How Duke, led by QB Darian Mensah, rallied to beat Arizona State in the Sun Bowl
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- Duke rallied in the Sun Bowl as Darian Mensah threw four TDs to secure victory.
- Defense, missing two starters, forced late turnover and Luke Mergott's interception.
- Arizona State amassed 619 yards and led late, but Duke answered with key plays.
Missing a pair of NFL-bound players, Duke’s defense struggled often while trying to stop Arizona State in the Sun Bowl on Wednesday.
In the end, though, the Blue Devils defenders made key plays to help Duke post a comeback win.
Kendall Johnson’s forced fumble set up Duke’s offense to take the lead with just over two minutes to play, and linebacker Luke Mergott’s interception on Arizona State’s next possession helped the Blue Devils to a 42-39 win.
It was Mergott’s second interception of the season, both of incredible importance to Duke. On Dec. 6, Mergott ended the ACC championship game with an overtime interception, as the Blue Devils beat Virginia, 27-20, for their first outright ACC championship since 1962.
Duke played the Sun Bowl without cornerback Chandler Rivers and defensive end Vincent Anthony, Jr, two defensive starters who decided to skip the game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Arizona State and quarterback Jeff Sims took advantage, gaining 619 total yards of offense. That’s the most Duke allowed in a game this season. The Blue Devils entered the game having allowed 409.2 yards per game.
“That’s not anywhere near our standard,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said, “but, we do say in this program, you always have a chance to play the next play. And we talked about it on the sideline, before those last couple drives, that nothing that had happened in the game had mattered to the point. What would determine the winner and loser, that was going to be what happened next and what happens next you’re always in control of. So it’s very easy to sit there and say, `Oh, man, it’s not going to happen.’
“For the mental toughness and the courage those guys to walk out there and make those winning plays shows what type of players we have here, too.”
Duke (9-5) and quarterback Darian Mensah found a way to overcome. Mensah completed 29 of 51 passes for 327 yards with four touchdown passes. That included his 17-yard touchdown pass to Que’Sean Brown for the game-winning score with 2:10 to play.
Duke freshman running back Nate Sheppard rushed for 170 yards, giving him 1,132 for the season. Brown finished with 10 receptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns against the Sun Devils.
Mensah fired three first-half touchdowns, throwing for 216 yards over the first two quarters, as Duke took a 28-24 halftime lead.
The Blue Devils pushed their lead to 35-24 with 5:20 to play in the third quarter when Sheppard scored on a 3-yard run.
Arizona State, though, struck right back and grabbed momentum. On the second play after Sheppard’s touchdown, Sims fired a short pass to Demarius Robinson that turned into a 68-yard gain into Duke territory. Sims completed the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Khamari Anderson. Sims converted a two-point conversion run slicing Duke’s lead to 35-32.
After Duke punted on the final play of the third quarter, Arizona State put together a 77-yard scoring drive to take the lead. Malik McClain scored on a 6-yard pass from Sims, giving the Sun Devils a 39-35 lead with 12:31 to play.
Sheppard put Duke in position to move back in front later in the fourth quarter when he broke free for a 60-yard run to the Arizona State 6. Duke failed to score on four plays, with Mensah’s pass to Cooper Barkate in the end zone falling incomplete on fourth down.
Mensah walked to the sidelines disappointed, fearing the chance to win the game was gone.
“To be honest,” Mensah said, “I was pretty defeated after that fourth down when we didn’t convert the throw to the back of the end zone. But, you know, I just kept it in. My teammates did an exceptional job just lifting me up, because I did feel like that game was out of reach.”
Diaz, though, believed his team would get another shot.
“You just had a feeling,” Diaz said, “there was one more twist and turn in a game that was filled with twists and turns. And that’s what makes a game so legendary.”
On the next play, Duke’s Johnson knocked the ball loose from Robinson’s hands after a 14-yard run. Duke’s Ma’khi Jones recovered the ball at the Sun Devils’ 22.
That was the break Mensah needed and Duke needed just two plays to move back in front.
Mensah fired a short pass to Brown, who took advantage of a Sahmir Hagans block to sprint down the left sideline through the defense for an 18-yard scoring reception with 2:10 to play to give Duke a 42-39 lead.
“I looked at Darian,” Brown said of his actions before the play, “and I saw was one on one to the field (side). And, you know, we do that the first day of practice, one-on-one tackle. I know if it’s me and somebody in front of me, nobody stop me from getting into the end zone.“
Brown was grateful for Hagans, who in his final college game made a big play for his fellow wide receiver.
“Sahmir put his body on the line on that play,” Brown said. “We play for each other. And I know it’s his last game, and I appreciate him for putting it put his body on the line for that play.”
Mergott, just as he did in the ACC title game, made that score stand up, picking off a Sims pass at the Arizona State 41 on the fourth play after Duke had taken the lead. From there, Mensah and the offense converted the needed first down to run out the clock and secure a second consecutive season with nine wins for Duke.
“We got put in a position where it was all going against us in the fourth quarter,” Diaz said, “and like our guys have shown time and time this season, when the easiest thing to do is to sit there and say, Ah, it’s not our day’ they just find a way to win and they make winning plays. I couldn’t be more proud of our players, to be more proud of our staff, everybody associated with Duke football.”
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 6:25 PM.