Vanderbilt defeats NC State 35-31 on final-play fumble recovery for touchdown, September 19

Vanderbilt defeated NC State 35-31 on the final play of the game on September 19, when NC State quarterback CJ Bailey fumbled an intentional safety attempt with one second remaining. Vanderbilt defensive end Miles Capers forced the fumble, and cornerback Cayden Daniels recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown, per CBS Sports. The play gave Vanderbilt its first lead of the day and left NC State with one second to attempt a response, which did not materialize. NC State had led 31-28 before the final play. Per CBS Sports, the plan was for Bailey to roll out, avoid contact, and protect the football before getting down. Bailey, however, did not adhere to the script. As Vanderbilt's defense closed in, according to CBS Sports, Bailey tried to buy time instead of hitting the turf. Capers dove in to force the fumble, and Daniels jumped on the loose ball. After the play, Doeren said: "It's just a play where you roll out and you don't get tackled, you try to burn as much time as you can and then fall to the ground and protect the football. He got hit and he didn't protect the football." Vanderbilt had trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half, per CBS Sports. The Commodores were down 24-7 in the third quarter and down 10 points with 9:35 remaining in the fourth quarter before mounting their comeback. Vanderbilt scored touchdowns on three straight possessions, with the longest drive lasting 3:17 and the other two using less than two minutes off the clock, per CBS Sports. The offensive disparity in the fourth quarter proved decisive. After taking a 24-7 lead, NC State's next three drives went for 10 plays, nine plays, and nine plays, respectively, according to CBS Sports. Despite those lengthy possessions, the slowest lasted just 5:55, and only one of them resulted in points. Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis, a five-star freshman, completed 227 yards and three touchdowns, per Sporting News. NC State held Curtis to just 72 passing yards, one interception, and one fumble in the first half, per CBS Sports, but the Wolfpack surrendered 202 passing yards and two touchdowns in the second half. NC State got a big interception late in the game but was immediately followed by the botched safety, per CBS Sports. Doeren characterized the loss as devastating. He said: "That's a heartbreaking ending. Should've never came down to that. It hurts when you lose a game like that when we did a bunch of good things in it." For a team seeking its first regular-season victory over an SEC opponent since 1999, per CBS Sports, the result was particularly acute. This is the worst start to a season for NC State since 2008, when they opened 1-2 with a loss to Clemson, per Sporting News. It is also the worst start of Dave Doeren's tenure in Raleigh, per Sporting News. Vanderbilt improved to 3-0, with the second 3-0 start of coach Clark Lea's tenure in Nashville, per Sporting News. NC State fell to 1-2. The Bottom Line: NC State will turn to Appalachian State next, seeking immediate recovery. Whether Doeren's staff can move past what he described as a coaching failure (the intentional safety call) or whether the loss signals deeper fourth-quarter execution problems will shape the remainder of the Wolfpack's season. GoCheckMySports reports events. It never advises bets. Nothing here is betting or gambling advice.