Duke Falls to No. 12 Georgia Tech, 27-18

Saturday, October 18

Durham, N.C.

12:00 p.m.

Duke University

4-3 , 3-1

Georgia Tech

7-0 , 4-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Georgia Tech

Duke

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Duke Falls to No. 12 Georgia Tech, 27-18

10/18/2025 3:47:00 PM | Football

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes (PDF)Coach Diaz: Postgame Press Conference Cooper Barkate: Postgame Press Conference Chandler Rivers: Postgame Press Conference Photo Gallery

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke football team fell to No. 12 Georgia Tech, 27-18, Saturday Oct. 18 at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Blue Devils (4-3, 3-1 ACC) led 10-7 shortly after halftime but the Yellow Jackets (7-0, 4-0 ACC) responded with 20 consecutive points to pull away in the fourth quarter.

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah finished the game 32-of-44 with 373 yards through the air, while wide receiver Cooper Barkate set new career highs for receiving yards (172) and receptions (13) to lead Duke's offense.

The Blue Devils' defense finished with 6.0 tackles for loss and was led in overall stops by Luke Mergott and Caleb Weaver with 11 and 10, respectively.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Georgia Tech took a 7-0 lead with a 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 3:46 to play in the opening quarter. After wide receiver Cooper Barkate helped Duke move from its own three to the Yellow Jacket one-yard line with 71 receiving yards, the Blue Devils fumbled and GT took advantage.
Duke took its ensuing drive 50 yards but failed to convert a field goal attempt to keep the GT lead at 7-0 with 13:24 to play in the first half.
On its final drive on the opening half, Duke knotted the game at 7-7. The Blue Devils covered 80 yards on 11 plays and capped the drive with tight end Landen King's 20-yard reception from Darian Mensah with just 27 seconds left in the half.
Duke then took 8:43 off the third quarter clock on its opening drive with a 50-yard, 11-play march that resulted in a Todd Pelino 23-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead with 6:10 left in the third.
The visitors responded with a field goal of their own, splitting the uprights from 40 yards out to cap a 63-yard scoring drive that took up 3:21 off the clock. Georgia Tech regained the lead, 13-10, following another field goal at the 11:01 mark of the fourth quarter.
Duke was unable to build momentum on its next possession and Georgia Tech found the endzone twice in the final five minutes to go ahead, 27-10.
The Blue Devils went 75 yards in less than a minute, ending with a 19-yard touchdown reception by Sahmir Hagans, followed a two-point conversion reception by Barkate, to bring Duke within nine, 27-18. Duke was unable to recover the ensuing onside kick, and the Yellow Jackets ran out the remaining 1:12.