Duke (7-5, 6-2 ACC) could reach next week’s ACC title game if certain conference results match up Saturday night.
Mensah also ran for his first TD of the season. The Tulane transfer finished the game 24 of 35 while passing for 268 yards through the air.
Anderson Cassel and Nate Shepard each had two touchdown runs and the Blue Devils never trailed in defeating Wake Forest (8-4, 4-4) for the fourth consecutive year. Sahmir Hagans caught a touchdown pass and made an 80-yard kickoff return to set up the first points of the fourth quarter.
“The game was just as we expected,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “I think it’s somewhat similar to our season. It was never going to be about perfection. It was going to be about perseverance.”
Robbie Ashford threw for two touchdowns and 342 yards and ran for a touchdown and a two-point conversion, but Wake Forest’s three-game winning streak ended. The Demon Deacons committed four turnovers – including a fumble at the Duke 18-yard line with 6:38 left – and were held to a 97-yard penalty.
“Very disappointed,” Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert said. “He beat us in every area of the game on offense, defense and special teams. He took care of the ball and got stops.”
Duke, which had used a fake field goal to set up the winning touchdown a week earlier at North Carolina, executed a successful fake punt with less than 10 minutes left, with punter Cade Reynoldson running for a first down. The Blue Devils did not score on the drive, but took an additional 2½ minutes to lead 42–32.
Mensah’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Hagens in the third quarter set a Duke single-season record with 27, before he added another in the final minute of the game.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons defeated SMU and Virginia in the latter half of the season – both potential qualifiers for the ACC title game. The Demon Deacons allowed at least 30 points in all four of their losses, although this was their highest score of the season against them.
Duke: The Blue Devils have not defeated any team with a winning ACC record, but they went 4-0 (3-0 in league) against in-state opponents.
“It’s everything I could have dreamed of for my last game here,” Hagens said of the home win.
Duke’s plans for the weekend were unclear as they dispersed after the game. There was a possibility he would be recalled to football duty on Sunday.
“I said don’t go to any natural site without your phone,” Diaz said.
A week earlier, a fake field goal set Duke up for the winning touchdown at North Carolina.
There were more special team moments for the Blue Devils against Wake Forest, in which Hagans’ big kickoff return changed the momentum
“I think Wake took away the momentum they had to get there at that point (with that comeback) and took it back,” Diaz said.
In the fourth quarter, Reynoldson saw a start and ran 26 yards. He is now tied with kicker Todd Pelino for rushing yards this month.
Diaz said of Reynoldson, “Maybe he’s tired of watching Todd Pelino highlights all week.”
Wake Forest: Looking forward to bowl matchup
Duke: Either in next week’s ACC Championship game or waiting for a bowl matchup
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