Mensah, Castle lead Duke to comeback past N.C. State, 45-33

DURHAM, N.C. — Darian Mensah threw three touchdown passes and Duke snapped a two-game losing streak, overcoming a 13-point deficit to beat N.C. State 45-33 on Saturday.

The Blue Devils scored 21 points in less than four minutes of game time spanning the two halves to surge into the lead.

Anderson Castle added three rushing touchdowns, including a clinching 66-yard dash on third down with 2:19 remaining.

CJ Bailey tossed two touchdowns passes to Terrell Anderson but was intercepted three times for N.C. State . Hollywood Smothers rushed for 123 yards and one touchdown and Will Wilson had two 1-yard TD runs. Anderson picked up 166 yards on six catches.

Mensah was 19-for-28 for 269 yards. Castle gained 92 rushing yards on 12 attempts.

NC State drove 99 yards to score on the second play of the second quarter on Bailey’s 6-yard throw to Anderson and later extended the lead to 20-7.

The big play came inside of two minutes in the first half when Duke linebacker Tre Freeman intercepted Bailey’s fourth-down pass, returning it 67 yards to set up a go-ahead 1-yard touchdown run from Castle.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack racked up 535 yards of total offense, but there were too many defensive malfunctions to secure a second consecutive in-state road victory.

Duke: The Blue Devils were minus-6 in turnover margin entering the game, but the plus-4 effort proved huge in toppling the Wolfpack for the third season in a row. Duke, which also blocked a third-quarter field goal attempt, has won five of the last six meetings.

N.C. State: Saturday at home vs. Virginia Tech

Duke: Saturday at Syracuse

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