Duke Wins ACC Championship
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a thrilling finish, Duke clinched its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 1962 by defeating No. 16 Virginia 27-20 in overtime. The decisive moment came when Darian Mensah connected with Jeremiah Hasley for a 1-yard touchdown on a crucial fourth-down play.
The Blue Devils, now 8-5, seem unlikely to qualify for the College Football Playoff, which may leave room for another contender, possibly James Madison.
Interestingly, the last time Duke shared the ACC regular season title was back in 1989 with Virginia, which was during Steve Spurrier’s last season as their coach.
The conference championship game arrangement was established in 2005, and Duke secured its spot this year through a complicated five-team tiebreaker.
For Virginia, who ended the season at 10-3 as the ACC regular season champion, this was a tough blow. They would have participated in the College Football Playoff for the first time had they emerged victorious, but Chandler Morris’s interception by Luke Margot on their first possession in overtime sealed their fate.
Mensah had a solid performance, throwing for 196 yards and two touchdowns—both to Hasley. Nate Shepard added 97 rushing yards and a touchdown for Duke.
Virginia found themselves down by ten with a little over five minutes left in regulation. A field goal by Will Bettridge and a dramatic 10-play, 96-yard drive capped off by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Morris to Eli Wood tied the game at 20.
Once in overtime, Shepard made significant gains, leading Duke to Virginia’s 2-yard line. After being stopped twice, Mensah found Hasley for the win.
A roughing the passer penalty against Virginia pushed them back, forcing them to begin their overtime drive further downfield.
Morris attempted a deep pass for a first down but it was intercepted by Margot, triggering jubilant celebrations from the Duke sideline.
Despite completing 21 of 40 attempts for 216 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, Morris was visibly distraught after the loss.
Jemari Taylor, the leading rusher in the ACC, was restricted to just 65 yards on 15 carries, though he did catch an 11-yard touchdown pass.
Duke asserted early dominance at the line of scrimmage, controlling the first half and crafting two lengthy drives—one lasting 9:38 and another 8:02. These drives concluded with Hasley’s 12-yard touchdown reception and Shepard’s 16-yard rushing score, giving Duke a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Duke’s coach Manny Diaz had previously utilized a fake field goal in a critical win over North Carolina, and during this game, he opted for a fake punt on Duke’s winning drive in the second quarter, proving quite effective as Kevin O’Connor took the snap and advanced for six yards.
