DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Jaylen McGill ran 24 yards for a touchdown with 1:53 remaining for North Carolina’s first points since early in the second quarter and the Tar Heels recovered to beat Duke 24-20 on Saturday.
Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 191 yards and a touchdown plus a key fourth-down completion on the winning drive as North Carolina (4-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) won as a road underdog for the second straight week.
“Fortunately, we were able to make a couple more plays than they did,” Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick said. “I thought our guys earned it.”
Duke (4-2, 1-2) took its first lead when Nate Sheppard scored from 7 yards out by reaching the end zone off a short pass from Walker Eget with 4:39 left.
Two years ago in the same stadium, Duke rallied from a 20-0 deficit to beat the Tar Heels.
Sheppard, the nation’s leading rusher in yards per game, was held to 77 yards on 20 carries, though he netted 98 yards on 11 receptions.
North Carolina went more than 41 minutes without scoring before McGill burst through the line with an open path to the end zone.
Edwards, a first-year Tar Heel, said he felt “the weight of this game” because of the importance to each university.
The Tar Heels led 17-0 after Demon June’s 4-yard run on the third play of the second quarter.
Duke began its comeback with safety Andrew Pellicciotta’s 9-yard fumble recovery return for a touchdown in the second quarter.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels managed only about 100 yards after scoring the game’s first 17 points until they marched 78 yards on their final full possession with the outcome on the line. That included a fourth-and-4 conversion from their own 28-yard line with 3:48 left when Edwards connected with Jelani Thurman over the middle for 12 yards.
“I wasn’t punting again,” Belichick said. “I wanted to take our best shot.”
Edwards said, “We had run that play a few times throughout the night.”
Duke: The Blue Devils had won eight consecutive games against in-state opponents. But just like a week earlier at Georgia Tech, they couldn’t hold on after gaining a late lead and gave up the winning touchdown inside the 2-minute timeout.
“I told the team in the locker room that there’s a good football team that’s had two very tough results,” coach Manny Diaz said.
North Carolina players rushed across the field at game’s end to reclaim the Victory Bell, which goes to the winner of the annual matchup.
“It felt amazing,” said receiver Jordan Shipp, whose 5-yard catch in the first quarter marked the game’s first touchdown. “That’s why you come to Carolina, for a rivalry game like that.”
As Belichick spoke to reporters in a small room outside the visiting locker room, sounds of the Victory Bell ringing threatened to interrupted him a few times. He already had his moment.
“I did ring, absolutely,” Belichick said. “I’m sure it’ll be out there on ‘MyFace’ or whatever.”
North Carolina: Hosts Syracuse on Saturday night.
Duke: Friday night at Virginia
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Duke's CJ Campbell (0) is hit by North Carolina's Greg Smith III (1) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
It was Shakeup Saturday in the Southeastern Conference.
The league’s highest-ranked teams — No. 1 Georgia, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas — lost as touchdown or more favorites, leaving the SEC with no unbeatens after Week 7 of the regular season.
The AP Top 25 — and College Football Playoff seeding forecasts — will soon to be shuffled, too.
It was the first time since Oct. 26, 1996, that those three heavyweights lost on the same day, according to the SEC.
The Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) had been the league’s last remaining team without a loss, but Gunner Stockton threw two interceptions and fumbled with less than a minute to play in a 27-24 stunner to unranked Auburn (4-2, 2-2). Georgia, which had won 53 in a row against unranked teams, was a 20 1/2 -point favorite in the game known as “the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.”
Alex McPherson’s 34-yard field goal on the final play sent the visiting sideline into a frenzy. It was Auburn’s first win in Athens since 2005 and the program’s first road win against the nation’s No. 1 team since winning at Florida in 1994.
“We’re just continuing to plug,” said Auburn coach Alex Golesh, whose team scored on a trick play and an amazing, one-catch. “We’re going to build Auburn back to where everybody wants it, one game at a time. Just hang with us.”
Auburn's win meant the team ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 lost in consecutive weeks for the first time since Notre Dame and Michigan in October 1990, according to Sportradar. Then-No. 1 Texas lost last week to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
That setback seemed to have a carryover effect for the Longhorns.
Arch Manning had more late-game woes against Florida. He fumbled with less than two minutes to play — a week after throwing an interception that helped Oklahoma win a week ago — and the Longhorns (4-2, 1-2) lost 27-24 at home to the Gators (5-2, 3-2). Texas was a 10 1/2-point favorite.
Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked five times as Texas lost consecutive regular-season games for the first time since 2021.
Like Auburn and Florida, No. 14 Tennessee delivered a defensive gem in the rivalry known as the “The Third Saturday in October." The Volunteers (6-1, 3-1) held Alabama to 201 yards in a 26-10 win in Knoxville, shutting down dynamic quarterback Keelon Russell and breaking out cigars for the third consecutive year.
The Vols finished with five sacks and four takeaways.
“Phenomenal performance,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said.
Alabama (5-2, 3-2) was a 7 1/2-point favorite and played without leading receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams. Fans rushed the field afterward, and the Vols will gladly pay the SEC fine.
Tennessee won despite without quarterback Faizon Brandon (shoulder). George MacIntyre filled in and got plenty of help from DeSean Bishop, who ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
It was Alabama's second straight loss.
In other SEC action, Lane Kiffin's former and current teams rolled. Kiffin and No. 22 LSU overwhelmed 16th-ranked Mississippi State 31-3. And No. 9 Ole Miss thumped 13th-ranked Missouri 31-3.
Indiana's 22-game winning streak ended in gut-wrenching fashion against No. 4 Ohio State.
The defending national champion and fifth-ranked Hoosiers looked like they were going to rally to beat the Buckeyes, but standout receiver Nick Marsh stepped out of bounds in the end zone and negated what would have been a 27-yard touchdown reception on a fourth-and-4 play in the final minute.
Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) ran out the clock from there, escaping with a 19-15 victory despite losing quarterback Julian Sayin to a right shoulder injury. Sayin left in the fourth quarter returned with his throwing arm in a sling. Coach Ryan Day said Sayin would miss “several weeks.”
It was Indiana's first loss since falling at Notre Dame in the 2024 College Football Playoff and ended a 19-game winning streak at home.
The Hoosiers (6-1, 3-1) turned the ball over twice and missed two field goals, the first one after quarterback Josh Hoover missed seeing a wide-open receiver streaking toward the end zone.
Jeremiah Smith delivered another highlight catch, this one resulting in a 38‑yard touchdown on a fourth-down play against Indiana. Smith tracked the pass from Julian Sayin and outjumped two defenders in the end zone for his 12th TD catch of the season and the 39th of his three-year college career.
Smith's latest one matched former Michigan standout Braylon Edwards for the record for most receiving touchdowns in a Big Ten career. Smith accomplished the feat in nine fewer games than Edwards.
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Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop (18) celebrates with fans after an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
