Vandy pulls off a last-second miracle to beat NC State.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt was able to complete an incredible last-second fumble recovery to complete their 17-point comeback against NC State 35-31 on Saturday. This past weekend's matchup in Nashville was wild, to say the least. Vanderbilt was able to over come there faltures throughout the game and stole the game from NC State at the buzzer. It's safe to say everyone who was in attendance at FirstBank Stadium was left in disbelief when NC State went out of their own endzone for the win.
The Wolfpack started off hot on the Commodores and took a 17-0 lead late into the second quarter. A 38-yard rush by Will Wilson gave NC State an early lead. Quarterback CJ Bailey was also able to throw a touchdown to Wide Receiver Keenan Jackson to extend the lead even further. CJ Bailey continued to dissect the Vanderbilt defense while Freshman quarterback Jared Curtis was battling some growing pains and threw an interception and fumbled the ball on two early drives.
Vanderbilt would come away with a score before halftime, but the Wolfpack came out firing in the third quarter to increase their lead to 24-7. Bailey and Jackson were clicking as the day came to a close; Jackson ended the night with 102 receiving yards and 3 touchdown receptions. Vanderbilt would fight back with Jared Curtis finding his groove in the second half, completing passes for 277 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running Back Makhilyn Young also found the end zone for a vital second-half touchdown.
With the Vanderbilt defense getting more aggressive towards the end of the game, they were able to take the lead to within three points at 31-28. Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis would throw an interception deep in NC State territory with not much time on the clock. This play seemed to put the game away, as NC State now had all they needed to run out the clock and take the W home to NC State.
They couldn't have been more wrong. NC State QB CJ Bailey would run into the end zone to run out the last seconds of the game or take the two-point safety. Unfortunately for NC State, Vanderbilt D-Line player Miles Capers came around and stripped the ball from CJ Bailey's grasp. Vanderbilt Defensive Lineman Cayden Daniels picked up the ball in the endzone as the clock ticked away. Vanderbilt completed the extra point to take the lead by four over the Wolfpack.
In the blink of an eye, NC State lost an easy victory with less than a second left on the clock. The play they thought would kill the clock gave Vanderbilt a miracle comeback. Head coach Clark Lea keeps the Commodores unbeaten after week three of the season. NC State will learn from this and hopefully come away from the game with some good notes. Vanderbilt comes away with a big win to kick off SEC play.
Image Credit: Yahoo Sports
