Vanderbilt’s latest home win came with plenty of drama and a few milestones attached.
The Commodores outlasted NC State 35-31 on Sept. 19, 2026, in Nashville, using a late push to finish off a 17-point comeback - the biggest rally of Clark Lea’s tenure. It also matched Vanderbilt’s largest comeback win since the program erased a 17-point deficit at Ole Miss on Nov. 10, 2012.
The finish fit right into a run that keeps growing at FirstBank Stadium. Vanderbilt has now won 10 straight at home, a stretch the program hadn’t seen since its 12-game run at then Dudley Field from 1928-30. The Commodores also improved to 3-0 for the second straight season, something they had not done in back-to-back years since the 1946 and 1947 campaigns.
The win also extended Vanderbilt’s success against nonconference teams at home. The Commodores have now taken 11 straight against nonconference opponents at FirstBank Stadium, their longest such streak since winning 10 in a row from 2015-19. And with this one, Vanderbilt earned its fourth straight victory against an ACC opponent.
The crowd matched the moment. With a sellout of 35,000, Vanderbilt has now sold out seven consecutive home games dating back to last season.
The comeback was only part of the story. It was Vanderbilt’s fifth double-digit comeback win under Lea, and the first since Nov. 8, 2025, when the Commodores erased a 14-point deficit in a 45-38 overtime win over Auburn. The game-winning touchdown also came in the final minute, something Vanderbilt had not done since Nov. 12, 2022, when it beat Kentucky 24-21.
There were more defensive and special teams fingerprints, too. A fumble recovery returned for a touchdown gave Vanderbilt a defensive or special teams score in three straight games.
On the individual side, Nick Rinaldi continued to set the pace up front. His first-quarter sack pushed him to 3.5 on the season and 13 for his career, both team highs.
Junior Sherrill had one of the biggest nights of the game, catching his first touchdown of the year on a 12-yard throw from Jared Curtis. Later, Curtis hit him for a 43-yard score, the longest pass of Curtis’ career and the longest catch Sherrill has made in 2026.
Sherrill finished with multiple touchdowns in a game for the first time since Sept. 27, 2025, against Utah State, when he scored three. The senior wideout now sits 10th in Vanderbilt history with 15 career touchdown receptions.
Makhilyn Young also found the end zone, punching in a 7-yard touchdown for the 10th score of his college career and his first of 2026.
Bryce Cowan added an interception of NC State quarterback CJ Bailey in the third quarter, his first since Nov. 4, 2023, against Auburn. It was Vanderbilt’s third interception of the season.
Sedrick Alexander rounded out the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, his first receiving touchdown of the year and the 29th total score of his career.
The game also began with Vanderbilt’s four captains - Issa Ouattara, Nick Rinaldi, Cole Spence and Makhilyn Young - representing the team for the coin toss. Vanderbilt won the toss and chose to defer.
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