CJ Bailey, the NC State quarterback head coach Dave Doeren called a potential “best in the country” this summer, coughed up an intentional safety attempt this past Saturday, turning a sure upset victory at Vanderbilt into a gut-wrenching 35-31 loss with just one second left on the clock. This wasn’t just any game, either: the Wolfpack were on the cusp of their first road win against an SEC opponent since 1977. Forty-nine years of waiting, gone in a split second.
The Play Call That Broke Hearts
Picture this: NC State is up by three points. There are only six seconds left on the clock, and the ball is at their own 5-yard line. The plan was brilliant, or so it seemed: Bailey was supposed to take an intentional safety, giving Vanderbilt two points, but killing the clock and securing the win. Lose two points, still win the game. It’s a classic football maneuver, designed to avoid any possibility of a turnover or a punt block when time is that tight.
Except, that’s not what happened. When Bailey was in the end zone, he absorbed a hit, and then, the unthinkable: he fumbled the rock. Vanderbilt’s Miles Capers jarred the ball loose, and Cayden Daniels was right there to recover it in the end zone for the winning touchdown. One second. That’s all it took to flip a historic victory into one of college football’s most head-scratching blunders.
Bailey Speaks Out: “I Was Just Trying To Compete”
Speaking for the first time since that stunning defeat, Bailey took full accountability. “I just was trying to get all the clock out,” he told reporters. “That was my thought.” He admitted the biggest issue was protecting the ball. “And I was just trying to run around, make a play, being competitive, like that’s who I am, I’m a competitive guy. I was just competing to the final second.” He added, “It happens. I fumbled the ball. I’m gonna pick myself up and keep going.”
Coach Doeren, visibly distraught postgame, described the sequence as one “that breaks your heart more than anything.” He clarified the play call: “It’s just a play where you roll and you don’t get tackled. You try to burn as much time as you can and then fall on the ground and protect the football. And he got hit, and he didn’t protect the football.” Doeren emphasized there was “no intent to run the football and get hit on that play.” Bailey himself acknowledged “a lot of communication” with the coaches, but admitted they “worked the play a couple times but never in that situation. That was my first time ever in that situation.”
Bailey undoubtedly has playmaker potential, throwing for three touchdowns and totaling 310 yards of offense that day. But his resolve is squarely under the microscope now. The junior is tasked with bouncing back from a moment that snatched a truly monumental victory away. He has to pick himself up, because the rest of the season depends on it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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