Vanderbilt scores last-second touchdown as NC State's intentional safety fails

Vanderbilt rallied to a 35-31 victory over North Carolina State in the final seconds of a Week 3 matchup in Nashville. With six seconds left and a three-point lead, NC State faced fourth-and-7 on its own four-yard line and chose to run a play designed to have quarterback CJ Bailey take an intentional safety, which would have ended the game in a one-point win for the Wolfpack. Bailey dropped back in the end zone, but Vanderbilt defender Miles Capers forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive back Cayden Daniels for a touchdown. The extra point gave Vanderbilt the win with one second left on the clock.

The result marked a rare instance of a team losing a game while leading with under ten seconds remaining; the last similar occurrence was Michigan State's upset of Michigan in 2015. NC State head coach Dave Doeren explained the strategy, saying,

"It's just a play where you roll out and you don't get tackled and you try to burn as much time as you can and then fall to the ground and protect the football. He got hit and didn't protect the football."

Vanderbilt, coached by Clark Lea, had rallied from a 17-point deficit earlier in the game, trailing 24-7 in the third quarter and later 31-21 with just over six minutes left. Freshman quarterback, the top recruit in the 2026 class, completed 277 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, and added 64 rushing yards in his first career start.