Darian Mensah didn’t need long to make Miami’s offseason gamble look worth it.
In his Hurricanes debut, the quarterback who left Duke for Miami delivered a near-flawless performance, going 27-of-30 for 401 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-6 rout of Stanford. Those numbers were both Miami records for a quarterback in his first game with the program.
The spotlight on Mensah had been building since one of the biggest transfer stories of the offseason sent him from Duke to national-runner-up Miami. He arrived with plenty of buzz, and on Saturday he backed it up by slicing up Stanford’s defense with efficiency and poise.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal praised what Mensah brings to the offense, saying, "His skill set really fits what we do," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. "His ability to read the field and his ability to digest concepts and to continue to evolve is really, really impressive. Sky's the limit."
Mensah also found a familiar face in Cooper Barkate, the former Duke receiver who joined him in Miami. Barkate caught four passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.
The biggest damage came from the connection between Mensah and sophomore Malachi Toney. Stanford had no answer for Toney, who set a Miami school record with 234 receiving yards and tied a program record with three touchdown catches.
Mensah spent one season at Duke and put up big numbers there, throwing for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns against only six interceptions. After his departure, Walker Eget, a transfer from San Jose State, won the starting quarterback job for Duke during fall camp.
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Dukes Opening Win Brought One Early Offensive Concern Into Focus
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Even so, the opener also put one offensive issue in plain view. The passing game never really found its rhythm, and Duke will spend the next stretch trying to make sure the offense is not too dependent on one side of the ledger. The Blue Devils have the win they wanted, but they also have a clear area to clean up before the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]