Duke upsets Virginia in ACC Championship Game, putting league's College Football Playoff hopes in jeopardy

The Blue Devils overtime win opened the door for the league to get left out of the CFP field

Duke squandered a 10-point lead in the final five minutes of the ACC Championship Game on Saturday night before emerging with a 27-20 overtime win over No. 17 Virginia in an instant classic. 

Darian Mensah hit Jeremiah Hasley for a 1-yard touchdown strike on fourth-and-goal to begin the overtime period. The Blue Devils' quarterback was rolling out and running for his life when he found Hasley standing wide open in the end zone. Luke Mergott intercepted Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris on the first play of Virginia's overtime possession to end a wild game.

Virginia fell behind 20-10 on a 23-yard field goal from Duke's Todd Pelino with 5:02 remaining before its offense came to life. The Cavaliers drove 96 yards for a a game-tying touchdown in the final two minutes only to have their hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff dashed in overtime.

With tiebreakers on their side, the unranked Blue Devils (8-5) slipped in to the league title game from a pack of five teams with 6-2 records in ACC play and emerged with their first-ever conference championship game victory.

The win marked Duke's first league title since it split one with the Cavaliers in 1989 before the establishment of the ACC Championship Game. Virginia (10-3) was also seeking its first-ever conference championship game victory but couldn't overcome a barrage of clutch plays from the Blue Devils.

Scroll down for more highlights and analysis of Duke's thrilling ACC Championship win over Virginia.

[Dec 7, 2025 at 12:21 am ET · David Cobb]

Duke's win spells trouble for the ACC's hopes of producing a College Football Playoff representative. While the Blue Devils will doubtlessly lobby for inclusion, they would have to overtake No. 25 James Madison in the rankings on Sunday in order to make the 12-team field. JMU won the Sun Belt Championship on Friday night, improving to 12-1 and solidifying its case for an automatic bid as the fifth-highest ranked conference champion. With five losses, Duke would need to get significant credit from the selection committee in order to enter the rankings and surpass James Madison. No. 12 Miami still has a chance to crack the bracket as an at-large team, but that would require the Hurricanes jumping at least two spots in the rankings after not playing on Saturday.

College Football Playoff Rankings projection: Indiana, Oregon bookend top five ahead of 12-team bracket reveal

Brad Crawford

[Dec 7, 2025 at 12:20 am ET · David Cobb]

Second-year Duke coach Manny Diaz was dismissed as Miami's coach after just three seasons following a 7-5 campaign in 2021. Following a two-year stint as Penn State's defensive coordinator, he landed back in the league at Duke. Now, in just his second year, he's won a conference championship before his successor at Miami, Mario Cristobal. That's a bizarre reality that brings some redemption for Diaz, who at 51 has resurrected his career by amassing a 17-9 record over two seasons with the Blue Devils.

[Dec 7, 2025 at 12:20 am ET · David Cobb]

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah connected with Cooper Barkate for a 30-yard completion to set up a field goal that made it 20-10 with 5:02 remaining. The two were in sync during the second half with a trio of critical connections that helped sustain Duke's offense. In the third quarter, Barkate reeled in a beautifully thrown ball from Mensah for a 38-yard gain that led to a Duke field goal. The two also linked up for a 15-yard completion with under three minutes remaining as Barkate finished with five receptions for 91 yards. The Harvard graduate transfer was Mensah's top target all season, and he showed why in the ACC Championship Game with a series of huge grabs.

[Dec 7, 2025 at 12:20 am ET · David Cobb]

Clutch conversions were the story of the night for Duke. The Blue Devils converted on four third-down plays during a game-opening 15-play touchdown drive and then converted on a pair of fourth-down plays during a 13-play second quarter touchdown drive. Among them was a fake punt that caught Virginia off guard. In overtime, the Blue Devils gambled again and went for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the Virginia 1-yard line. Duke's fourth-down success extended to defense. On the second play of the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils came up with a stand when Virginia rolled the dice on a fourth-and-5. The stop kept Duke ahead 17-10 as the Blue Devils pressured Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris, forcing him to throw into coverage.

[Dec 7, 2025 at 12:02 am ET · David Cobb]

Final: Duke 27, Virginia 20 (OT)

Duke squandered a 10-point lead in the final five minutes of the ACC Championship Game on Saturday night before emerging with a 27-20 overtime win over No. 17 Virginia in an instant classic. 

Darian Mensah hit Jeremiah Hasley for a 1-yard touchdown strike on fourth-and-goal to begin the overtime period. The Blue Devils' quarterback was rolling out and running for his life when he found Hasley standing wide open in the end zone. Luke Mergott intercepted Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris on the first play of Virginia's overtime possession to end a wild game.

