DURHAM, N.C. — North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick secured his first career triumph against archrival Duke on Saturday, as the Tar Heels rallied late in the fourth quarter to claim a 24-20 road victory at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Running back Jaylen McGill dashed 24 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:53 remaining, halting a scoring drought of more than 41 minutes for the Tar Heels. An interception with 14 seconds left sealed the win, allowing North Carolina to snap Duke’s two-game winning streak in the battle for the Victory Bell.
The victory carried personal significance for Belichick. His father, Steve Belichick, went 0-3 against Duke while working as a North Carolina assistant coach more than seven decades ago, the New York Post noted. Bill Belichick, who previously stated his first childhood words were “Beat Duke,” had dropped his rivalry debut last season during a 4-8 inaugural campaign in Chapel Hill, NBC Sports reported.
Squandered lead and late-game response
North Carolina (4-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) seized early control of the contest, building a 17-0 advantage early in the second quarter after Demon June scored on a four-yard run. However, the offense stalled, managing roughly 100 yards over the subsequent three quarters as Duke mounted a furious comeback.
The Blue Devils started chipping away when safety Andrew Pellicciotta recovered a Tar Heels fumble and returned it nine yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, according to ABC News. North Carolina gave away another possession inside the red zone late in the third quarter, turning the ball over on a fumble that abruptly halted a promising drive directed by quarterback Billy Edwards Jr.
Duke (4-2, 1-2 ACC) took its first lead of the game with 4:29 left in the final quarter when quarterback Walker Eget connected with running back Nate Sheppard on a seven-yard touchdown pass. Sheppard, who entered the contest as the leading rusher in the country, was limited to 77 yards on 20 carries by the Tar Heels defense, though he caught 11 passes for 98 yards, ABC News reported.
Decisive drive seals the turnaround
Trailing 20-17, the Tar Heels launched a 78-yard game-winning drive. Facing a critical fourth-and-5 from their own 28-yard line with 3:48 remaining, Edwards kept the drive alive with a completion over the middle to Jelani Thurman. Edwards finished the contest with 191 passing yards and one touchdown through the air without an interception.
Moments later, McGill found an open lane and sprinted into the end zone, handing the lead back to North Carolina before the defense extinguished Duke’s final counterattack.
“It’s all about character. These guys battled all the way,” Belichick said, as quoted by the New York Post. “Battled all the way against Notre Dame, Clemson. We’ve been fighting all the way. I don’t have any questions about their competitiveness, character, toughness.”
After the game, Belichick celebrated by ringing the reclaimed Victory Bell alongside his players. When asked by reporters about the celebration, Belichick joked that footage of the moment would likely appear on social media platforms he referred to as “MyFace, MyGram or something soon,” ClutchPoints reported.
The win marks North Carolina’s second consecutive road victory as an underdog following a win over ranked Pittsburgh. With the result, the Tar Heels have equaled their win total from the entire 2025 season in just six contests. North Carolina returns home next Saturday night to face Syracuse before hosting third-ranked Miami, while Duke travels to Charlottesville to play Virginia on Friday night.
