Duke27 @FINAL 20Virginia , Week 15, Dec 7, 2025

Duke won its first outright ACC football championship since 1962, defeating No. 16 Virginia 27-20 in overtime. This victory marks a significant milestone for a program primarily known for basketball.

Duke's defense played its best game in recent weeks, limiting Virginia's leading rusher J’Mari Taylor to 65 yards and forcing two interceptions, including the game-sealing pick in overtime by Luke Mergott.

Quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns, both to Jeremiah Hasley, including the game-winning 1-yard score on fourth down in overtime. Nate Sheppard added 97 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Coach Manny Diaz's aggressive strategy paid off with a successful fake punt and a fourth-down conversion via hard count. Punter Kade Reynoldson also pinned Virginia at the 1-yard line, leading to a turnover.

Despite an 8-5 record, Diaz argued Duke deserves a CFP spot due to seven wins over power-conference teams (all ACC), contrasting with potential Group of Five contender James Madison's weaker schedule.

Virginia lost 27-20 in overtime to Duke in the ACC Championship game, missing a chance to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history. The Cavaliers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 5 minutes of regulation to tie the game, but an interception on their first offensive play of overtime sealed the loss.

Virginia's offense was held in check for most of the game. Star running back J’Mari Taylor, the ACC's leading rusher, was limited to 65 yards on 15 carries. Quarterback Chandler Morris threw two interceptions, including the game-ending pick in overtime, and the team could not establish consistency against a Duke defense that played its best game in weeks.

Despite the loss, Virginia showed tremendous resilience. Trailing 20-10 with 5:02 left, they scored a field goal and then drove 96 yards in 10 plays, capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Morris to Eli Wood with 22 seconds left to force overtime. Coach Tony Elliott praised his team's heart and noted they exceeded expectations after being picked 14th in the ACC preseason poll.

A roughing the passer penalty on Duke's overtime touchdown forced Virginia to start their overtime possession at the 40-yard line instead of the 25, putting them in a more aggressive mindset. This contributed to the decision to attempt a deep pass, which resulted in the interception. Earlier, a fumble by Taylor on the first play from scrimmage was negated by a penalty, but it highlighted early struggles.

Virginia's defense allowed Duke to control the clock with two of the longest drives in ACC championship game history (9:38 and 8:02) in the first half, leading to a 14-7 halftime deficit. The Cavaliers also failed to stop a fake punt that extended a Duke scoring drive. These lapses proved costly in a tight game decided by one possession.