Duke opened strong against one of the ACC’s toughest opponents, matching Georgia Tech’s intensity from the first snap. But as the game wore on, missed red-zone chances and one costly turnover shifted the momentum away from the Blue Devils. No. 12 Georgia Tech capitalized late and left Durham with a 27–18 win. Head coach Manny Diaz was visibly frustrated afterward, lamenting how self-inflicted mistakes on offense overshadowed an otherwise resilient defensive effort.

Manny Diaz addressed the blunders in the post-game conference, “We were in control of the game everywhere except the scoreboard, just keep doing what we’re doing, it’s two great teams,” Diaz said. “We just gotta finish drives… The identity of the team we want to be, we want to pound that thing in there.”

“When two really good teams play against each other, it’s not hard to figure out what’s going to decide it, giving away seven points on the scoop and score and our issues in the red zone, you’re just not going to beat a team as good as (Georgia) Tech. I do think our players understand that there is a good team there in that locker room.” 

The frustration is justified as the night began with heartbreak for Duke. Quarterback Darian Mensah led the opening drive all the way to Georgia Tech’s 1-yard line, poised for an early strike. But disaster struck when a mishandled handoff to Anderson Castle turned into a 97-yard fumble return touchdown for linebacker Omar Daniels, putting the Yellow Jackets ahead.

Duke struggled mostly due to a series of self-inflicted errors. Momentum began to tilt in the fourth quarter, when Georgia Tech found itself pinned deep following a pinpoint punt by Kade Reynoldson. Head coach Manny Diaz acknowledged the challenge of maintaining control against a top-tier opponent. “We knew it was going to come down to a four-quarter game,” he said. “When you boss a game like we did for the first 37 minutes of the game and only have a three-point lead, at some point a team as good as Tech is going to have a response.”

Moments later, Georgia Tech dialed up deception, shifting most of its offensive line to one side and sneaking tight end J.T. Byrne open for another big gain that carried them to Duke’s 5-yard line. Duke’s defense held firm at first, forcing a short field goal and a narrow 13–10 deficit, but couldn’t hold for long. The Blue Devils went three-and-out on their next possession, and King and the Jackets wasted no time capitalizing. Running back Malachi Hosley broke free from a tackle and powered into the end zone to stretch the lead to two scores with just under five minutes to play.

 Despite Duke’s defense forcing six tackles for loss, they were unable to register a sack, allowing Georgia Tech to capitalize when it mattered most.

Duke’s OL Receives Mid-Season Honors

Days before losing to Georgia Tech, Duke’s offensive line was honored on the 2025 mid-season honor roll for the Joe Moore Award. The Blue Devil is led by mid-season All-American Brian Parker II, is ranked fourth in the ACC and 20th nationally in total offense per game (467.0). The squad stands fifth in the league and 25th nationally in scoring offense (36.5). Despite suffering a loss to Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils had 441 total yards; all they lacked was the conversion into a touchdown.

Duke’s offense provides space for quarterback Darian Mensah, which helped him rank among the nation’s top eight in passing yards per game 4th, total passing yards 5th, passing touchdowns 7th, and completions per game 7th.On the other hand, the RB Nate Sheppard received true freshman midseason All-America honors, averaging 7.98 yards per carry to stand third in the ACC and leading the freshman race.

Duke also claimed the FBS leader in rushing touchdowns by a running back in league play with Anderson Castle’s six. However, this game against Georgia Tech lacked rushing play, as they rushed only for 68 yards. If Duke brings the gameplay that helped them receive mid-season honors, it will be a big comeback for them.