Nate Sheppard’s 3-yard TD, Duke’s 2-point conversion stun Clemson 46-45

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Duke coach Manny Diaz did not want to chance overtime at Clemson’s Death Valley. His team made sure he wouldn’t have to.

Nate Sheppard had a 3-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds left and Duke followed with a two-point conversion from Darian Mensah to Shamir Hagans to win at Clemson for the first time since 1980 with a 46-45 victory Saturday.

“Going extra innings at Death Valley isn’t really a good plan,” Diaz said.

Winning in regulation somewhere you hadn’t in 45 years? “This is a major step for our program,” Diaz said.

The Blue Devils (5-3, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 45-38 and started the game-winning drive on their 6-yard line. Mensah led an 11-play drive in which he converted two fourth downs to set up Sheppard’s TD run.

There was no hesitation from Duke’s Diaz who kept the offense on the field and Mensah quicky found Hagans for the decisive points.

It was a quirky game of dramatic momentum swings. Duke looked unstoppable in gaining 199 yards in the first quarter to lead 21-7. But Clemson woke up with three straight TDs to lead 28-21. The Tigers looked in control again with six minutes left until Duke’s final drive.

“We just stayed poised and showed our confidence,” Mensah said.

It was another low moment in a terrible season for Clemson (3-5, 1-4), the defending ACC champions and a trendy pick to win Dabo Swinney’s third national title. The Tigers have lost four home games for the first time since 1998.

They’re on pace for Swinney’s worst season since 2010 when the Tigers were 6-7 and the coach thought his time at the school was done. Instead, he won eight ACC titles and national championships after the 2016 and 2018 seasons.

“I feel like I’m in 2010 all over again,” Swinney said.

After Duke took the final lead, the Tigers tried a desperation, pass the ball to anyone open play as the clock ran out. When Duke finally stopped the play, the sidelines jumped into joyous celebration. After all, it had been more than four decades since the football Blue Devils had left Death Valley with a victory.

Mensah finished with 361 yards passing and a career-best four touchdown passes.

Clemson piled up the yards and points, too — 560 yards and its most points this season — but could not get the critical stops to avoid a third straight home loss.

Cade Klubnik, in his first game back since getting injured against Boston College last month, passed for 385 yards and two touchdowns for Clemson.

Receiver Antonio Williams caught 10 passes for 139 yards, running for one score and catching another.

Likely NFL first-round defensive lineman Peter Woods added a 1-yard rush off a direct snap for Clemson.

Clemson linebacker Wade Woodaz said this season has made him sick. “It’s not like we’re not practicing. It’s not like we’re not working,” he said. “It hurts.”

The takeaway

Duke: The Blue Devils pulled out all the stops to snap a 15-game losing streak here. They finished 5-of-5 on fourth downs, four of those coming in the first half. Hagans also had a 100-yard kickoff return score in the third quarter.

Clemson: Things can’t get much lower for the Tigers, on the verge of their worst season of Swinney’s 17 full seasons. They play Florida State next week and have road games at Louisville and rival South Carolina.

In the ACC mix

Duke’s late rally kept the Blue Devils in the hunt for a spot in the league’s title game next month. Coming off a loss to Georgia Tech two weeks ago, the Blue Devils could’ve fallen out of the hunt. Instead, they are assured of bigger games ahead.

Duke football landmarks

The Blue Devils won their fifth straight ACC road game, something they had not done since a stretch from Sept. 1961 through Sept. 1963. Duke had lost 15 straight games at Death Valley since its last win in 1980.

Up next

Duke goes to UConn on Saturday.

Clemson plays its final ACC home game against Florida State on Saturday night.

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