Vanderbilt just snatched a miraculous 35-31 victory from NC State on Saturday, and you gotta see this to believe it. The Commodores, who went into the season with tempered expectations, were down 24-7 before storming back. This wasn’t just any comeback though, it was sealed on an insane, last-second fumble recovery in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up.
Jared Curtis Rallies, Then Almost Blows It
True freshman QB Jared Curtis was making his first career start, and it showed early on. Vanderbilt fell behind 17-0 and then 24-7, with their first touchdown not even coming until the waning seconds of the first half. Curtis struggled to get going, but once he did, the game got interesting. He ended up throwing for 264 yards and three touchdowns, plus rushing for 64 yards. He even cut NC State’s lead to just three points twice in the fourth quarter.
Then, with just over a minute left, it looked like the game was over. What should have been at least a game-tying field goal attempt turned into a Curtis interception in the red zone. NC State had the ball, the lead, and the clock almost gone. They used Vanderbilt’s timeouts and even took a delay of game penalty, running the clock all the way down to six seconds remaining.
The Fumble That Flipped Everything
On fourth-and-3 from their own 5-yard line, it seemed like the Wolfpack were going to take an intentional safety to run out the clock and win 35-33. But NC State QB CJ Bailey decided at the last second not to take a knee, perhaps seeing a couple seconds still on the clock. That indecision led to a fumble, and Vanderbilt recovered it for the go-ahead touchdown! The sideline cleared out, everyone thinking it was over, but officials put one second back on the clock. That second didn’t matter, and Vanderbilt walked away with the improbable win.
This wild victory moves Vanderbilt to 3-0 on the season. They didn’t even lead on Saturday until there was one second left. What a way to keep hope alive in 2026!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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