Virginia fell behind 20-10 on a 23-yard field goal from Duke's Todd Pelino with 5:02 remaining before its offense came to life. The Cavaliers drove 96 yards for a a game-tying touchdown in the final two minutes only to have their hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff dashed in overtime.

With tiebreakers on their side, the unranked Blue Devils (8-5) slipped in to the league title game from a pack of five teams with 6-2 records in ACC play and emerged with their first-ever conference championship game victory.

The win marked Duke's first league title since it split one with the Cavaliers in 1989 before the establishment of the ACC Championship Game. Virginia (10-3) was also seeking its first-ever conference championship game victory but couldn't overcome a barrage of clutch plays from the Blue Devils.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 11:57 pm ET · David Cobb]

Darian Mensah hit Jeremiah Hasley for a 1-yard touchdown strike on fourth-and-goal to begin the overtime. He was rolling out and running for his life when he found Hasley standing wide open in the end zone. The Blue Devils are now 4-for-4 on fourth downs. Adding insult to injury for Virginia, the Cavaliers were whistled for roughing the passer, which will be enforced on Virginia's overtime possession. UVa will start with the football at the 40 instead of the 25.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 11:47 pm ET · David Cobb]

The ACC Championship Game is headed to overtime after a remarkable late rally from Virginia, which looked dead to rights with less than five minutes remaining. The Cavaliers will head into the extra period with all of the momentum after returning from the brink with 10 points and a critical defensive stop in the final four minutes.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 11:45 pm ET · David Cobb]

0:22 4Q: Duke 20, Virginia 20

Chandler Morris hit Eli Wood for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds remaining to cap an improbable comeback for the Cavaliers, who were down 20-10 with under four minutes remaining. That was a 96-yard drive for the Cavaliers, who didn't have a touchdown drive of longer than 23 yards on the books until now.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 11:41 pm ET · David Cobb]

With less than a minute remaining, Virginia is driving into Duke territory with a chance to tie the game. A couple of Duke penalties and an 18-yard Harrison Waylee run have the Cavaliers in business as tension rises in what has become a dramatic finish to the ACC Championship Game.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 11:23 pm ET · David Cobb]

Virginia has closed back within one possession after a 42-yard field goal from Will Bettridge. With 3:54 left and all three timeouts remaining, the Cavaliers are still kicking. Only problem is they haven't engineered a real touchdown drive all night. Their lone touchdown was set up by an interception in the first half. The Blue Devils have played complimentary football and been clutch in all three phases. Can they close it out?

[Dec 6, 2025 at 11:11 pm ET · David Cobb]

5:02 4Q: Duke 20, Virginia 10

Darian Mensah Hit Cooper Barkate for another big play to set up a crucial field goal. Their connection down the left sideline went for 30 yards. Virginia's defense made a stand from there, but Todd Pelino's 23-yard kick made it a two-possession game. Barkate has made two great grabs on perfectly thrown balls from Mensah as a special season for the Harvard transfer continues with a memorable showing in the ACC Championship Game.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 11:04 pm ET · David Cobb]

Facing a third-and-9 from its own 2-yard line, Virginia dialed up a deep concept. Or so Chandler Morris thought. He let it fly, but there were no Cavaliers in the vicinity. Instead, Duke's Caleb Weaver reeled it in at the UVa 33-yard line. It basically worked out like a 32-yard punt, but the Blue Devils are setting up shop in excellent field position with 7:21 remaining and a 17-10 lead.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 10:59 pm ET · David Cobb]

8:46 4Q: Duke 17, Virginia 10

Duke punter Kade Reynoldson just dropped a 47-yard punt onto Virginia's 1-yard line as special teams continue to be a difference maker in this game. Virginia missed a 45-yard field goal in the first quarter. Duke then had a first-half touchdown drive boosted by a successful fake punt. The Blue Devils are not dominating, but they are winning on the margins. Virginia will have to go 99 yards to tie the game.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 10:51 pm ET · David Cobb]

Chandler Morris fired for the end zone on fourth-and-5 from the 24-yard line. Trell Harris was in double coverage, and the pass was batted down by Dashawn Stone. Morris was under pressure as he let if fly. Hard to fault Tony Elliott for rolling the dice with a manageable distance there, as even a 41-yard field goal would have left Virginia needing a touchdown.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 10:46 pm ET · David Cobb]

