Heartbreak in Nashville: Vanderbilt Stuns NC State 35-31 on Final-Second Fumble (9-19-26)
By: Darrell Owens
Headline Photo Credit: NC State Athletics
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — September 19, 2026 — NC State appeared to have survived.
The Wolfpack had built a 17-point advantage, watched Vanderbilt storm back, regained control in the fourth quarter and then intercepted the Commodores deep in NC State territory with just over a minute remaining.
All NC State needed to do was finish the game.
Instead, one of the wildest endings of the college football season turned a potential road victory into heartbreak.
Vanderbilt forced a fumble in the NC State end zone on the game’s final sequence, with Cayden Daniels recovering the loose ball for a touchdown, giving the Commodores a stunning 35-31 victory Saturday at FirstBank Stadium.
The comeback kept Vanderbilt unbeaten at 3-0, while NC State dropped to 1-2. (Vanderbilt Athletics)
Wolfpack Controls the Opening Half
NC State couldn’t have asked for a much better start.
The Wolfpack opened the scoring when Will Wilson broke loose for a 38-yard touchdown run, capping an 82-yard drive.
Quarterback CJ Bailey then connected with Keenan Jackson for a 30-yard touchdown, pushing the advantage to 14-0 before the end of the first quarter.
A 24-yard Kanoah Vinesett field goal stretched NC State’s lead to 17-0 midway through the second quarter.
Vanderbilt finally found an answer just before halftime.
Freshman quarterback Jared Curtis connected with Junior Sherrill for a 12-yard touchdown with 12 seconds remaining, sending the Commodores into the locker room trailing 17-7. (NC State University Athletics)
Jackson Has a Career Day
NC State regained its 17-point cushion in the third quarter.
Bailey found Jackson again, this time for a six-yard touchdown that gave the Wolfpack a 24-7 lead.
Jackson became Bailey’s most dangerous target throughout the afternoon, finishing with nine receptions for 102 yards and three touchdowns.
Bailey completed 25 of 37 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, although he also threw an interception.
NC State ultimately produced 446 total yards, including 280 through the air, and controlled possession for nearly 36 minutes. (NC State University Athletics)
But Vanderbilt refused to go away.
Commodores Begin Their Comeback
Makhilyn Young’s seven-yard touchdown run cut NC State’s advantage to 24-14 in the third quarter.
Then Vanderbilt struck again early in the fourth.
Curtis found Sedrick Alexander for a 10-yard touchdown, pulling the Commodores within three at 24-21.
For the first time all afternoon, NC State’s comfortable advantage was in serious danger.
The Wolfpack responded.
Bailey led a nine-play, 75-yard drive and finished it by finding Jackson for a 23-yard touchdown, Jackson’s third score of the game.
With 9:35 remaining, NC State had pushed the lead back to 31-21.
Once again, it appeared the Wolfpack had weathered Vanderbilt’s comeback attempt. (NC State University Athletics)
Curtis and Sherrill Strike Back
Vanderbilt needed less than four minutes to answer.
Curtis connected with Sherrill for a 43-yard touchdown, cutting NC State’s advantage to 31-28 with 6:18 remaining.
The freshman quarterback finished with 277 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Sherrill caught six passes for 108 yards and two scores.
Vanderbilt eventually got the ball back and drove deep into NC State territory.
That’s when the Wolfpack defense appeared to make the play that would end the game.
With 1:07 remaining, Brody Barnhardt intercepted Curtis at the NC State 2-yard line.
NC State had the football, a three-point lead and just over a minute left.
The game appeared to be over.
It wasn’t. (NC State University Athletics)
A Finish NC State Won’t Soon Forget
Vanderbilt used its remaining timeouts to force NC State into a fourth-down situation deep in its own territory.
After a delay-of-game penalty moved the football back to the 5-yard line, NC State faced fourth-and-7 with only seconds remaining.
According to head coach Dave Doeren, the plan was for Bailey to run out the remaining time and take an intentional safety.
The play never reached that conclusion.
Vanderbilt edge rusher Miles Capers forced the ball loose from Bailey near the goal line, and Cayden Daniels recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.
After review, the ruling stood.
Vanderbilt had its first lead of the entire afternoon — 35-31 — when it mattered most. (AP News)
NC State had one final desperation play following the kickoff, but it went nowhere.
Game over.
From 17 Down to Victory
Vanderbilt’s comeback was remarkable considering how completely NC State controlled the early stages.
The Commodores trailed 17-0 in the second quarter and again by 17 at 24-7 in the third. Vanderbilt then scored 28 of the game’s final 35 points.
The 17-point rally was the largest comeback of the Clark Lea era at Vanderbilt. (Vanderbilt Athletics)
Vanderbilt finished with 409 total yards, compared with NC State’s 446. The Commodores were also penalized 13 times for 116 yards but overcame those mistakes with explosive plays and a dramatic defensive finish. (NC State University Athletics)
A Painful Missed Opportunity for NC State
For the Wolfpack, this one will be difficult to forget.
NC State led for virtually the entire afternoon. The offense moved the football, Jackson delivered a three-touchdown performance and the defense appeared to have produced the game-clinching turnover.
Yet the Wolfpack couldn’t close it out.
NC State was also seeking its first road victory over an SEC opponent since 1977, but the final-second turnover extended that drought. (AP News)
The loss leaves the Wolfpack at 1-2 through three games, with both defeats coming against Power Four opponents.
What’s Next
NC State returns home to Carter-Finley Stadium to face Appalachian State on September 26, looking to rebound from one of the most painful losses in recent program history.
Vanderbilt, meanwhile, takes its perfect 3-0 record on the road for an SEC matchup against Auburn. (CBS Sports Games)
Final
Vanderbilt 35, NC State 31
NC State: 1-2
Vanderbilt: 3-0
For nearly 60 minutes, NC State did enough to put itself in position to leave Nashville with a major road victory.
But college football games aren’t over until the clock reaches zero.
On Saturday afternoon, Vanderbilt proved that in the most dramatic way imaginable.
