Fans, media torch NC State after losing to Vanderbilt in unbelievable fashion
Published:
Fans and media had a predictable field day on NC State head coach Dave Doeren after his Wolfpack somehow lost Saturday when victory was just about certain.
But with NC State beating Vanderbilt, 31-28, in Nashville and just 6 seconds left, the Wolfpack had a 4th and 7 from deep in their own territory.
No problem, right? Wrong.
Instead of trying to burn the clock with quarterback CJ Bailey running around or running out of the end zone, with a 3-point lead allowing for a safety, Bailey instead ran back into the end zone and then for some reason tried to run forward instead of just going down. Naturally, he paid for his determination, fumbling the ball, and, naturally, Vandy recovered for a sort of walk-off touchdown that just couldn’t be believed unless you witnessed it in person, on TV or saw it a few hundred times on social media.
Speaking of social media, Doeren was taking heat that you also wouldn’t believe, because the longtime Wolfpack head coach turned what should’ve been a gritty nonconference road win into a 35-31 loss for the ages. NC State fell to 1-2 in insane fashion, while Vandy is now 3-0 with a Music City Miracle to call its own.
Here is just a sampling of the social media outrage in the aftermath of such an absurd ending:
Vanderbilt pulled off a miracle on Saturday, but there’s a long way to go to think about an SEC title in Nashville. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the top odds to capture that SEC championship trophy in December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
