CHARLOTTE – Manny Diaz walked into ACC Kickoff with purpose. Before anyone could ask a question, he addressed the elephant in the room: the new ACC tiebreaker rule that was created because of Duke’s path to last year’s championship game. He did not tiptoe around it whatsoever.

“Inherent in the narrative of changing a tiebreaker is the assertion that last year’s team was undeserved of being in the championship game,” Diaz said. “I think it is not just false. I think it is insulting.” Diaz defended his team with clarity. Duke won the games it needed to win. Duke earned its spot. Duke beat Virginia in Charlotte. And Duke finished with nine wins and a Sun Bowl victory. “We were the top team to go play Virginia,” Diaz said. “By the most objective metric you can have.”

It was a strong opening statement, and it set the tone for a program that refuses to apologize for success. Duke has won nine games in back-to-back seasons. Duke has won the state of North Carolina two years in a row. Duke has built a culture that has survived coaching changes, transfers, and roster turnover. Now Diaz wants to do it again.

Diaz talked openly about the four pillars of Duke’s rise: evaluation, acquisition, development, and deployment. He said Duke has won games in different ways each season because the staff adapts to the roster instead of forcing a system. 

In 2024, Duke won with defense. In 2025, Duke won with offense. This year, Diaz believes the roster is deeper, faster, and more balanced. “We have eleven guys running over twenty-two miles an hour,” Diaz said. “We have sixty-seven players running over twenty. Our guys are seeing real proof that if they follow the program, they get better.”

He credited strength coach David Feeley for building the foundation. He credited the locker room for maintaining the connection that keeps Duke from becoming a revolving door in the transfer era. “We have a very distinct ‘us’ at Duke,” Diaz said. “I am proud of that.”

Duke’s defense slipped last season and Diaz did not hide from it. “Somehow last year we lost urgency,” he said. “I do not know that we have a guy right now who knows for sure he is a starter, and that is fantastic.” The defensive end room lost Wesley Williams and Vincent Anthony to the NFL, but Diaz believes the next wave is ready. Kevin O’Connor had a strong spring. Tyshon Reed and Bryce Davis are pushing for snaps. New position coach Trent Harris has taken over a room that has produced NFL talent for decades.

The linebacker group is one of the deepest in the ACC. Nick Morris Jr. returns healthy. Luke Mergott is coming off a breakout season. Bradley Gompers, Will Felder, and Kendall Johnson give Duke real depth. Mergott said the key is not letting success change the approach. “The second you let it change your approach is the second you change as a player,” he said.

Running back Nate Sheppard had every reason to enter the transfer portal but chose to stay. “I believed in Coach Diaz’s vision,” Sheppard said. “We have one of the best locker rooms in the country.” Sheppard ran for more than eleven hundred yards last season and scored ten touchdowns. His one hundred seventy yards in the Sun Bowl were the third most by an ACC freshman in the last decade. Diaz challenged him to avoid complacency. “Do not be content,” Sheppard said. “Keep pushing.”

Tight end Jeremiah Hasley is four touchdowns away from Duke’s career record at the position. He has become one of the most reliable players on the roster and one of the strongest leaders in the program. “Our first goal is always to come back to Charlotte,” Hasley said. “Then the College Football Playoff.”

Schedule Breakdown

Duke’s 2026 schedule is balanced but challenging. It includes a strong opener, a pair of early home games, and a November stretch that will determine whether the Blue Devils can return to Charlotte.

Sep. 5 vs Tulane  

Sep. 12 at Illinois  

Sep. 19 vs Stanford  

Sep. 26 vs William and Mary  

Tulane is a quality opener. Illinois on the road is a physical test. Stanford at home is winnable. William and Mary is a chance to reset before ACC play. If Duke starts three and one, it will be in a strong position.

Oct. 10 at Georgia Tech  

Oct. 17 vs North Carolina  

Oct. 23 at Virginia  

Oct. 31 vs Boston College  

Georgia Tech on the road is always tricky. UNC in Durham is a rivalry game that has the potential for fireworks. Virginia reached the ACC title game last season and will not be overlooked. Boston College is a physical matchup that often comes down to the fourth quarter.

Nov. 7 at NC State  

Nov. 14 at Miami  

Nov. 20 vs Clemson  

Nov. 28 at Wake Forest  

Three road games in four weeks. Miami and NC State are both conference contenders. Clemson comes to Durham on a Friday night. Wake Forest closes the season with a rivalry game that has grown more competitive each year. If Duke is still in the ACC race by early November, this stretch will decide everything.

HICKORY – Reidsville dismantled previously unbeaten Brevard 50-20 on Saturday at Lenoir Rhyne’s Moretz Stadium to claim the NCHSAA 4A state championship behind an explosive offensive performance.

The Rams (13-2) scored on seven of their nine possessions, amassing 421 yards of total offense while holding Brevard (14-1) to just 289 yards. Quarterback Tyson Broadway completed 10 of 11 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns, while junior Dionte Neal accounted for 288 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns in the victory.

Reidsville needed just 19 seconds to take the lead on its opening drive. Broadway found Neal streaking down the middle for a 49-yard touchdown pass at the 11:36 mark of the first quarter. The extra point attempt failed, giving the Rams a 6-0 advantage.

Brevard responded quickly, marching 47 yards in eight plays. Quarterback Christian Conley connected with tight end Brayden Crain for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 9:02 remaining in the opening quarter. Andres Melgaregjo's extra point gave the Blue Devils their only lead of the game at 7-6.

