| Duke Blue Devils | 32 |
 North Carolina Tar Heels |
25 |
| Final | |
CHAPEL HILL — Duke pulled off a stunning fake field goal and scored the game-winning touchdown on the next play as the Blue Devils pulled off a memorable 32-25 victory over host North Carolina on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.
Kicker Todd Pelino took a pitch from the holder and ran 26 yards down the left sideline to the UNC 1 late in the fourth quarter. Duke running back Anderson Castle had his third 1-yard touchdown run of the game on the next play to give Duke the lead in a back-and-forth battle for possession of the Victory Bell.
Duke improved to 6-5 and earned bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season. UNC, under first-year coach Bill Belichick, is 4-7 and will not reach six regular-season wins for the first time since 2018, Larry Fedora’s last season as coach.
It was the fourth straight nailbiter between the rivals, the first two won by UNC and the last two by Duke.
The North Carolina offense, which ranked among the worst in the ACC and the nation entering the game, came to life against the Blue Devils. UNC took a 25-24 lead early in the fourth quarter after a 12-yard touchdown run by Davion Gause.
Duke led 24-10 early in the second half after a touchdown run by Castle. UNC opened the second half with an unsuccessful surprise onside kick attempt.
Down by two touchdowns, UNC responded with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Gio Lopez to wide receiver Jordan Shipp. The pair connected on a two-point conversion as well.
Entering the game, UNC ranked next to last or last in the 17-team ACC in passing offense, total offense, scoring offense, third-down offense and red zone offense.
UNC was much better Saturday against the Blue Devils’ defense.
But Duke was a bit better, aided by converting 5-of-6 fourth-down tries, including the fake field goal. A successful 44-yard kick would have given Duke the lead and few expected the daring call. UNC’s Marcus Allen crashed hard in an attempt to block the field. It left Pelino plenty of space to run.
Two key penalties hurt the Tar Heels in the first half.
With the score tied at 7, Allen was called for roughing the kicker when Pelino missed a 46-yard attempt. Duke had picked up a personal foul penalty on the play before, pushing the Blue Devils into a longer attempt.
On the first play after the UNC penalty, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah connected with Jeremiah Hasley for a 14-yard touchdown.
The Blue Devils added a field goal on its next possession to extend the lead, but the Tar Heels got a field goal of their own in the final seconds of the half. An ineligible receiver down field penalty stopped the Tar Heels from a first-and-goal situation on the drive.
Things started well for UNC.
Lopez completed all six of his passes as the Tar Heels marched for an opening-drive touchdown. Lopez also rushed for six yards, including a one-yard touchdown, on the opening drive. Lopez had 65 yards passing on the drive. It was the third time UNC has scored a touchdown on its first drive this season.
Duke answered with a long touchdown drive of its own on their first drive, capped by a 1-yard run by Castle. Duke, who entered the game with the best passing offense in the ACC behind Mensah, converted on two fourth-down tries on its opening drive, including a 27-yard gain on fourth-and-2 from the UNC 46.
Duke defeated UNC 21-20 last season, rallying from a 20-0 second-half deficit.
Scoring summary
First quarter
UNC — Gio Lopez 1 run (Rece Verhoff kick), 7:57. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:03. Key play: Lopez completed a pass down the left sideline to receiver Jordan Shipp for 22 yards on third-and-1 at the UNC 41. UNC 7, Duke 0.
DUKE — Anderson Castle 1 run (Todd Pelino kick), 2:59. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:51. Key play: Duke converted on two fourth-down tries on the drive, including a 27-yard pass on fourth-and-2 at the UNC 46. UNC 7, Duke 7.
Second quarter
DUKE – Jeremiah Hasley 14 pass from Darian Mensah (Pelino kick), 10:25. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 6:11. Key play: North Carolina’s Marcus Allen was flagged for roughing the passer after Pelino missed a field goal, giving Duke a first down at the UNC 14. Duke 14, North Carolina 7.
DUKE – Pelino 33 kick, 2:33. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 6:51. Key plays: Duke converted on three third-down attempts on the drive, including an 8-yard gain on third-and-3 from its own 35. Duke 17, UNC 7.
UNC — Verhoff 47 field goal, :07. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 2:26. Key play: An ineligible receiver down field penalty cost the Tar Heels a 21-yard pickup on third-and-2 from the Duke 26. Instead, the Tar Heels were pushed back and kicked a field goal. Duke 17, UNC 10.
Third quarter
DUKE — Castle 1 run (Pelino kick), 9:15. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 5:45. Key play: Darian Mensah rushed for 13 yards on fourth-and-7 from the UNC 41 to keep the drive alive. Duke 24, UNC 10.
UNC — Jordan Shipp 20 pass from Gio Lopez (Shipp pass from Lopez), 4:52. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:23. Key play: The Tar Heels converted on two third-down tries. UNC entered the game as the ACC’s worst offense on third down. Duke 24, UNC 18.
Fourth quarter
UNC — Davion Gause 12 run (Verhoff kick), 13:13. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 4:30. Key play: The Tar Heels picked up chunks of yards on the drive: 16, 13, 15, 11, 11, 11 and 12. Lopez hit Shipp for 11 yards on third-and-8 at the Duke 45. North Carolina 25, Duke 24.
DUKE — Castle 1 run (Nate Shephard pass from Mensah), 2:18. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 4:19. Key play: Kicker Todd Pelino rushed for 26 yards on a fake field goal. Duke 32, North Carolina 25.