How Duke Football Can Flip Script Coming Down to Wire

Duke has lost two straight games that have come down to the wire.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz, left, on the sidelines against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the first half at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Duke Blue Devils have been in two straight games that have come down to the final seconds. They have been on the losing end of both contests.

Last weekend, Duke had a chance to send a road game against Georgia Tech to overtime, but freshman kicker Gavin Strange missed a 33-yard field goal in the final seconds. This weekend, Duke dropped its second straight outing after North Carolina took the lead with under two minutes to go, and the Blue Devils couldn't execute on their final drive.

After starting the year 4-0, the Blue Devils have now gone through two straight grueling defeats. Duke fell to Georgia Tech and North Carolina by a combined seven points.

Oct 17, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) celebrates his touchdown during the fourth quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels with Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jared Richardson (17) at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

How Duke Can Flip Script Late in Games

Against Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils put together a solid last-chance drive to give themselves a chance to extend the game. The Yellow Jackets took the lead with under a minute to go, and Duke drove 59 yards in about 50 seconds to put itself in a position to get to overtime. Unfortunately, Strange missed the game-tying field goal, and Duke fell 28-25.

The Blue Devils were in full control against the Tar Heels in the second half up until the final couple of minutes. After the Heels got out to a 17-0 lead, Duke held them scoreless until Jaylen McGill found the end zone with less than two minutes remaining. UNC faced a 4th-and-4 situation with about three and a half minutes to go, and a stop could've put the game out of reach. Carolina converted and went on to score.

Oct 17, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils saftey Andrew Pellicciotta (35) celebrates his touchdown against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Duke's last-ditch effort this past weekend was much less impressive, resulting in a Walker Eget interception to seal the deal. In his postgame press conference, head coach Manny Diaz was asked about his frustration levels after two consecutive close losses.

"Well, there's a frustration in defeat, obviously...," Diaz said. "...This is just what college football is going to be like week in and week out. I mean I wouldn't be surprised if we're not in this the next six weeks. And so, it's just going to come down to who makes those plays and who can finish and...who can do simple well."

Duke Hits the Road With Hopes To Rebound

The Blue Devils are in desperation mode, needing a victory to get some sort of momentum back. Duke (4-2, 1-2 ACC) heads to Charlottesville next to face Virginia (4-3, 2-2 ACC), which is coming off a 23-13 loss at SMU.

Hope isn't lost for Diaz and Co., but changes need to happen quickly if they want any chance of another highly successful campaign.

Watch Our Latest Podcast