Miles Capers turned the game on its head in the final seconds Saturday, forcing a loose ball at the goal line and helping Vanderbilt escape with a 35-31 win over NC State at sold-out FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.
The Commodores trailed by 17 more than once and spent all but one second of the afternoon chasing the Wolfpack, but they still found a way to move to 3-0 for the second straight season. It also gave Vanderbilt its 11th straight home nonconference win and delivered the biggest comeback of the Clark Lea era.
The finish came down to one desperate snap for NC State. With six seconds left, the Wolfpack faced fourth-and-7 at their own 5-yard line and tried to run out the clock while holding a 31-28 lead.
Quarterback CJ Bailey hovered near his own end zone before his knees hit the turf, and Capers punched the ball loose. Cayden Daniels then recovered it in the end zone for the winning touchdown with one second remaining.
That erased a 17-point hole, matching Vanderbilt’s first comeback from that size deficit since the 27-26 win over Ole Miss on Nov. 10, 2012.
NC State opened fast and controlled much of the first half, jumping ahead 14-0 in the first quarter and then extending the margin to 17 with a field goal midway through the second. Vanderbilt finally got on the board just before halftime when Curtis hit Sherrill on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds left in the second quarter.
The Wolfpack pushed the lead back to 17 on Keenan Jackson’s touchdown catch with 8:52 left in the third quarter, but Vanderbilt answered quickly. Tristen Brown made a career-long 33-yard catch to set up Mahkilyn Young’s rushing touchdown, trimming the deficit to 24-14 only two minutes later.
Early in the fourth quarter, Sedrick Alexander got the Commodores within three. NC State responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive to go back up by 10 with 9:35 remaining, and Curtis connected with Sherrill again on a 43-yard touchdown. That was the second multi-touchdown game of Sherrill’s career.
Vanderbilt’s defense then delivered the stop it needed, forcing NC State to come up empty on fourth down in Commodore territory. The Wolfpack still had one last chance after an interception inside the 5-yard line with a little more than a minute left, but the final sequence belonged to Capers and the Dores.
Vanderbilt finishes its three-game homestand and opens SEC play at Auburn on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
In Other News...
Miles Capers Revealed How Vanderbilt's Wildest Play Even Happened
Miles Capers is still talking about the kind of snap that can change a season, the one that began with Vanderbilt sending out a field-goal block call and ended with a forced fumble and a game-winning touchdown. In the aftermath, Capers walked through how the play unfolded from his side, including the surprise of the call and the scrambling that came with trying to execute it cleanly in real time.
For a program that has spent plenty of Saturdays searching for a breakthrough, the moment carried extra weight because it showed how quickly a defensive swing can flip the mood around a team. Capers said it mattered for the group moving into SEC play, too, where Vanderbilt will need that same edge, attention to detail and belief that even a chaotic snap can become something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Clark Lea Just Put Vanderbilt's Defense On Notice Before Auburn
Clark Lea didnt spend much time softening the blow after Vanderbilts defensive showing against NC State. The Commodores gave up too much yardage and too many explosive plays, and Lea made it clear during his press conference that the problem wasnt just one bust or one bad drive. With Auburn next up in the first SEC game of the season, Vanderbilts coach pointed to the need for cleaner structure and sharper communication if this group is going to hold up against a heavier conference challenge.
The focus now turns to whether the Commodores can turn that message into something tangible on Saturday. Leas standard is straightforward: keep explosive touchdowns off the board and make Auburn settle for field goals when drives get into scoring range. For a Vanderbilt defense that has already been put on notice, the opener offers an immediate chance to show the issues from last week were a warning, not a pattern. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts SEC Opener Hinges On One Crucial Offensive Return
Cole Spences status has become one of the more important early-week storylines for Vanderbilt as it gets ready for its SEC opener against Auburn. Clark Lea said the tight end is day-to-day and will be listed as questionable, a notable update for a player the Commodores were counting on to help anchor the offense after Eli Stowers departure.
Spences injury trace goes back to before the season opener, and his availability has been a recurring concern. Even so, Vanderbilt still views him as a piece who can shape what the offense looks like in league play, which is why his progress this week carries more weight than the usual injury note. [Read more 🡒]