Duke stunned the college football world on December 6, 2025 in Charlotte by defeating No. 16 Virginia 27 to 20 in overtime to win the ACC Championship. The victory delivered the Blue Devils their first outright conference title since 1962 and completed one of the most unexpected championship runs the league has seen.
Few predicted Duke would reach this stage. The Blue Devils entered the game with a 7 and 5 record and advanced to the championship only after surviving a five team tiebreaker among several programs that finished 6 and 2 in conference play. Virginia arrived as a ten win team with one of the most productive offenses in the ACC and every expectation of leaving Charlotte with the trophy. Duke had other plans.
Quarterback Darian Mensah set the tone early. On the opening drive he guided the Blue Devils 75 yards and connected with receiver Jeremiah Hasley for a 12 yard touchdown. Virginia responded with a steady march of its own to pull even, and the teams eventually traded field goals as Duke carried a small halftime lead into the locker room. Though Virginia later grabbed momentum with a push in the second half, Duke’s defense refused to let the game slip away and repeatedly forced difficult throws from Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris.
Mensah then delivered the drive that kept Duke alive. With the Blue Devils trailing in the fourth quarter he completed a series of quick passes that moved the offense down the field and set up the tying score. When regulation ended at 20 to 20 the ACC Championship Game entered overtime for the first time in its history.
Duke struck first in the extra session. After moving inside the Virginia five yard line the Devils faced a critical fourth and goal. Rather than settle for a field goal, coach Manny Diaz trusted his quarterback. Mensah fired a short pass to Hasley for their second touchdown of the night and a 27 to 20 lead. Virginia had one possession to answer but its hopes ended immediately when Duke defensive back Luke Mergott intercepted a pass in the end zone. The Duke sideline erupted as players and staff swarmed the field to celebrate a title that few outside the program believed was possible in September.
The championship was the eighth in Duke’s history and the first since the ACC instituted its modern title game format. It also placed the conference in an uncertain position as the expanded 12 team College Football Playoff prepared to release its final rankings. Despite the championship Duke’s overall record makes an at large berth unlikely. Virginia’s loss ended its own playoff ambitions and created an opening for a Group of Five champion to claim a spot.
For Duke the night in Charlotte will be remembered as a breakthrough. Diaz, in his second year, praised the toughness and unity of his team and thanked the fans who filled Bank of America Stadium. The Blue Devils capped a season defined by resilience and proved again that in college football no script is guaranteed and every underdog has its chance to rise.
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