Duke football survived a heavyweight battle with Clemson, taking the Tigers down at Death Valley for a heavyweight statement win.

Clemson loses to Duke for yet another home loss after a wild end to the game and a questionable pass interference call.

In the last four decades, Duke has seen football success on occasion. Coaches Steve Spurrier and Fred Goldsmith enjoyed productive years; David Cutcliffe won 10 games and a division title; Mike Elko rode success with the Blue Devils to his current post at Texas A&M.

Duke pulled off a dramatic 46-45 upset over Clemson at Memorial Stadium, marking its first win in Death Valley since 1980. The Blue Devils trailed late but mounted a final-minute comeback, capped by Nate Sheppard’s short touchdown run and a two-point conversion from Darian Mensah to Shamir Hagans with just 40 seconds remaining.

Instead, the call was defensive pass interference. Duke scored a touchdown on the next play, then converted a 2-point conversion, and its defense held for a 46-45 win. The call will be a talking point for sure. The Clemson defensive back and Duke receiver were tangled up basically the whole route.

The spotlight is on quarterback Cade Klubnik, who’s listed as probable. The senior missed the SMU game after being deemed questionable but is trending in the right direction following the high ankle sprain he sustained against Boston College.