Vanderbilt’s Miracle Win Over NC State Rivals Western Michigan-Michigan for Last-Second Finish of the Year
All NC State had to do was kill the clock, and it’d be able to celebrate a nailbiting 31–28 win over Vanderbilt in Nashville.
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That outcome, as it turned out, was for an alternate universe. In this one, the Wolfpack delivered one of the most absurd finishes in college football history.
The scene: fourth-and-7 for NC State on its own 5-yard line with six seconds to play. Wolfpack CJ Bailey-statistically sharp all day with 264 yards and three touchdowns through the air-took the snap and rolled to his right.
The logical play? Take a knee, eat the safety and roll the dice on the overwhelming likelihood of free-kick success (which coach Dave Doeren said postgame was the plan). In the heat of battle, however, logic was nowhere to be found.
In an instant, NC State lost a heartbreaker
As he rolled right in the end zone, Bailey hesitated and behaved as if cornered. Defensive end Miles Capers-who began his career with the Commodores all the way back in 2021, coach Clark Lea’s first season-swatted the ball free, and cornerback Cayden Daniels pounced on it.
Touchdown, Vanderbilt-which had earlier trailed 17–0.
A NEW MUSIC CITY MIRACLE!
Six seconds from a defeat, the unthinkable happens, and Vandy wins pic.twitter.com/ZDlDnQHv9i
– ESPN (@espn) September 19, 2026
As the Commodores celebrated, officials convened and put one second back on the clock. Vanderbilt nailed the extra point and kicked off to the Wolfpack, giving its opponent one final play. Bailey dropped back and completed a short pass to wide receiver Keenan Jackson, but the laterals that ensued melted into a fumble recovery by Commodores cornerback Jordan Matthews.
With the win, Vanderbilt moved to 3–0 thanks to the kind of bounce that tended to go against the Commodores in days past (they’ll visit Auburn next). NC State, on the other hand, will head home to try and right the ship against Appalachian State.
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Precedent for NC State’s loss from multiple perspectives
The off-the-wall finish-and the fact that it needed an extra second to finalize-immediately invited comparisons to Michigan’s 13–12 win over Western Michigan on Sept. 5. No need for the Wolfpack to file an appeal, however-they only have themselves to blame.
ESPN noted that the game was only the second instance in the last 20 years of a team leading with the ball in the final 10 seconds and losing. The first instance also involved the Wolverines-their infamous muffed punt against Michigan State in 2015.
In terms of clock mismanagement, ex-Baylor coach Kevin Steele and Miami coach Mario Cristobal can empathize with Doeren. In 1999, Steele opted to run the ball deep in UNLV territory rather than kneel out the clock on a 24–21 win (running back Darrell Bush fumbled and watched in horror as Rebels defensive back Kevin Thomas returned it for a touchdown). In 2023, the Hurricanes similarly fumbled where they should’ve taken a knee, and Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King threw a go-ahead 44-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left.
That Bailey was supposed to go down will be cold comfort for NC State fans. The Wolfpack had a golden opportunity to recover from their blowout season-opening loss to Virginia, and not only failed to capitalize, but did so in a way that will be remembered for years to come.
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This story was originally published September 19, 2026 at 6:11 PM.
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