Where Vanderbilt's stunning win over NC State ranks among the craziest endings since 2000

A look at some of the wildest endings in college football this century, after Vanderbilt performed a Music City miracle of its own on Saturday

Sep 19, 2026 at 6:24 pm ET • 3 min read

All NC State quarterback CJ Bailey had to do was take a knee or throw the football away with a three-point lead in the final seconds Saturday afternoon at Vanderbilt.

Instead, Bailey was sacked-and-stripped in the end zone with one second to play, lifting the Commodores to an improbable 35-31 victory over the Wolfpack. For a team hoping to post its first win over an SEC opponent in the regular season since 1999, the result was a gut punch for NC State and a jubilant locker room for unbeaten Vanderbilt.

"It's just a play where you roll out and you don't get tackled, you try to burn as much time as you can and then fall to the ground and protect the football," NC State coach Dave Doeren said in defeat. "He got hit and he didn't protect the football."

Going back to 2000, this was the craziest ending we can recall, and it highlights our list of the wildest endings this century.

1. Bedlam in Nashville

Vanderbilt 35, NC State 31 (2026)

In the end, a late interception from freshman quarterback Jared Curtis was not the nail in the coffin for the Commodores. Bailey's failure to burn the final seconds backfired on the Wolfpack and left NC State coach Dave Doeren nearly speechless after his team led for 59 minutes and 59 seconds in Nashville, only to lose. The Commodores trailed 24-7 in the third quarter and were down 10 points midway through the fourth before managing to pull off the unthinkable.

2. Kick-Six

Auburn 34, Alabama 28 (2013)

This special teams touchdown to win the Iron Bowl remains one of college football's most unforgettable finishes. With one second remaining, Alabama's Adam Griffith attempted a 57-yard field goal that fell short of the uprights, shortly after Nick Saban had pleaded for another tick on the clock. 

Auburn's Chris "There Goes" Davis caught it 9 yards deep in the end zone and raced 109 yards down the sideline, sending Jordan-Hare Stadium into a frenzy and stunning the defending national champions. The victory clinched the SEC West for Auburn and continued a magical season under first-year coach Gus Malzahn. It became the defining moment in rivalry history for the Tigers.

3. Bluegrass Miracle

LSU 33, Kentucky 30 (2002)

Fortunate for him, Nick Saban was on the winning end of one of these wild finishes after the Tigers' game-winning Hail Mary as time expired in Lexington. With thousands of Kentucky fans lining the entirety of the sidelines, LSU quarterback Marcus Randall launched a desperation heave from his own 26-yard line downfield that somehow landed in the hands of Devery Henderson beyond the secondary. 

4. Disorder in Durham

Miami 30, Duke 27 (2015)

Seconds away from beating the Hurricanes after a late fourth-quarter touchdown, Duke kicked off nursing a 27-24 lead. What ensued was a jaw-dropper -- eight successful laterals and a Miami pileup in the end zone for an improbable walkout victory for the Hurricanes. Corn Elder was on the receiving end of the final pitch and catch and sprinted 91 yards down the sideline, making a move at Duke's 45-yard line to finish it off.

5. Statue of Liberty

Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (2007)

One of college football's all-time greatest upsets, considering the national stage, the underdog came through in dramatic fashion after Broncos quarterback Jared Zabransky faked a throw and slipped the ball behind his back to Ian Johnson. Johnson, who proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend after the game, raced untouched for a successful two-point conversion in overtime. The fearless call from Chris Petersen was an all-timer and came after Boise State forced the extra session with a hook-and-lateral score.

6. 'Trouble with the Snap'

Michigan State 27, Michigan 23 (2015)

This ending left ESPN's Sean McDonough out of breath as the Spartans stunned the Wolverines with 13 fourth-quarter points, the final play coming on a special-teams snafu by the home team. Michigan punter Blake O'Neill fumbled the ball attempting to boot one deep to seal the game, and Michigan State scooped it up, racing to the opposite end zone for the game-winning score as time expired.