End 3Q: Duke 17, Virginia 10

The teams swapped field goals in the third quarter in what has turned out to be a low-possession game. Virginia is driving to begin the fourth quarter and will be facing a third-and-9 from Duke's 28-yard line. The story of the quarter for UVa was that it established the run after struggling on the ground in the first half. J'Mari Taylor and Harrison Waylee have each gotten involved as Virginia has now sustained a couple of drives against the Duke defense. The question is whether UVa can finish drives in the fourth quarter.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 10:35 pm ET · David Cobb]

3:53 3Q: Duke 17, Virginia 10

Darian Mensah connected with Cooper Barkate for a beautiful 38-yard throw and catch to spark a Duke response to Virginia's field goal. Barkate is the team's leading receiver but had been having a quiet night. The Blue Devils were all set to go for it on fourth-and-2 from Virginia's 7-yard line until getting flagged for a false start. Manny Diaz then elected to take a chip shot field goal.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 10:20 pm ET · David Cobb]

7:19 3Q: Duke 14, Virginia 10

Virginia came out with a concerted effort to run the football, and it paid immediate dividends. J'Mari Taylor and Harrison Waylee each bit off chunks as a strong 1-2 punch to get the Cavaliers rolling all the way down to Duke's 2-yard line. But the Blue Devils bowed up from there and left UVa with a fourth-and-goal from the 7-yard line. Tony Elliott played it safe and took the points. It was a strong start to the half for Virginia's offense, but coming away with just three points was a bit of a buzzkill.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 10:01 pm ET · David Cobb]

Virginia needs to sustain something offensively to begin the second half after getting doubled up in time of possession in the first half. Duke has run 38 plays compared to 23 for UVa. The Cavaliers couldn't run the football consistently in the first half and were killed by a first quarter sack that turned a manageable field goal attempt into a 45-yard miss. If not for a bad Darian Mensah interception, the Cavaliers would have been shut out. As for Duke, Darian Mensah absolutely must take care of the football. The Blue Devils were fortunate that a Duke offensive lineman fell on the ball when Mensah was stripped on a second quarter TD drive. 

[Dec 6, 2025 at 9:46 pm ET · David Cobb]

Half: Duke 14, Virginia 7

Duke is one half away from completing an improbable journey to an ACC title. The result would carry significant ramifications, as it would open the door for James Madison to make the CFP field as the fifth-highest ranked conference champion. The story of the first half was Duke's ability to convert on third and fourth downs, which enabled the Blue Devils to dominate time of possession and keep the Virginia offense from finding a rhythm. The Cavaliers' lone score came on a short field after Duke's Darian Mensah threw an interception. That blunder aside, the Blue Devils controlled the game.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 9:38 pm ET · David Cobb]

Virginia's defense produced a big stand to return the football to the Cavaliers with 1:43 remaining in the first half. However, they couldn't sustain a drive and were forced to punt it back to Duke with a minute remaining. That could prove to be a costly sequence for the the Cavaliers who had a chance to go 2-for-1 and flip the script on a game that has been controlled by Duke. Nothing has come easy for the UVA offense so far.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 9:13 pm ET · David Cobb]

6:14 2Q: Duke 14, Virginia 7

Duke executed a fake punt on fourth-and-2 to perfection with a quick snap to defensive end Kevin O'Connor, who surged up the middle for a 6-yard gain. The Blue Devils then faced another fourth-and-short situation near midfield and converted that as well. Those bold decisions from Manny Diaz paid off when Nate Sheppard rumbled 16 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. The Blue Devils have now scored on drives of 15 and 13 plays.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 9:00 pm ET · David Cobb]

14:16 2Q: Virginia 7, Duke 7

J'Mari Taylor just bulldozed his way into the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown on a flat route out of the backfield. Chandler Morris was getting pressured, but he dumped it off to Taylor, who did the rest to tie this game up. That was Taylor's first touchdown grab of the season as the Cavaliers completed a short scoring drive set up by the interception.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 8:54 pm ET · David Cobb]

End 1Q: Duke 7, Virginia 0

Virginia safety Corey Costner baited Darian Mensah into throwing an ill-advised out route on the second play of Duke's second drive. Costner was there to intercept it and establish Virginia at Duke's 23-yard line. That was a bad blunder by Mensah to cap a first quarter that had been all Blue Devils. But as it stands, the Cavaliers are in prime position to potentially tie the game as the second quarter begins. The turnover battle has been a deciding factor in most of Duke's games this year, and Mensah will have to bounce back from that miscue.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 8:48 pm ET · David Cobb]

Virginia's first drive benefitted from a 15-yard illegal hands to the face penalty on Duke that negated a turnover. However, the Cavaliers couldn't cash it in, as Will Bettridge's 45-yard field goal attempt missed. The big play for the Blue Devils was a Vincent Anthony Jr. sack the dropped Chandler Morris for a loss of six to put the Cavaliers in a fourth-and-12 situation.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 8:34 pm ET · David Cobb]

