By R.L. Bynum
Bill Belichick didn’t hesitate to identify the biggest challenge UNC faces against Duke: quarterback Darian Mensah, who reportedly is the highest-paid quarterback in the country and has put up the numbers to back that up.
Mensah, a transfer from Tulane, has thrown for 2,487 yards and 21 touchdowns this season while completing nearly 68% of his passes.
Belichick said he first saw Mensah play in person last year and came away “super impressed.” That impression hasn’t faded.
“This guy’s a really, really good quarterback,” Belichick said ahead of Saturday’s 3:30 senior day game (ACC Network) against the Blue Devils (5–5, 4–2 ACC). “I think he’s the best quarterback we’ll face. And we faced some good quarterbacks, but this guy really reminds me of an NFL quarterback.”
Belichick said that Mensah’s presence in the pocket and ability to see coverage and receivers make him stand out, along with his accuracy downfield and his throwing mechanics.
“He’s not out there running around trying to be a running back. He’s a quarterback — and a really good one,” Belichick said. “The more I watched him play [at Tulane], the more impressed I was. Then we caught him in some crossover games this year. And now, getting ready for him this week, the closer you look, the more impressive he is to me.”
He even drew a sharp distinction between Mensah and other mobile quarterbacks UNC (4–6, 2–4) has faced, such as Wake Forest’s Robby Ashford last week in UNC’s 28–12 loss.
“If you make a mistake in the secondary, you should expect to pay for it. I just think he’s the best we’ve seen at that,” Belichick said.
Carolina senior defensive back Will Hardy, who will play his final home game Saturday, said that the defense has to be on its game.
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“[Mensah] is a great player and does a good job of getting the ball to explosive receivers,” Hardy said. “You’ve got to be disciplined and have great communication pre-snap. When we make mistakes, he’s likely going to find those mistakes. One mistake can led to a big touchdown or a big play.”
Belichick also praised Duke’s group of receivers and its running game, saying that the Blue Devils are an explosive team offensively.
Here’s what Belichick said about other topics:
— On the challenges Duke’s disruptive defensive front, led by defensive end Wesley Williams, present:
“They do a good job of causing negative plays, putting pressure on the quarterback. They can definitely ruin the game with strip sacks, batted balls, tackles for loss.”
— On what went wrong defensively against Wake Forest:
“They had two drives that we had multiple chances to end and get off the field on, and we weren’t able to do it.”
— On how his team has improved but needs more consistency, including the play of quarterback Gio Lopez:
“Overall, our passing yardage and decision-making in the passing game has gotten a lot better. That really starts with [Lopez], including some decisions he makes in terms of run-pass options or plays that could go either way. It’s not perfect, we’re not there yet where we want to be, but it’s certainly got a lot better.”
— On the importance of ball security:
“Taking care of the ball is the number one thing. If they don’t touch it, then they can’t get it.”
— On why the offense has been inconsistent:
“I think it’s a combination of things, not just one. We all just need to do a better job. We need to do a better job of coaching. We need to do a better job of execution. We need to do a better job with our communication. We missed some opportunities that we would like to have back and wish we could have hit, but we didn’t hit them, and we have to live with that.”
— On the emotion of a rivalry game:
“Every game is decided between the white lines. There’s a lot of rivalry and emotion in the game, but ultimately, the game will come down to the execution of it.”
| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| No. 16 Virginia | 7–1 | 10–2 |
| No. 12 Miami | 6–2 | 10–2 |
| No. 25 SMU | 6–2 | 8–4 |
| No. 24 Georgia Tech | 6–2 | 9–3 |
| Pittsburgh | 6–2 | 8–4 |
| Duke | 6–2 | 7–5 |
| Louisville | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| Wake Forest | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| California | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Clemson | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| N.C. State | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Stanford | 3–5 | 4–8 |
| Florida State | 2–6 | 5–7 |
| North Carolina | 2–6 | 4–8 |
| Virginia Tech | 2–6 | 3–9 |
| Syracuse | 1–7 | 3–9 |
| Boston College | 1–7 | 2–10 |
Friday’s result
No. 4 Georgia 16, No. 24 Georgia Tech 9
Saturday’s results
N.C. State 42, North Carolina 19
No. 12 Miami 38, Pittsburgh 7
Louisville 41, Kentucky 0
Clemson 28, South Carolina 14
Boston College 34, Syracuse 12
Duke 49, Wake Forest 32
Florida 40, Florida State 21
No. 16 Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 7
California 38, No. 25 SMU 35
No. 9 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 20
Saturday’s ACC championship game
No. 16 Virginia vs. Duke in Charlotte, 8 p.m., ABC
UNC schedule
| Month/ date | Score/ time | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| August | ||
| 29 | TBA | vs.TCU in Dublin, Ireland |
| September | ||
| 12 | TBA | vs. ETSU |
| 19 | TBA | at Clemson |
| October | ||
| 3 | TBA | vs. Notre Dame |
| 10 | TBA | at Pittsburgh |
| 17 | TBA | at Duke |
| 24 | TBA | vs. Syracuse |
| 31 | TBA | vs. Miami |
| November | ||
| 7 | TBA | at UConn |
| 14 | TBA | vs. Louisville |
| 21 | TBA | at Virginia |
| 28 | TBA | vs. N.C. State |
| December | ||
| 5 | noon, ABC | ACC championship game in Charlotte |
Photo via goduke.com
