Bill Belichick Praises Nate Sheppard following Week 7 matchup

The Duke Blue Devils have their first losing streak of the 2026 college football season as they now face some adversity. 

After losing on the road at Georgia Tech in Week 6, the Blue Devils were once again upset but this time by rival North Carolina who reclaimed the Victory Bell for the first time in three years. North Carolina's win over Duke was the first since the 2023 season and it sent the Blue Devils to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. 

Duke fell behind 17-0 in the first half and then trailed 17-7 at halftime. They couldn't get into any sort of groove and part of that was because running back Nate Sheppard didn't look 100 percent out there. While Duke did rally and took the lead late, they fell short in this one and it's a loss that stings. 

For Sheppard, he was a true game-time decision after popping up on the team's injury report earlier in the week. He eventually played but it was clear he wasn't 100 percent. 

Still, Sheppard had 77 rushing yards on 20 attempts, and caught 11 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. He made an impact and after the game, UNC's head coach made sure to praise him. 

Bill Belichick was asked about Sheppard in the postgame presser. He praised the talented running back and went as far as calling him the best running back in college football. There was also mention of how Sheppard got outside on UNC's defense, especially with the screen that they like to run. That's where Sheppard did some damage against the Tar Heels. 

After the praise for Sheppard, Belichick also praised Duke's team overall. He called it a good football team, the defending ACC champs, and said they deserved to be called that based on what they accomplished.

Duke will have to wait for revenge on the football field as they wont fae off against North Carolina until next year. They will be motivated to get the Victory Bell back but will have to do so by going into Chapel Hill next season. 

Up next for Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils is a trip to Virginia to take on the Cavaliers who have a 4-2 record overall and a 2-2 record in the ACC. Duke is going to need to bounce back and the health of Sheppard will certainly be in the spotlight this week.