NC State quarterback CJ Bailey had one job: take a knee or throw the ball away with a three-point lead and one second left on the clock. Instead, he got sacked and stripped in the end zone, handing Vanderbilt an improbable 35-31 victory this past Saturday. It was a brutal gut punch for the Wolfpack, a team that had led for an agonizing 59 minutes and 59 seconds in Nashville, only to fall apart in the most spectacular fashion possible.
Bailey’s Blunder in Music City
The Commodores, an unbeaten squad, celebrated a jubilant locker room after their stunning comeback. They had clawed their way back from a 24-7 deficit in the third quarter and were still down 10 points midway through the fourth. Freshman quarterback Jared Curtis even threw a late interception that *wasn’t* the nail in their coffin. Instead, it was Bailey’s catastrophic failure to protect the football that sealed NC State’s fate. Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren, understandably, was nearly speechless after the loss. “He got hit and he didn’t protect the football,” Doeren said simply. This result denied NC State their first regular season win over an SEC opponent since 1999, making the collapse even more painful.
Among the Craziest Endings This Century
This Vanderbilt stunner immediately launched itself to the top of the list for craziest college football endings since 2000. It’s got company with some absolute legends, though. You know the ones. Right up there is the “Kick-Six” from 2013, when Auburn beat Alabama 34-28. Alabama’s Adam Griffith tried a 57-yard field goal with one second left, and Chris “There Goes” Davis of Auburn caught it nine yards deep in the end zone, racing 109 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Jordan-Hare Stadium went wild, and Auburn clinched the SEC West, stunning the defending national champions in a moment that became defining for the rivalry.
Then there’s the “Bluegrass Miracle” from 2002. LSU, then coached by Nick Saban, pulled off a 33-30 victory over Kentucky on a game-winning Hail Mary. LSU quarterback Marcus Randall launched a desperation heave from his own 26-yard line as time expired. Talk about wild finishes!
Vanderbilt’s win isn’t just another game; it’s right there in the conversation with some of college football’s most unforgettable and shocking conclusions. You just have to wonder how long NC State fans will be thinking about that final second.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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