CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Duke won its first outright Atlantic Coast Conference title since 1962 and threw the College Football Playoff into chaos on Saturday night when Darian Mensah connected with Jeremiah Hasley for a 1-yard touchdown on a fourth-down play in overtime, and the unranked Blue Devils held on to beat No. 16 Virginia 27-20.
The Blue Devils (8-5) are unlikely to make the playoff field, opening the door for a second Group of Five team — likely James Madison — to make it.
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Duke last won a share of the ACC regular-season title in 1989, sharing it with Virginia in Steve Spurrier’s final season as the Blue Devils’ coach. The conference championship game was created in 2005, and Duke got there this year thanks to a five-team tiebreaker.
Virginia (10-3), the ACC regular-season champion, would have reached the CFP for the first time in school history with a victory but fell short when Chandler Morris was intercepted by Luke Mergott on the Cavaliers’ first offensive play of OT.
Mensah threw for 196 yards and two scores — both to Hasley — while Nate Sheppard ran for 97 yards and a score for Duke.
Virginia trailed by 10 with 5:02 left in regulation, but got a field goal from Will Bettridge before Morris capped a 10-play, 96-yard drive with an 18-yard strike to Eli Wood in the left corner of the end zone with 22 seconds left to tie it at 20-all.
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In the extra period, Sheppard got the Blue Devils to the Virginia 2 with three runs. Duke was stuffed twice before Mensah rolled out and found Hasley for the go-ahead score. Virginia was flagged for roughing passer on the throw, meaning it had to start its overtime possession at the 40 instead of the 25.
Morris fired downfield on first down and was picked off by Mergott, setting off a raucuous celebration.
Morris, who finished 21 of 40 for 216 yards with two TDs and two interceptions, was in tears after the game. J’Mari Taylor, the ACC’s leading rusher, was limited to 65 yards on 15 carries and scored on an 11-yard reception.
Duke established control of the line of scrimmage early.
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The Blue Devils controlled the clock in the first half, putting together the two longest drives in ACC championship game history — 9:38 and 8:02 — culminating with a 12-yard touchdown catch by Hasley and a 16-yard run by Sheppard to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.
Duke coach Manny Diaz, who ran a fake field goal that led to the Blue Devils’ dramatic win over rival North Carolina, called a fake punt on Duke’s go-ahead drive in the second quarter. It worked, with Kevin O’Connor taking the direct snap and running up the middle for 6 yards.
The takeaway
Duke: The Blue Devils’ punt team was big. Along with the fake punt, Duke pulled Virginia offsides on a hard count on fourth-and-7, and then Diaz sent the offense back on the field to get the first down on fourth-and-2. Duke punter Kade Reynoldson also pinned Virginia at the 1, leading to Morris’ interception three plays later.
Virginia: Taylor fumbled on the Virginia’s first play from scrimmage — it was negated by a penalty — and could never get on track against the Duke defense, which played its best game recent weeks.
