ACC Football Recap – Duke Runs Past Cal, 45-21

Duke 45, California 21 — Game Recap (Oct. 4, 2025)

BERKELEY, Calif. — In their first meeting since 1963 at California Memorial Stadium, Duke overcame an early 14–0 deficit to roar past Cal 45–21, thanks to explosive second-quarter offense and a suffocating performance by the defense. (ESPN.com)

First Half: Cal jumps to early lead, Duke responds

The Golden Bears wasted little time putting Duke on its heels. On their opening drive, freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele led a 75-yard march capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jordan King (Meyer kick), all in 11 plays. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

Later in the first, Sagapolutele added a 5-yard touchdown run to put Cal up 14-0 with about five and a half minutes left in the quarter. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

Facing a two-score hole, Duke began to claw back. Behind Nate Sheppard’s 12-yard rushing touchdown, the Blue Devils cut the deficit to 14–7 just before the end of the first quarter. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

Cal answered four minutes into the second quarter with a short 4-yard run by Kendrick Raphael, pushing the lead to 21–7. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

That’s when Duke’s offense caught fire. Over a span of about 6½ minutes, the Blue Devils scored three touchdowns:

• Anderson Castle punched in a 2-yard run to make it 21–14. (California Golden Bears Athletics)
• Darian Mensah hit Que’Sean Brown for a 26-yard touchdown strike, tying the game at 21–21. Brown finished with six catches for a career-high 104 yards. (ESPN.com)
• Before halftime, Castle scored again on a 1-yard run to give Duke a 28–21 lead. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

With just seconds left in the half, Duke added a 25-yard field goal by Todd Pelino to stretch the advantage to 31–21 going into halftime. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

By intermission, Duke had scored 24 unanswered after falling behind 21–7. (ACC)

Third Quarter: Defensive lockdown

The third quarter saw neither team score. Duke’s defense, riding the momentum, held Cal without a point while the Blue Devils milked the clock, extending drives and keeping pressure on Sagapolutele. (Duke Basketball Report)

One key moment came with Cal in Duke territory when Chandler Rivers intercepted Sagapolutele’s pass with 10:07 to go in the third, killing a Bears drive. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

By the end of three, Duke had built clear momentum, and Cal’s offense was visibly struggling to adjust. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Fourth Quarter: Duke puts exclamation point on win

In the fourth, Duke kept the foot on the gas. On a 6-play, 55-yard drive, Cooper Barkate caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Mensah to extend the lead to 38–21. A key 32-yard run by Jaquez Moore set up the score. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

Just under three minutes later, Duke sealed the game. Sheppard exploded for a 46-yard run to make it 45–21. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

That ended the scoring. Duke’s defense forced turnovers and never let Cal regain traction. (Duke Basketball Report)

Final Stats & Key Takeaways

Team Totals

Individual Highlights

• Darian Mensah: 22-of-30 passing, 265 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. (ESPN.com)
• Que’Sean Brown: 6 receptions, 104 yards, 1 touchdown. (ESPN.com)
• Nate Sheppard: 91 rushing yards, 2 TDs (long of 46). (California Golden Bears Athletics)
• Anderson Castle: 2 short rushing TDs. (Duke Chronicle)
• Chandler Rivers & Andrew Pellicciotta: Each had key interceptions. (Duke Basketball Report)
• Elliott Schaper: Involved in pressure and turnovers. (Duke Basketball Report)

Game Narrative & Analysis

1. Momentum swing in the second quarter
What began as a shaky start for Duke transformed into a dominant stretch in the second quarter. After falling behind 21–7, Duke scored 24 straight, thanks to a balanced mix of power runs and strike-passing. The combo of Castle’s short runs and Mensah’s timely throws flipped the field and forced Cal’s momentum to stall. (ACC)

2. Cal’s offense implodes under pressure
Sagapolutele started sharp—completing early passes and helping push Cal to a 21–7 lead. But Duke’s defensive adjustments changed everything. The Blue Devils sacked Cal’s QB six times, pressured the line of scrimmage, and seized the turnover edge (4 INTs) when Cal was in striking distance. (Duke Basketball Report)

3. No turnovers by Duke
Perhaps just as critical was the fact that Duke didn’t give the ball away. In a game where Cal’s offense self-inflicted through interceptions, Duke’s ball security allowed them to maintain long, controlled drives and spare their defense. (California Golden Bears Athletics)

4. Depth & balance in the Blue Devil attack
While the passing game got the headlines, Duke’s ground game was efficient and opportunistic. Sheppard delivered in bursts, Castle handled the short-yardage work, and Moore even chipped in with key runs. That diversification kept Cal’s defense off balance. (Duke Chronicle)

5. Defensive adjustments & game management
After early struggles, Duke’s defense seemed to find its footing. The third quarter was a blank slate, and in the final quarter Duke prevented any comeback attempt. With takeaways and pressure up front, they closed the door on Cal. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Implications & Looking Ahead

• Duke improves to 4–2 overall and 3–0 in ACC play. The win gives the Blue Devils momentum as they head deeper into conference matchups. (ESPN.com)
• Cal falls to 4–2 and 1–1 in ACC. The loss will sting, especially after such a strong start, and raises questions about their consistency and depth. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• For Duke, this kind of complete performance—offense, defense, special teams—all working in harmony—is a statement win.
• For Cal, it’s a reminder that starts alone won’t win games; sustaining execution and limiting mistakes are essential against hungry conference foes.