Duke wins its eighth ACC football title with 27-20 OT thriller against No. 17 Virginia

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. 17 Virginia 27-20.

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.

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Duke blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter but regrouped in overtime.

The Blue Devils won by scoring on their first possession in OT and then intercepting a pass on the Cavaliers’ ensuing possession, setting off a raucous celebration on the Duke sideline.

Mensah threw for 196 yards and two scores – both to Hasley – while Nate Sheppard ran for 97 yards and a score for Duke.

With the win, Duke claimed its eighth ACC championship, breaking a tie with NC State and moving into fourth for most league titles, behind only Clemson (22), Florida State (16) and Maryland (9).

The Blue Devils seem unlikely to make the playoff field, opening the door for a second Group of Five team – likely James Madison – to make it.

Virginia 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 in OT.

The Associated Press contributed.

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