NC State chooses intentional safety in final seconds against Vanderbilt
With 6 seconds left and facing fourth-and-7, NC State head coach Dave Doeren ordered an intentional safety rather than attempting a punt or a quarterback kneel, ending the game 24-21.
NC State held a 24-7 lead over Vanderbilt in the third quarter, but Vanderbilt rallied to within a field goal late in the fourth. With just over a minute remaining, Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis drove the ball to NC State's 16-yard line and threw an interception at the two-yard line. Vanderbilt retained two timeouts, forcing NC State into a fourth-and-7 situation with six seconds left.
Faced with limited options, the Wolfpack could have punted, taken an intentional safety, or attempted a quarterback kneel. Coach Dave Doeren elected to take the safety. The plan involved quarterback CJ Bailey rolling out in the end zone, allowing the clock to run down before deliberately downing the ball.
The decision left NC State with a one-point lead after the safety, and the game concluded without further scoring.