19 defeat, drawing sharp criticism from analyst David Pollack and raising questions about Duke’s offensive cohesion.

Before the season, Duke was one of the most underrated ACC dark horses under second-year head coach Manny Diaz. Diaz’s first year saw a 9-win season with statement victories over Florida State and UNC. This year, after opening with a 45-17 win against a weaker Elon, the 45-19 defeat to Illinois was marred by obvious mistakes and poor offensive chemistry.

On his September 7 podcast, former Georgia All-American linebacker David Pollack blasted Duke for rookie errors: “I think you know who needed to do some sprints? It’s the Duke Blue Devils because they didn’t shoot their foot. They blew the mo—–r off. Like they shot every mother freaking toe. They hit the big toe all the way to the little toe, man. Like fumbles—it was so bad. Like they had two number eights on the field at one point for a punt when they got a stop. Every time they tried to do something good, they just boom, shot one off, and they had all the fumbles.”

Duke’s offense leaned heavily on Darian Mensah’s arm talent; he passed for 334 yards and two touchdowns. Despite those numbers, Mensah struggled with accuracy, completing 23 of 34 passes but throwing an interception and fumbling twice. One costly fumble in the third quarter was returned for a touchdown by the Fighting Illini, shifting momentum and making offensive progress nearly impossible. Mensah also showed inaccuracy in crucial moments.

Later in the third quarter, on fourth-and-three, Mensah’s incomplete pass intended for Sahmir Hagans led to Illinois recovering the live ball. That turnover proved costly, as Illinois’ Luke Altmyer later executed a fake-reverse play, assisting Hank Beatty in scoring a 25-yard touchdown. Furthermore, Duke’s mistakes included having both Jayden Moore and DeShawn Stone on the field, resulting in an illegal substitution penalty that gave Illinois a fresh set of downs—errors that could have been avoided. Notably, Illinois was not dominating Duke early on.

David Pollack shows a silver lining in Duke’s dark clouds

Ranked 25th in the AP Poll, Illinois was the clear favorite. By halftime, the score was a tight 13-14, giving Duke hope to salvage the game. However, turnovers in the third quarter allowed Illinois’ Luke Altmyer and Hank Beatty to run wild. Duke’s offense grew stagnant due to overreliance on Mensah’s arm and lack of playmaking diversity. Still, there was optimism.

“Vincent Anthony is coming off the edge. For people who don’t watch football, watch number seven for Duke. He’s got energy. He’s got size. And he’s got some bend like that. They were flying around, stripping people right in the mouth. It was fun to watch Duke, man. They were the more physical team early in that game,” said Pollack. Duke’s defense will need to maintain this energy to face a challenging schedule ahead.

Duke’s next game on September 13 is at Tulane, a tough matchup, followed by an easier game against NC State. However, upcoming games against Syracuse, California, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and UConn will test the defense’s consistency. Despite the tough loss, Darian Mensah, coming from Tulane on a reported $4 million NIL deal per season, still rates a 73.5% completion rate over his first two games, giving Manny Diaz hope for a strong comeback.

Duke’s Week 2 loss exposed critical flaws, especially on offense, but highlighted a defense with real potential to build upon. With a talented QB like Darian Mensah and promising defensive playmakers, the Blue Devils have a foundation to bounce back. The season still holds many opportunities for growth and redemption.