Kenton Dopson III came up with the biggest play of the day, snagging Walker Eget’s pass at North Carolina’s 15-yard line with 14 seconds left to seal a wild 24-20 Tar Heels win over Duke on Saturday afternoon at Wallace Wade Stadium.
It was the kind of finish that capped a game full of swings. Carolina jumped out fast, took a 17-0 lead in the opening 17 minutes, then went silent for more than 41 minutes while Duke clawed all the way back and briefly moved in front, 20-17, late in the fourth quarter. But the Tar Heels answered when they had to, and Jaylen McGill’s 24-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left put UNC back on top for good.
McGill powered the decisive drive, carrying three times for 44 yards as Carolina flipped the game in its final possession. Duke still had one last chance, driving inside the Tar Heel 35 in the closing minute, but UNC forced an intentional grounding penalty with 24 seconds remaining, sending the Blue Devils back to the Carolina 44. Dopson then finished the job with the interception that ended it.
With the win, the Tar Heels earned their second straight victory and moved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They also snapped Duke’s two-game run in the rivalry and handed the Blue Devils back-to-back losses.
Duke dropped to 4-2, 1-2, took its first home loss of the season and saw its eight-game winning streak against in-state opponents end. Carolina also reclaimed the Victory Bell and won in Durham for the first time since 2022. The Tar Heels now lead the series 67-42-4.
UNC’s defense deserves plenty of the credit. Even without injured starting defensive backs Tre Miller and Kaleb Cost, the Tar Heels kept Duke out of the end zone for the first 37:23 and didn’t allow points until a field goal late in the third quarter. They also limited the Blue Devils to a season-low 124 rushing yards, forcing them into 38 pass attempts, their second-most this year.
Billy Edwards Jr. went 15 of 25 for 191 yards and a touchdown for Carolina. Eget finished 24 of 38 for 249 yards, one score and the crucial interception.
McGill added 75 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown, while Demon June ran 13 times for 49 yards and a score. Jordan Shipp had seven catches on nine targets for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Duke running back Nate Sheppard, who came in leading all FBS players in rushing yards and all-purpose yards per game, was questionable before kickoff but started anyway. He finished with a season-low 77 yards on 20 carries and added 11 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown.
Carolina’s opening surge began right away. The Tar Heels took the kickoff and marched 11 plays for 74 yards before Rece Verhoff’s 28-yard field goal made it 3-0.
Edwards hit 3 of 5 passes for 49 yards on the drive, including a 26-yard completion to Trech Kekahuna on the first snap from scrimmage. That was UNC’s 10th drive of at least 10 plays to end in points this season.
The defense set the tone on Duke’s first possession with a three-and-out, then Calvin Thomas got a blocked punt after a bad snap and Jaziel Hart recovered it at the Duke 11. Three plays later, Edwards found Shipp for a five-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone and a 10-0 lead.
Carolina kept rolling into the second quarter. Another Duke three-and-out set up a long Tar Heel drive, and June finished it by converting fourth-and-two from the Duke four for his sixth touchdown of the season, pushing UNC ahead 17-0. Duke answered with an eight-play drive to the Carolina five, but the Tar Heels stonewalled them on fourth-and-one from the two, with Greg Smith III making a key stop.
The Blue Devils finally got on the board after Shipp caught a pass from Edwards and then fumbled. Andrew Pellicciotta scooped it up and returned it nine yards for a defensive touchdown, trimming the lead to 17-7 with 8:37 left in the half.
Duke kept pressing after the break. Its first second-half possession lasted 19 plays, and Sheppard converted fourth-and-one with a 13-yard run before Kade Reynoldson drilled a 22-yard field goal to make it 17-10 with 6:54 left in the third.
UNC had a chance to answer after driving inside the Duke 10, but McGill fumbled and the Blue Devils recovered at their own nine. The Tar Heels got the ball back late in the quarter after their defense held, but the offense punted after a three-and-out.
The fourth quarter brought more pressure from Duke. The Blue Devils drove inside the Carolina five, but UNC forced another field goal to stay ahead 17-13 with 8:47 remaining.
Then came a huge break for Duke when Tar Heel punter Adam McCann-Gibbs dropped the snap and was tackled for a loss, giving the Blue Devils the ball at the Carolina 34. Four plays later, Eget hit Sheppard on a seven-yard touchdown pass, and Duke suddenly had 20 straight points and a 20-17 lead with 4:39 left.
That set up Carolina’s final response, and McGill delivered the winner before Dopson closed the door.
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If Sheppard cannot go, Duke would likely turn to CJ Campbell Jr., a less proven option with far less production and experience. For UNC, the difference between facing Duke with its lead back available or with a backup thrust into a bigger role could shape how the Tar Heels prepare for one of the seasons most closely watched games. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger backdrop is simple: the Victory Bell has been out of reach in recent meetings, with Duke finding ways to win close games and leave Carolina looking for answers. Saturday offers the Tar Heels a chance to flip that script, and the broader schedule picture is already taking shape with UNCs 2026 football slate also in view. [Read more 🡒]