The Aporia · NC State blows game in most brutal fashion with last-second fumble

NC State blows game in most brutal fashion with last-second fumble

Read the original at New York Post ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Botte, P. (2026, September 19). NC State blows game in most brutal fashion with last-second fumble. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/19/sports/nc-state-blows-game-in-most-brutal-fashion-with-last-second-fumble/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

In a shocking turn of events, NC State fumbled the ball in its own end zone while trying to run out the clock, leading to a loss against Vanderbilt with just seconds remaining in Nashville on Saturday. The game ended 35-31 after the Commodores recovered the fumble and scored a touchdown. Despite NC State’s early lead of up to 17 points in the first half, Vanderbilt mounted a comeback by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter alone.

Written by AI on 2026-09-20, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On October 7, Vanderbilt staged an improbable comeback against N.C. State in Nashville, winning 35-31 after a critical fumble at the end of the game. N.C. State had led by as many as 17 points early and controlled much of the contest, including having the ball with six seconds left and a three-point lead. Instead of taking a knee or intentionally grounding the ball to take a safety, quarterback CJ Bailey attempted to run out the clock but fumbled, with Vanderbilt’s Cayden Daniels recovering for a touchdown. This occurred despite Vanderbilt being down 17-0 early in the game and 24-7 in the third quarter. The loss marks one of the most stunning collapses in recent college football history, as teams were statistically expected to win nearly all such situations over the last two decades.

Written for “Vanderbilt Ncs Victory Fumble” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

0 of 12 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Sports

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Peter Botte

40 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 He couldn’t put any weight on his left leg as he was helped onto the cart.

2026-10-18 · assertive framing · Ref gets carted off with injury during Jaguars-Texans game in London

🔮 “The Conference will conduct a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week’s games.

2026-10-18 · assertive framing · Wild BYU-Notre Dame finish marred by double controversy on last play

🔮 Manning couldn’t pull it out at home, as No. 7 Texas lost its second straight game, a mistake-filled 27-24 loss to unranked Florida in Austin.

2026-10-17 · assertive framing · Arch Manning’s late fumble caps second straight brutal outing as Texas rally fails in loss to Florida

🔮 We have a thing called the Suns’ DNA, the type of player that we believe in, that we want, and it’s a team that the fans will be proud of.

2026-10-17 · assertive framing · Kevin Durant viciously claps back after Suns owner expresses regret over trading for star

🔮 Gabby Williams has led the Valkyries to the WNBA Finals in their second year of existence, but the veteran forward isn’t reciprocating the love she’s been getting from the media after feeling slighted earlier in her nine-year professional career.

2026-10-17 · assertive framing · Valkyries’ Gabby Williams lashes out at WNBA media treatment of her after team’s success

🔮 The investigation will establish how it originated and who knew about it.”

2026-10-17 · mixed framing · NAIA college football players arrested, suspended for alleged assault of teammate

🔮 Troy Aikman could be headed into free agency in both of his NFL-affiliated jobs.

2026-10-17 · mixed framing · Uncertainty hangs over Troy Aikman’s job with Dolphins as possible ESPN split looms

🔮 Harrison, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Ohio State, had been informed by the Cardinals that he would be traded after he’d expressed unhappiness with his reduced role in the offense.

2026-10-11 · assertive framing · Texans finalize trade for Marvin Harrison Jr. from Cardinals after days of mystery

🔮 The banged-up Eagles (2-3) had grabbed a one-point lead on a 48-yard field goal by Jake Elliott with eight seconds remaining, but they could have nursed the clock down further before the kick.

2026-10-11 · assertive framing · Nick Sirianni takes blame for costly Eagles decision in crushing loss to Jaguars: ‘I lost us that game’

🔮 Jayden Daniels will be back in the lineup Sunday against the Giants, but there are reportedly medical concerns about reinjury to the Commanders quarterback.

2026-10-11 · assertive framing · NFL doctors fear Jayden Daniels destined for another elbow injury

Also by Peter Botte

Ref gets carted off with injury during Jaguars-Texans game in London

2026-10-18 · New York Post

Wild BYU-Notre Dame finish marred by double controversy on last play

2026-10-18 · New York Post

Arch Manning’s late fumble caps second straight brutal outing as Texas rally fails in loss to Florida

2026-10-17 · New York Post

Kevin Durant viciously claps back after Suns owner expresses regret over trading for star

2026-10-17 · New York Post

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 40 articles by Peter Botte →

Narrative

Claims (12 extracted, 0 hedged)

The Wolfpack haven’t made a colossal mistake like this since “The Hangover” trilogy. asserted

Wolfpack → make → trilogy

N.C. State fumbled in its own end zone while attempting to run out the clock and stunningly lost a 35-31 decision to Vanderbilt on the second-to-last play of the game in Nashville on Saturday. asserted

State → fumble → Saturday

After Brody Barnhardt picked off Commodores quarterback Jared Curtis at the goal line with barely one minute to play, N.C. State had the ball at its 2-yard line and a 3-point lead with the chance to run out the clock. asserted

State → pick → clock

They ran three plays to get time down to six seconds, but rather than punt on fourth down from the back of the end zone, Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey took a shotgun snap and tried to scramble around long enough for time to expire. asserted

time → run → snap

If Bailey held the ball and took the safety, N.C. State still would have been ahead, 31-30. asserted

State → hold → safety

Instead, he coughed up the ball following a strip by edge rusher Miles Capers. asserted

he → cough → Capers

The fumble was recovered by Vandy cornerback Cayden Daniels for the game-winning touchdown and a wild on-field celebration. asserted

fumble → recover → field

N.C. State led by as many as 17 points in the first half, but Vanderbilt scored 21 in the fourth quarter to cap the comeback. asserted

Vanderbilt → lead → comeback

“We talk about every blade of grass on defense, and, literally, that’s every blade of grass,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said in his on-field postgame interview. asserted

Lea → talk → interview

“I think you’ve got to credit North Carolina State. asserted

you → think → State

They played the better football today, but we had enough at the end there to get it close and to put pressure on them, and it was going to take every second of the clock. asserted

it → play → clock

“So I’m proud of the resilience of my team.” asserted

I → ’m → team

NC State blows game in most brutal fashion with last-second fumble

Quick Summary

AI analysis

Story

Compared with similar articles

Signals How these are calculated →

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Publisher

Who wrote this

Topics

Subjects

Narrative

Claims (12 extracted, 0 hedged)