Vanderbilt football wild finish vs NC State was miracle after performance | Estes
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Rapid reaction from Vanderbilt’s stunning 35-31 win over NC State at FirstBank Stadium:
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Talking Points
- In one of the wildest finishes you'll ever see, Vanderbilt beat NC State by recovering a fumble in the end zone with one second remaining as Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey was trying to run out the clock on a three-point victory. After an extensive replay review, Bailey's fumble was upheld. Cayden Daniels was given credit for recovering the fumble, and Miles Capers for forcing it. This was Vanderbilt's first lead of the afternoon. Unbelievable.
- Meanwhile, the Jared Curtis show is only just beginning at Vanderbilt. He wasn’t quite able to lead Vanderbilt back from an early 17-point deficit on his own. A goal-line interception in the final moments appeared to save the victory for NC State. In moments like those, Curtis looked like a true freshman making his first start. He also turned the ball over twice in the first three possessions. Other times, though, he looked like the best player on the field. Curtis was easily the most encouraging aspect of this game for the Commodores. He improved as the game progressed, finishing 20-of-34 for 277 passing yards and three touchdowns while also running for a team-high 64 yards.
- After a couple of lackluster opening victories, Vanderbilt got a chance to find out how it stacked up against the first Power Four opponent on its schedule. And … honestly ... much of this game wasn’t great. From the start, NC State looked faster, stronger and better prepared. Too many penalties and defensive lapses by Vanderbilt helped create that early deficit, and then the defense allowed a couple of second-half touchdowns. The Commodores were lucky in the end. Very, very, very lucky.
- We’ve been focusing so much on Vanderbilt’s quarterbacks that we’re not discussing how much an underachieving offensive line is hindering this offense. The Commodores were flagged for five holding penalties during the first half of this game, creating plenty of down-and-distance issues for Curtis. It’s a growing problem that this O-Line isn’t doing enough for running backs Sedrick Alexander and MK Young. That duo was supposed to be a strength of this team.
- Vanderbilt’s defense allowed a pair of easy touchdowns on the Wolfpack’s first two possessions. Quarterback Will Wilson was all by himself when he turned a third-and-short plunge into a 38-yard touchdown run, and receiver Keenan Jackson didn’t have a Vanderbilt defensive back near him for a 30-yard touchdown to beat busted coverage.
Key number
101 – The heat index in Nashville at kickoff time, and it would only climb higher during the game. The punishing heat clearly impacted the turnout of fans (and students) at this game. For those who did opt out, I mean, could you blame them? As for the players, these weren’t ideal conditions to have to fight back all afternoon from an early deficit.
Where Vanderbilt vs NC State game turned
The comeback nearly happened without the late fumble. Vanderbilt was driving to tie or take the lead when Curtis went for too much, trying an unwise pass that was intercepted near the goal line by safety Brody Barnhardt with 1:04 remaining. But that play happening on the goal line led to the game-deciding fumble.
What I liked
Given how this was going in the first half, Vanderbilt could’ve been blown out by NC State. It wasn’t because of its quarterback. Curtis isn’t there yet, obviously, but you can already see the talent and potential. He’s already a difference-maker for a Vanderbilt team that needs more around him.
What I didn’t like
Vanderbilt has two of the better running backs in the SEC, and you’d never know that by watching this game. These Commodores must be able to run the football to have a chance offensively. That starts up front, and the O-Line simply isn’t getting it done. Not enough push. Too many penalties. If the best Vandy can muster offensively is Curtis scrambling around, evading rushers and trying to make something happen on the fly, some ugly losses await in SEC play.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at [email protected] and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt football wild finish vs NC State was miracle after performance | Estes