NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY: Duke football mounts first-half comeback, secures 45-21 win against Cal

BERKELEY, Calif.— Three minutes and 19 seconds remained in just the first quarter, but all the pressure was already on the Blue Devils. Down 14-0, the visitors couldn’t risk another empty drive.

Maintaining his composure, quarterback Darian Mensah connected with a different receiver on each of his next four completions. From the Cal 30-yard line, the redshirt sophomore surveyed the field with plenty of time — spotting a wide-open Que’Sean Brown darting up the right side of the field for an 18-yard gain. Now in the red zone, running back Nate Sheppard utilized his elite speed to turn the corner on several defenders and cruise past the goal line.

The offense never let up again.

On an unexpectedly chilly Saturday night, Duke (4-2, 3-0 in the ACC) faced Cal (4-2, 1-1) as ACC rivals for the first time in program history. Although an early deficit threatened to sour the Blue Devils’ West Coast trip, a furious first-half comeback propelled Duke to a 45-21 win over the Golden Bears — spoiling yet another homecoming.

"Look, we recognize that this week wasn't going to be last week," head coach Manny Diaz said. "We were going to face adversity, and we had to be prepared to overcome it. You don't ever know what the adversity is going to be and how it's going to come."

The Blue Devils faced trouble early. On the second play from scrimmage, Sagapolutele found receiver Jacob De Jesus over the middle for a 12-yard gain, but the first down was the least of Duke’s concerns. After a violent collision with De Jesus, linebacker Tre Freeman remained on the turf, ultimately hobbling off the field while clutching his shoulder.

Without Freeman, the Blue Devils struggled to stop the Golden Bears from marching down the field. Sagapolutele exhibited surgical precision as he picked apart the opposing defense with quick reads and chunk plays. On the drive’s 11th play, the freshman signal-caller looked to his left and threw a tight spiral to an unmarked Jordan King in the end zone. The extra point was good, and Duke quickly found itself playing from behind.

Sagapolutele has turned heads as a true freshman, with his advanced play and approach being instrumental in the Golden Bears’ early success. Against the Blue Devils, the quarterback proved a formidable foe — recording a statline of 245 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions that belied his initial brilliance.

Looking to respond, Diaz’s bunch couldn’t get out of its own way. Holding penalties nullified positive plays, and on third-and-12, Mensah, hoping to extend the play, was tripped as he escaped the pocket. Following the Kade Reynoldson punt, Cal was poised to strike.

Sagapolutele picked up right where he left off. On first down, the Ewa Beach, Hawaii, native delivered a picture-perfect deep ball to Trond Grizzell sprinting down the left sideline. With little to no separation between Grizzell and the defending Caleb Weaver, the receiver barely had space to pin the ball to his chest as the two fell to the ground, wrestling for possession. The California Memorial Stadium crowd roared as officials signalled that Grizzell had made the catch. Four plays and a targeting penalty on Duke later, running back Kendrick Raphael received a backfield toss and jogged in for a score untouched. 14-0, home team.

Mensah and Brown responded to put seven points on the board, but the Golden Bears answered back instantly. Sagapolutele led a methodical 11-play, 80-yard drive capped off by another Raphael rushing score in the second quarter. The Blue Devils simply didn’t have an answer. They had to fight fire with fire.

And that they did. Mensah and fellow transfer Cooper Barkate’s burgeoning chemistry again shone bright for their squad, as the two teamed up for a pair of 15-yard completions. Three straight rushes by Anderson Castle finished the job — Diaz’s group was still within striking distance.

"Offense kept us in that game," defensive end Wesley Williams said. "We weren't there early on, and they held it down for us."

After scanning his options, Sagapolutele unleashed a pretty throw to De Jesus with a step on his defender, and it appeared to be yet another high-difficulty completion for the 19-year-old. But free safety Andrew Pellicciotta saw the play the entire way through — racing across the field to snag the football in front of the receiver.

For the first time in the contest, the away team carried all the momentum.

The offense needed just three plays to tie the game. A 33-yard strike from Mensah to Landen King flipped the field, and moments later, Brown breezed past his defender and hauled in the quarterback’s deep pass — diving into the end zone. Tie game, 21-21.

Pellicciotta’s interception reinvigorated the Blue Devil defense as well; on back-to-back downs, a ferocious pass rush led by Elliot Schaper invaded the backfield and brought down Sagapolutele for a total loss of 15 yards. Suddenly, the young gunslinger no longer had the time nor the space to pick apart the opposing secondary.

"If the quarterback's got to throw the ball every snap to beat us, he was going to make mistakes," Diaz said. "And again, when you start pressuring quarterbacks, they start getting sped up, and they start making poor decisions. And really, that was the difference again — two weeks in a row where the other team's quarterback made some mistakes and ours didn't."

A mis-hit boot from Cal punter Brook Honoré Jr. took an even worse bounce near midfield, finally resting at the Golden Bears’ 38-yard line. Well set up to secure another seven, Mensah again connected with Brown to set up an “and-goal” situation. In the half alone, the redshirt sophomore recorded 104 yards on five catches — a new season-high for any game, much less half.

"Today just happened to be a seven day," Brown said in reference to his jersey number. "I appreciate the o-line blocking and of course, Darian throwing the ball."

Castle, who has become something of a short-yard specialist, cashed in from a yard out. Another Cal three-and-out followed, and the visitors’ final drive of the half ended in a 25-yard Todd Pelino field goal as time expired. After a scary start, Duke had done more than just settle in; it had catapulted itself up into the driver’s seat, a two-possession lead in hand.

The Golden Bears exited the break to bad news: Sagapolutele’s hot start had fizzled out completely. The freshman appeared rattled following a rough string of possessions. Unpressured as he shuffled around the pocket, the former four-star recruit delivered a pass to an open Raphael just past the sticks. Chandler Rivers, however, lied in wait, and the star cornerback jumped into the air for the quarterback’s second turnover of the night.

After the shootout that was the opening half, the second half seemed a different game entirely. Neither team scored in the third period — six of seven drives ending with a punt. It was the two defenses’ turn to battle.

With nearly eight-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game, Cal broke first. Jaquez Moore ripped off a 32-yard run deep into opposing territory, and Barkate elevated over two defenders to grab Mensah’s second touchdown of the contest. To fully slam the door shut on a comeback, a tip-drill pick by Schaper on the ensuing drive signalled to the home crowd that it was time to leave. A Sheppard touchdown from 46 yards out turned what was once a close competition into a blowout.

Following the cross-country trip, the Blue Devils will have the chance to rest, as they clash with No. 17 Georgia Tech on Oct. 18.

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