How Duke’s Manny Diaz Feels About Facing Darian Mensah in Miami Hurricanes Uniform

MIAMI, Fla. – While Notre Dame had most of the attention on the schedule, the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes have another in-depth matchup with Duke traveling to South Florida for a Saturday afternoon clash.

Other than Manny Diaz being a former head coach of the Coral Gables program, there is a connection with quarterback Darian Mensah. Last season, he was the star quarterback in Durham (NC) and flourished. Mensah led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns.

Together, they won the league title, the Blue Devils' first in football since 1989. Despite not making the College Football Playoffs, it allowed the Hurricanes to crack the bracket through an at-large bid. After losing the National Championship 27-21 to Indiana, head coach Mario Cristobal, the search to find a new veteran quarterback intensified.

Candidates such as Sam Leavitt, Brendan Sorsby, and Ty Simpson were missed targets, but before the window closed, Mensah entered the portal with the intent of taking the Hurricanes job. Duke attempted to retain him through the local courts, but a settlement was agreed upon instead.

As this matchup has tons of familiarity on both sides, Diaz understands the threat Mensah poses to pass-defenses:

"His ball-placement is outstanding," he said in media availability on Zoom. "When you play quarterbacks like that, they can put the ball where others don't. They can punish mistakes and whether it's leverage or eye discipline, it's a tremendous challenge."

Mensah has just two interceptions on 276 attempted passes this season. He's the current Football Bowl Subdivision completion-percentage leader at 76.8. Mensah only has eight turnover-worthy plays, according to Pro Football Focus. It's rare for him to put the ball at risk, as Diaz mentioned.

The 21-year-old will need to navigate through Duke's front seven, who is PFF's highest-graded pass-rushing unit (89.9) among the Power Four conferences. Defensive ends Tyshon Reed Jr. and Bryce Davis account for 48 combined pressures and seven sacks.

It will be a big test for the Hurricanes' offensive line, which has recently struggled to keep a clean pocket. However, Mensah's ability to make plays in uncomfortable situations has overshadowed them. He's completed 112 of 163 passes (68.7 percent) while throwing for 1,673 yards and 23 touchdowns with two interceptions when blitzed or under pressure.

Diaz will look to exploit any of Mensah's weaknesses and vice versa. 

This matchup could be a preview of what is to come on Dec. 5 for the ACC Championship game. The Hurricanes sit at the very top of the league standings; meanwhile, Duke suffered a couple of losses to Georgia Tech and UNC.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. E.T. and will be televised on ABC.

More Miami Hurricanes News:

- "Why the Miami Hurricanes Struggle to Generate Quarterback Pressure"

- "UM Men's Basketball Dips in Latest AP Poll, Dominate North Florida"

- "Does the Miami Hurricanes' Offensive Line Need Immediate, Drastic Changes?"