Duke Secures First Win at Clemson Since 1980 With Last-Second Two-Point Conversion

Duke defeated Clemson 46-45 at Clemson's Memorial Stadium, marking Duke's first win there since 1980 in a thrilling game featuring 999 yards of combined offense. Duke's quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 361 yards and four touchdowns and led an 11-play, 94-yard game-winning drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by Nate Sheppard and a decisive two-point conversion to Sahmir Hagans. Despite Cade Klubnik's career-high 385 passing yards and two touchdowns for Clemson, the Tigers could not make crucial defensive stops, suffering their fourth home loss of the season, which has been a challenging year for the defending ACC champions. Duke coach Manny Diaz opted to avoid overtime by going for the win on the two-point conversion, a decision that paid off and was hailed as a major step for Duke's program. Clemson, under coach Dabo Swinney, is enduring its worst season since 2010 with a 3-5 record, reflecting struggles after high expectations for a national title run. The game was marked by dramatic momentum swings, big offensive plays, and a final desperate attempt by Clemson to score that fell short, leading to Duke's celebrated victory.