5:22 1Q: Duke 7, Virginia 0

Duke devoured the first quarter clock on the game's opening drive before Darian Mensah hit Jeremiah Hasley on a screen pass for a 12-yard touchdown. The Blue Devils benefitted from a Virginia mistake en route to scoring the game's first points. Duke was all set to punt on fourth-and-7 from just inside of midfield. But when Virginia jumped offsides and made it a fourth-and-2, that changed the calculus for Manny Diaz. He sent the offense back onto the field, and Mensah hit Landen King for a first down. All told, the drive totaled 16 plays, 75 yards and nearly 10 minutes.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

When the ACC Championship Game kicks off on Saturday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, the battle between No. 17 Virginia and unranked Duke will provide finality to what has been a chaotic final couple of weeks in the conference's football season. 

In one outcome, Virginia could win and punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff as the fourth highest-ranked conference champion. However, if Duke were to beat Virginia the conference will find itself looking to lobby the College Football Playoff selection committee for the Blue Devils' inclusion as they might not be among the five highest-ranked conference champions who receive an automatic bid to the 12-team CFP bracket. 

Explaining the ACC's College Football Playoff conundrum, and a possible fix for the future

Chip Patterson

[Dec 6, 2025 at 7:40 pm ET · David Cobb]

Saturday night's ACC Championship Game showdown between No. 17 Virginia and Duke at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte will produce a historic outcome either way -- neither program has ever won the league title game before. It's been 12 years since the Blue Devils' last appearance and five for Virginia. Both teams will playing in the conference championship game for just the second time since its introduction in 2005.

A bad season for historical ACC powers Clemson and Florida State flung the door open for chaos in the league. Virginia capitalized by finishing above the fray with a 7-1 conference mark as the Cavaliers broke through under fourth-year coach Tony Elliott to reach 10 wins for the first time since 1989. Duke arrived via the benefit of tiebreakers that separated five teams with 6-2 marks in conference play.

At 7-5 overall, the Blue Devils are an unlikely participant in a conference title game, as their resume is dragged down by a 1-3 mark in nonconference play. They reached the ACC Championship Game by having a higher conference opponent winning percentage than the other four teams who were also 6-2 in league play.

Regardless of how they got here, the stage is set for a championship battle between the Blue Devils and Cavaliers that will have significant College Football Playoff stakes and historical implications for both teams. The winner will be able to claim ACC supremacy for the first time in program history.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 7:20 pm ET · David Cobb]

Virginia dominated Duke 34-17 on the road last month in a much-needed bounce-back performance following a loss to Wake Forest. The Cavaliers led 31-3 late in the third quarter after J'Mari Taylor reeled off a 78-yard touchdown run. Although Duke added a couple of fourth-quarter scores to make the final margin look respectable, UVa was clearly the better team. Virginia doubled up Duke 22-11 in first downs and total yards (540-255). It was the worst game of the season for Duke star quarterback Darian Mensah in terms of completion percentage  (51.4%) and his second-worst in terms of passing yards (213).

[Dec 6, 2025 at 7:00 pm ET · David Cobb]

Duke dropped to 5-5 (4-2 ACC) with its ugly home loss to Virginia on Nov. 15. But the Blue Devils found themselves over the final two games of the regular season by beating in-state rivals North Carolina and Wake Forest. A 4-0 turnover margin lifted Duke to a 49-32 win over the Demon Deacons last week. For better or worse, massive turnover margins have been a theme for the Blue Devils this season. They coughed the football up five times in an early-season loss to Illinois. During a subsequent three-game winning streak against NC State, Syracuse and Cal, Duke won the turnover battled a combined 11-0. Taking care of the ball against this team is of the utmost importance.

[Dec 6, 2025 at 6:45 pm ET · Daniel Lewis]

A spot in the College Football Playoff bracket is on the line for the No. 17 Virginia Cavaliers when they meet the Duke Blue Devils in the 2025 ACC Championship Game on Saturday. The Cavaliers finished the regular season 10-2 overall with a 7-1 ACC record. They now have an inside track for an automatic CFP bid as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions if they can get by the Blue Devils. 

Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte is at 8 p.m. ET. The Cavaliers are 4-point favorites in the latest Virginia vs. Duke odds, while the over/under is 57.5. Before making any Duke vs. Virginia picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

Virginia vs. Duke prediction, odds: 2025 ACC Championship Game picks by proven model

Daniel Lewis