The Duke Blue Devils looked like they were going to get it done after getting kicked in the teeth by rival North Carolina early, but Manny Diaz's program ultimately folded late.

The Blue Devils have now suffered their second straight loss, falling 24-20 to the Tar Heels, after beginning the 2026 campaign 4-0. Just a couple of weeks ago, Duke looked like a legitimate contender at the top of the ACC, and in what feels like the snap of a finger, the Blue Devils are now 1-2 in conference play.

Once again, Duke put itself in a position to win, but allowed a late score and couldn't execute on its final drive. Here's how Duke Nation reacted to the gut-wrenching defeat.

Ugly First Quarter

The Blue Devils could not have looked much worse in the first quarter. North Carolina scored 10 quick points to jump out to an early lead and take all the momentum. Duke looked disheveled in all three phases of the game, and the Tar Heels were rolling early.

Diaz and Co. found themselves in a 17-0 deficit early in the second quarter, and North Carolina clearly looked like the better team on both sides of the ball. Duke got absolutely nothing going through the air to start the game, and the Tar Heels took advantage.

Duke Flips Script in Second Half

The Blue Devils got on the board to make the tally 17-7 heading into the halftime locker room. Duke then controlled almost the entirety of the second half to put itself in a position to win the game.

After finding themselves in a 17-0 hole, the Blue Devils went on to score 20 unanswered points to lead 20-17 with under five minutes to go. Duke has been the best second half-defense in college football in 2026, and it looked like that was going to lead it to victory against its archrival. Then, for the second week in a row, the Blue Devils crumbled late.

Carolina converted a fourth down with about three and a half minutes to go, and Jaylen McGill eventually strolled in for a 24-yard score to put the Heels in front 24-20. Duke got the ball back with a chance for a storybook ending at home, but it couldn't execute.

It was an all-around ugly contest for the Blue Devils and was exactly the opposite of what Duke fans were hoping to see coming off the program's first loss of the year.