Duke Beats Virginia 19-16 on a Trick Play Touchdown With 1:14 Left

Duke beat Virginia 19-16 on Friday night at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville. Running back Nate Sheppard threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Brody Keefe on a trick play with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter. The extra point was no good, and Duke held on to win a rematch of last season's ACC championship game.

The two programs met three times in the last two seasons before Friday. Virginia won 34-17 in Durham in the 2025 regular season, and Duke answered with a 27-20 overtime win in the ACC championship game for its first conference title since 1989. Duke came into Friday at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the ACC, trying to avoid a third straight loss after a 24-20 home defeat to North Carolina. Virginia was 4-3 and 2-2 in the league after a 23-13 road loss to SMU.

Eget hurt on the opening drive

Duke scored first. The Blue Devils covered 78 yards in four plays on the opening possession, and Sheppard finished the drive with a 32 yard touchdown run. Quarterback Walker Eget completed both of his pass attempts for 43 yards on that drive, but his hand hit a Virginia defender's helmet on a throw and he left the game. He spent the rest of the first half on the sideline.

Backup quarterback Dan Mahan finished the half for Duke. Mahan went 2 of 5 for 17 yards and ran twice for five yards. Virginia outscored Duke 6-0 in the second quarter and led 13-7 at halftime. Eget returned to start the second half. Head coach Manny Diaz told ESPN at halftime that the problem was more about grip than throwing, the Fayetteville Observer reported.

Strange ties it, Virginia answers, Sheppard throws the winner

Gavin Strange kicked a field goal in the third quarter to cut the Virginia lead to 13-10. His second field goal of the night, from 39 yards, tied the game at 13-13 with 8:50 left in the fourth quarter. Virginia drove back into the red zone, and the Duke defense held. A 30 yard field goal with three minutes left put Virginia back in front 16-13.

Duke took over needing a touchdown, and the call was not a quarterback throw. Sheppard, who had already run for one score, took the ball and connected with Keefe for 28 yards and the lead. The missed extra point left the margin at three points, and Virginia had 1:14 to answer. The Cavaliers did not score again.

The win moved Duke to 5-2 overall. Virginia fell to 4-4. Sheppard accounted for both Duke touchdowns, one on the ground in the first quarter and one through the air in the last two minutes. For a team that had lost two straight games, the finish in Charlottesville put the Blue Devils back on the right side of the ACC race with the hardest part of the night coming at quarterback, where Duke won a conference road game with its starter out for half of it.