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CHARLOTTE – Duke won its first ACC Championship Game in program history, defeating Virginia 27-20 in overtime Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium to claim the conference title and deny the Cavaliers an automatic berth in the College Football Playoff.
The Blue Devils, who entered as significant underdogs after sneaking into the championship via a five-way tiebreaker, sealed the victory when linebacker Luke Mergott picked off a pass on the first play of overtime. Duke had scored on its overtime possession when Darian Mensah found Jeremiah Hasley for a one-yard touchdown pass on fourth down.
The championship marks Duke's first outright ACC title since 1962 and its second ACC Championship Game appearance. The Blue Devils lost to Florida State in their only previous title game appearance in 2013.
Virginia, which finished the regular season 10-2 and was seeking its first ACC Championship Game victory in three attempts, forced overtime when Morris connected with Eli Wood on an 18-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds remaining in regulation. The drive covered 96 yards in 10 plays and was kept alive by two Duke pass interference penalties on defensive back Caleb Weaver.
Duke's path to Charlotte came through one of the most complicated tiebreaker scenarios in conference history. The Blue Devils finished 6-2 in ACC play, tied with Miami, Pittsburgh, SMU and Georgia Tech, but emerged from the five-way tiebreaker to earn the championship game berth opposite Virginia, which finished 7-1 in conference play.
The game featured two teams heading in opposite directions. Virginia entered having completed just the second 10-win regular season in program history and first since 1989. Duke, meanwhile, had lost to Virginia 34-17 during the regular season and finished 7-5 overall.
Mensah completed 19 of 25 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns despite being sacked once and throwing one interception. His counterpart, Morris, finished 21 of 40 for 216 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Morris was sacked once and faced consistent pressure from Duke's defensive front.
Nate Sheppard provided the offensive foundation for Duke, rushing 21 times for 97 yards and a touchdown while adding five receptions for 31 yards. His 16-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave Duke a 14-7 lead. Cooper Barkate led all receivers with five catches for 91 yards, including a crucial 38-yard reception in the third quarter.
For Virginia, J'Mari Taylor rushed 15 times for 65 yards and caught a touchdown pass, while Harrison Waylee added 66 yards on 11 carries. Cam Ross led Cavaliers receivers with five catches for 59 yards.
Duke controlled possession for more than 34 minutes compared to Virginia's 25:36, a disparity driven largely by the Blue Devils' effective rushing attack and their 4-for-4 success rate on fourth down conversions. Virginia converted just one of two fourth down attempts.
The first half belonged to Duke despite Virginia's brief comeback. After Duke took a 7-0 lead on Mensah's 12-yard touchdown pass to Hasley midway through the first quarter, Virginia answered when Morris found Taylor for an 11-yard score early in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7.
Duke regained the lead on Sheppard's 16-yard rushing touchdown with 6:14 remaining in the second quarter, capping a 13-play, 75-yard drive that consumed more than eight minutes. The Blue Devils took a 14-7 lead into halftime after limiting Virginia to just 4:53 of possession time in the second quarter.
Virginia dominated the third quarter, holding the ball for more than 11 minutes while Duke managed just 3:26. The Cavaliers drove 68 yards in 17 plays before settling for a 24-yard field goal from Will Bettridge that cut Duke's lead to 14-10.
Duke answered with its own field goal, a 29-yarder from Todd Pelino, to extend the lead to 17-10. The drive was aided by a 38-yard completion from Mensah to Barkate and a 15-yard face mask penalty on Virginia's Ja'son Prevard.
The fourth quarter featured three lead changes and critical defensive plays from both sides. Duke extended its advantage to 20-10 on another Pelino field goal, this one from 23 yards after the Blue Devils recovered a Weaver interception at the Virginia 33-yard line.
Virginia responded with Bettridge's 42-yard field goal to make it 20-13 with 3:54 remaining, then got the ball back at its own 4-yard line after Duke punted with 1:44 left. The Cavaliers faced multiple third and fourth down conversions during their final drive of regulation, converting a crucial fourth-and-four when Morris found Ross for nine yards to the Duke 18.
Two plays later, Morris hit Wood in stride for the game-tying touchdown. Bettridge's extra point sent the game to overtime tied at 20-20.
In overtime, Duke took possession first and marched to the Virginia 1-yard line behind three consecutive rushing attempts by Sheppard that gained 11, six and seven yards. After two stuffed runs by Anderson Castle, Mensah's pass fell incomplete on third down, setting up fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
Mensah rolled right and found Hasley in the flat for the go-ahead score. Virginia was penalized for a personal foul on James Jackson after the play, but it had no bearing on the result. Pelino added the extra point for a 27-20 Duke lead.
Virginia's overtime possession lasted one play. The Cavaliers attempted a trick play with a pass deep down the left sideline, but Mergott stepped in front of the pass at the Duke 24-yard line for his second interception of the game, ending Virginia's season and securing Duke's first ACC Championship Game victory.
The Blue Devils converted 6 of 16 third down attempts and were perfect on fourth down, going 4-for-4 in critical situations. Virginia converted 7 of 15 third downs but managed just one conversion on two fourth down tries.
Duke outgained Virginia 333-344 in total yards but won the turnover battle 2-1. The Blue Devils also controlled the line of scrimmage, averaging 3.1 yards per carry compared to Virginia's 4.4, though Duke ran 44 times compared to Virginia's 29 rushes.
The victory gives Duke its eighth ACC title overall, counting championships from 1953, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1989 when the Blue Devils shared the crown with Virginia. For Duke coach Manny Diaz, it marks the program's most significant victory in decades and validates the Blue Devils' surprising march through the ACC's tiebreaker gauntlet.
Virginia's loss ends a remarkable season that saw the Cavaliers match their 1995 team with a program-record seven ACC victories. The defeat also costs Virginia an automatic berth in the College Football Playoff, though the Cavaliers could still receive an at-large bid depending on Sunday's selection committee rankings.
Duke's championship caps an improbable postseason run for a team that finished three games behind Virginia in the ACC standings but found a way to win when it mattered most. The Blue Devils will now await their bowl destination while Virginia contemplates what might have been after coming within one overtime possession of the program's first ACC Championship Game victory.
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