Duke football had a slight chance of reaching ACC title game — and made it
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Duke clinched an ACC title-game spot after beating Wake Forest and Cal’s upset.
- Luke Mergott recovered fumbles, led tackles and shifted Duke’s defensive identity.
- Duke swept its Big Four rivals for second straight year, boosting recruiting narrative.
Duke linebacker Luke Mergott was finishing up a media interview Saturday after beating Wake Forest when he smiled and said, “Go Cal.”
At the time, about an hour after the Devils had finished off the 49-32 win, Duke still was hopeful of reaching the ACC championship game. If either California or Virginia Tech won their ACC games, Duke would earn one of the berths in the title game in Charlotte on Saturday.
“We’ve got a decent chance of slipping in the championship game,” quarterback Darian Mensah said.
A few hours later, Duke was in. The Golden Bears rallied to beat SMU, 38-35, finishing a perfect storm of games that landed the Blue Devils in the title game against No. 17 Virginia at Bank of America Stadium.
Duke needed Pittsburgh to lose to Miami, and got it. The Devils needed to beat Wake Forest, and did it. Cal did the rest, denying SMU a repeat visit to the championship game while putting Duke in it for the first time since 2013, when the Devils were the Coastal Division winners.
Virginia came to Durham and took a 34-17 win over the Blue Devils on Nov. 15 behind the sparkling play of quarterback Chandler Morris and a physical defense that limited Duke to a season-low 255 total yards.
Mergott looked as if he was ready to play the title game later Saturday night. The redshirt sophomore still had on his uniform, his black face paint smeared across his cheeks and forehead. The only thing missing was a helmet.
Mergott had been a central figure in the Blue Devils’ win Saturday that left them 6-2 in the ACC and 7-5 overall. He recovered two fumbles. He had a team-high eight tackles. He was in the middle, literally, of nearly everything as Duke forced four turnovers.
Mergott’s play reflects Duke’s persistence
For Duke, the 2025 season has been one of persistence. So it has been for Mergott, who began it as the backup to middle linebacker Nick Morris Jr. but was thrust into a starter’s role when Morris was lost for the season with a leg injury against N.C. State.
“We’re a family and it’s always next-man-up and we always play for each other,” Mergott said.
Mergott was that “next man” when Morris went out, and the Devils also had linebackers Tre Freeman, Elliott Schaper and Bradley Gompers deal with injuries this season – Freeman and Gompers left Saturday’s game.
The Blue Devils’ defense was burned on a few plays Saturday but also made the plays it had to against the Demon Deacons (8-4, 4-4 ACC). Quarterback Robby Ashford had his moments, passing for 342 yards and two touchdowns, but the Devils’ DaShawn Stone picked off a pass. Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers forced a fumble. Late in the game, rover Ma’Khi Jones sacked Ashford, who lost the ball at the Wake 11 as Mergott recovered for Duke.
After Mensah’s scoring pass to tight end Jeremiah Hasley boosted Duke’s lead to 17 points with 23 seconds left, the celebration could begin. It was Senior Day and the Blue Devils delivered a victory.
“We’ve got a bunch of dudes who are resilient and want it,” Mensah said of his teammates and their work ethic.
Duke sweeps UNC, NC State, Wake
For the second straight year, the Blue Devils had swept their Big Four rivals, beating the Wolfpack, North Carolina and Wake Forest.
The last time Duke did that: 1961 and 1962. Bill Murray was the Duke coach. It’s been a minute.
“It’s awesome,” Mergott said. “We treat every game the same, but there’s definitely a little extra motivation for in-state, especially historically Duke not being the football program in the state.
“We definitely take it personal, and we own that. And we are the team in the state obviously. It’s been two years in a row. And we definitely have a little chip on our shoulders when people say we’re not. We’ve proven that and we will continue to prove that.”
Some might say an in-state “championship” means little other than the so-called bragging rights, but Duke coach Manny Diaz disagreed. There’s recruiting to consider. And fund-raising. And perception of the program.
“We take it very seriously,” Diaz said. “You want to sell that you’ve got great momentum in our state, so that does matter. Our alumni want to feel the same way. You want to win among your peers and you need to win among your peers.
“And you’ve got to be the top team in your neighborhood before worrying about conquering someone else’s neighborhood.”
The Blue Devils went into the season believing they were good enough to make the ACC title game and play for their first conference championship since 1989. Losses to Georgia Tech and then Virginia, both at home, were daggers, but the Devils went into Saturday’s game realizing if everything fell into place there still was a path to Charlotte.
By the time Mergott left the interview room, Virginia was leading Virginia Tech. Cal’s game against SMU was about to begin.
The Blue Devils had to wait it out, but it was worth it. The Blue Devils are on the way to Charlotte.
This story was originally published November 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
