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WATCH: Vanderbilt Turns NC State Mistake Into Miraculous Game-Winning Touchdown

NC State was in position to beat Vanderbilt, until its quarterback made one disastrous decision.
James Parks|
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

College football may have just invented another way to lose a game. And to win one.

Seemingly about to lose its first game of the season on Saturday, instead Vanderbilt pulled out a miraculous 35-31 victory over NC State after completing a wild and improbable finish by taking advantage of a mistake by the Wolfpack’s quarterback.

How Vanderbilt beat NC State in the last second

With six seconds left and leading by three points, NC State attempted an intentional safety in their own end zone with CJ Bailey mulling around inside the end zone to run out the clock. That is, until Vanderbilt intervened with an unforgettable play.

Vandy’s Miles Capers forced a fumble from Bailey near the goal line, and Cayden Daniels recovered it for the Commodores in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. It was the only time all day Vanderbilt had a lead.

NC State was in position to win

Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis, making his first career college football start, was intercepted at his own 2-yard line, and all the Wolfpack had to do was run down the clock six seconds to seal a win.

Facing a fourth down, NC State coach Dave Doeren didn’t want to risk any mistakes punting the football away, so he allowed CJ Bailey to run around in the end zone and take a knee for an intentional safety.

But as the Commodore tacklers circled, Bailey sought to buy more time instead of hitting the ground. That decision was the critical mistake that allowed Vandy to force a fumble and jump on the loose ball.

Rough start for Vanderbilt turns into a miracle

Curtis came into his first start as a former five-star recruit, but the Commodores offense struggled under his leadership, trailing the Wolfpack by a 17-0 count in the second quarter after the quarterback had an interception and a fumble working behind a shake offensive line.

He improved as the game went on, making several impressive throws despite working in a shrinking pocket, leading Vanderbilt to come within 3 points near the end of regulation. And while his turnover near the goal line nearly spelled disaster, his defense and one big NC State mistake bailed him out.

The win propelled Vanderbilt to a 3-0 overall record as it prepares to embark on SEC play, while NC State dropped to 1-2 after a loss it will never forget.

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

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