The lead lasted less than three minutes. Neal took a direct snap and burst through the right side of the defense for a 56-yard touchdown run at 6:53. Neal then found Oregon-bound tight end Kendre Harrison for the two-point conversion, pushing Reidsville's lead to 14-7.

The Rams struck again before the quarter ended. Running back Damarien Whitted broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run with 1:35 left in the first quarter. Neal connected with Harrison again for the two-point conversion, extending the lead to 22-7.

Reidsville's offense continued to overwhelm Brevard's defense in the second quarter. Broadway hit Neal for a 52-yard touchdown pass at 11:07, though the extra point attempt failed. The Rams led 28-7 and showed no signs of slowing down.

On Brevard's next possession, Conley fumbled at the Reidsville 30-yard line. Neal recovered the loose ball, giving the Rams possession at their own 30-yard line. Broadway needed just one play to capitalize on the turnover, finding Harrison for a 70-yard touchdown pass at 9:48. Neal completed a pass to Finnley Galloway for the two-point conversion, making it 36-7.

Less than two minutes later, Reidsville struck again. After Richard Brathwaite intercepted Conley at the Brevard 35-yard line, Broadway threw his fourth touchdown pass of the half on the very next play. The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Harrison hauled in a 35-yard scoring pass at 7:39, and Alex Penaloza's extra point gave the Rams a 43-7 halftime lead.

Broadway's first-half performance was exceptional: 10 completions in 11 attempts for 283 yards and four touchdowns. The Rams averaged 14.0 yards per play in the opening half while limiting Brevard to 5.8 yards per play.

The second half began with a running clock due to the 35-point lead rule in North Carolina high school football. Brevard opened the third quarter with its best drive of the game, covering 65 yards in seven plays. Conley found Tristan Thompson-Wynn for a 35-yard touchdown pass at 7:08, cutting the deficit to 43-14.

Any momentum the Blue Devils gained evaporated on the ensuing kickoff. Jorden Robinson fielded Melgaregjo's kick at the Reidsville 9-yard line and raced 91 yards untouched for a touchdown at 5:54 of the third quarter. Penaloza's extra point made it 50-14, effectively ending any hope of a Brevard comeback.

The Blue Devils added a late touchdown in the fourth quarter when Conley connected with Thompson-Wynn for a 13-yard scoring pass with 3:20 remaining. The extra point attempt failed, setting the final score at 50-20.

Neal finished with seven receptions for 158 yards and two receiving touchdowns, plus 65 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on just two carries. He also threw three two-point conversions and recovered a fumble on defense. His 288 all-purpose yards included 19 yards on one kickoff return.

Harrison caught all three passes thrown his way for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded six tackles, including one sack and two tackles for loss on defense.

Broadway's final line read 10 of 11 for 283 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He was sacked just once and attempted only 12 passes in the game.

For Brevard, Thompson-Wynn finished with 12 receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns, accounting for more than 75 percent of the Blue Devils' receiving yards. Conley completed 19 of 26 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted twice and lost a fumble.

The Rams' defense forced three turnovers and limited Brevard to 74 rushing yards on 24 attempts, an average of 3.1 yards per carry. Kadence Pruitt and Harrison each recorded six tackles to lead the defense.

The victory gave Reidsville (13-2) the 4A state championship. The Rams' explosive plays and efficient offense proved too much for Brevard to overcome.

Top Performers

Reidsville

• Dionte Neal: 7 receptions, 158 yards, 2 TD; 2 rushes, 65 yards, 1 TD; 3-3 on 2-pt conversions
• Tyson Broadway: 10-11 passing, 283 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
• Kendre Harrison: 3 receptions, 105 yards, 2 TD; 6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL
• Jorden Robinson: 91-yard kickoff return for TD

Brevard

• Tristan Thompson-Wynn: 12 receptions, 162 yards, 2 TD
• Christian Conley: 19-26 passing, 215 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
• Jax Whitmire: 9 tackles (5 solo, 4 assisted)

North Carolina will be well represented in the college football postseason. Four of the state’s seven FBS programs, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, and East Carolina, secured bowl invitations Sunday as the 2025-26 lineup was announced. After several teams declined, App State accepted a bowl invitation late Sunday as well. North Carolina and Charlotte were left out of the field, leaving five teams to carry the state’s banner into December and January.

NC State – Gasparilla Bowl

NC State (7-5) heads to Tampa to face Memphis (8-4) in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 19. The Wolfpack closed the season with a rivalry win over UNC and will lean on their defense to slow a Tigers offense averaging more than 30 points per game. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Duke – Sun Bowl

Fresh off its first outright ACC title since 1962, Duke (8-5) meets Arizona State (8-4) in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31. The Blue Devils’ defense will be tested by ASU’s dual-threat quarterback, while coach Manny Diaz looks to cap his debut season with a statement win. Game time is 2 p.m. ET on CBS.

Wake Forest – Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Wake Forest (8-4) returns to Charlotte for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Mississippi State (5-7) on Jan. 2. First-year coach Jake Dickert guided the Deacs to a steady finish, and his offense will try to exploit a Bulldogs team that slipped into the postseason via APR. Kickoff is 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

East Carolina – Military Bowl

East Carolina (8-4) rides late-season momentum into the Military Bowl against Pitt (8-4) on Dec. 27. Quarterback Katin Houser leads a Pirates offense averaging nearly 500 yards per game, while Pitt counters with a physical defense that thrives on pressure. The game begins at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN.

App State – Birmingham Bowl

App State (5-7) steps into the Birmingham Bowl against Georgia Southern (7-5) on Dec. 29. The Mountaineers accepted a late invitation after several teams declined, setting up a Sun Belt rivalry rematch at Protective Stadium. Kickoff is 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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.