DURHAM, N.C. — The Tar Heels endured a scoreless stretch of more than 41 minutes, watched a 17-0 lead disappear and still left Duke’s stadium Saturday night with the Victory Bell, beating the Blue Devils 24-20 on a late Jaylen McGill touchdown run.
McGill broke through the line and raced 24 yards to the end zone with 1:53 to play, finishing an eight-play, 78-yard drive. The march stayed alive on a fourth-and-4 from the Tar Heels’ own 28 with 3:48 left, when Billy Edwards Jr. hit Jelani Thurman over the middle for a 12-yard gain. Coach Bill Belichick said afterward he had no intention of punting again.
Duke got one last chance, but on third-and-14 Walker Eget’s pass was picked off by Kenton Dopson to end it. Tar Heels players poured across the field to claim the bell, which UNC had not held since 2023.
The start was all North Carolina. Rece Verhoff opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal, Edwards found Jordan Shipp for a 5-yard touchdown after a botched Duke punt set up a short field, and Demon June ran in from 4 yards out early in the second quarter for a 17-0 cushion.
Then the game turned. Safety Andrew Pellicciotta scooped up a fumble and returned it 9 yards for a Duke touchdown before halftime. In the second half the Blue Devils controlled the clock, added two Gavin Strange field goals and moved in front 20-17 when Nate Sheppard caught a short pass from Eget and scored from 7 yards with 4:39 remaining.
Sheppard, who leads the country in rushing yards per game, managed just 77 yards on 20 rushes but did damage as a receiver with 11 catches for 98 yards. Edwards finished with 191 passing yards and a touchdown.
North Carolina is now 4-2 and 2-1 in the ACC after winning as a road underdog for the second week in a row. Duke falls to 4-2 and 1-2, and its run of eight straight wins over in-state opponents is over. The Tar Heels host Syracuse at Kenan Stadium next Saturday night.
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