Vanderbilt secured a stunning 35-31 victory over North Carolina State on Saturday at FirstBank Stadium, capped when Miles Capers forced a fumble from quarterback CJ Bailey in the end zone and Cayden Daniels recovered it for a touchdown with just one tick remaining on the clock.
College football delivers improbable finishes with alarming frequency, but few match the frantic final moments witnessed in Nashville. Trailing for nearly the entire afternoon after falling into a 17-point hole, Vanderbilt pulled off a dramatic comeback that culminated in one of the wildest botched plays in recent memory. The win lifts the Commodores to a 3-0 record just as SEC play arrives, while leaving North Carolina State to pick up the pieces at 1-2 after letting a comfortable lead slip away.
The Botched Safety and Final-Second Meltdown in Nashville
The sequence that decided the game began after North Carolina State intercepted Vanderbilt freshman quarterback Jared Curtis at their own 2-yard line with just over a minute to play. With the Wolfpack holding a narrow 31-28 advantage, head coach Dave Doeren elected against punting to avoid any potential disasters. Instead, the team called for an intentional safety, instructing Bailey to run around in the end zone and kneel on the ball to drain the remaining time.
Rather than dropping immediately, Bailey tried to buy extra time. That hesitation proved fatal. Vanderbilt EDGE Miles Capers jarred the rock loose, and cornerback Cayden Daniels pounced on the loose ball in the end zone for the game-winning score. FirstBank Stadium erupted in disbelief as the scoreboard ticked down to one final second.
“It was supposed to be a play where you roll out and not get hit. Plan was just to take a safety and protect the football. We made enough plays for 59:59 of this game.”
Dave Doeren, North Carolina State head coach
Doeren made no secret of the gut-wrenching nature of the defeat during his postgame comments. That’s a heartbreaking ending,
Doeren said, noting that the contest should’ve never came down to that.
Despite the frantic finish, the Wolfpack controlled large stretches of the afternoon before unraveling in the game’s final quarter.
How North Carolina State Built and Lost a 17-Point Lead
For the first three quarters, North Carolina State executed its game plan effectively. The visitors scored on three of their opening four possessions to build an early 17-0 lead, later extending that margin to 24-7 with 8:52 remaining in the third quarter. Another score pushed the advantage to a 10-point lead with 9:35 left on the clock.
Yet the offense stalled out when it mattered most. Lengthy possessions failed to chew up enough clock, and the Wolfpack managed only one scoring drive during a stretch where Vanderbilt’s defense bent without breaking. Junior quarterback CJ Bailey put together an otherwise stellar individual stat line, totaling 310 yards of offense with 275 passing yards and three touchdowns alongside one interception. Wide receiver Keenan Jackson proved nearly unstoppable, hauling in nine catches for 102 yards and all three of Bailey’s scoring strikes. Still, none of those positive contributions could erase the final turnover.
Jared Curtis and the Commodores’ Resilient Second-Half Charge
Vanderbilt’s path to victory required navigating a rocky start from its freshman signal-caller. Making his first career start after splitting time with senior Blaze Berlowitz in the opening two weeks, Jared Curtis struggled early. The five-star prospect threw an early interception that functioned essentially as an arm punt and later coughed up a fumble on a keeper.
The narrative flipped before halftime as Curtis found his rhythm. He finished the day completing 20 of 34 passes for 277 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions while adding 64 yards on the ground. Wideout Junior Sherrill provided a crucial downfield spark, catching six passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including a 43-yard strike that narrowed the deficit to 31-28 late in the fourth quarter.
“We talk about every blade of grass on defense, and, literally, that’s every blade of grass,”
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt head coach
“I think you’ve got to credit North Carolina State. They played the better football today, but we had enough at the end there to get it close and to put pressure on them, and it was going to take every second of the clock.”
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt head coach
Sixth-year head coach Clark Lea praised his squad’s persistence after the final whistle, highlighting a defensive effort that contested every inch until the final whistle blew in Nashville.
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