College football reacts as Vanderbilt football stuns NC State on botched safety
USA Today • • sports
Key Points:
- In a Week 3 college football game, NC State led Vanderbilt by three points with six seconds left and faced a fourth-and-7 from their own 4-yard line, choosing to run an offensive play instead of punting.
- The plan was for NC State quarterback CJ Bailey to run out the clock and take an intentional safety to secure a one-point victory, but the play backfired when Vanderbilt forced a fumble and scored a touchdown with one second remaining.
- Vanderbilt won the game 35-31, completing a dramatic comeback after trailing by 17 points in the third quarter, with freshman quarterback showing strong performance in his first start.
- NC State coach Dave Doeren confirmed the intentional safety strategy but acknowledged the failure to protect the football led to the unexpected loss.
- The game ended in a rare upset, as teams leading with the ball in the final 10 seconds had an almost perfect record over the past 20 seasons prior to this game.
