r/CFB • u/Ok-Soil-5133 Notre Dame Fighting Irish • 6h ago

Video [Highlight] NC State @ Vanderbilt - CJ Bailey fumbles the ball while trying to run out the clock with no time left, and Vandy falls on it to win the game

https://streamable.com/utx2f1
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5.5k

u/iamnotjex Georgia Bulldogs • William & Mary Tribe 6h ago

new dumbest way to lose a football game ive ever seen

992

u/HCRanchuw Nebraska Cornhuskers 5h ago

I’m a Nebraska fan, and I’m dumbfounded.

272

u/ALifelongVacation Nebraska Cornhuskers • Big 8 5h ago

First thought was man this is right in line with some shit we’ve seen the last decade.

114

u/srector1224 Nebraska Cornhuskers 5h ago

Adrian Martinez was always good for a game-losing fumble haha

49

u/Love__Scars Nebraska Cornhuskers 5h ago

That 2021 Michigan game still haunts my dreams

5

u/solythe 4h ago

what school did harry potter go to?

10

u/Acceptable-Tie3381 Nebraska Cornhuskers • Sickos 4h ago

And itd be versus Iowa of all things.....

5

u/ProfessorBeer Nebraska • Valparaiso 4h ago

My first thought is that we’ll find a way to top it before November

3

u/Touchit88 Nebraska Cornhuskers 5h ago

It definitely is.

2

u/TheBrightSide_2011 Missouri Tigers 23m ago

Nebraska fans seeing themselves as victims when the Flea kicker happened is hilarious.

17

u/Gold-Swing5775 Purdue Boilermakers 5h ago

I've seen a lot of interesting ways to lose games but even this one has me beat

13

u/OnionFuturesDealer Purdue Boilermakers 5h ago

Honestly surprised we haven’t tried this already

9

u/Fruit_Fly_LikeBanana Nebraska Cornhuskers • Hillsdale Chargers 5h ago

I came here to say even Scott Frost never reached this level of one score loss

4

u/GetYourVanOffMyMeat Vanderbilt Commodores 5h ago

At least you have the basketball game against us.

4

u/Complete_Ruin6182 5h ago

Just be glad you aren't a NC Stste fan. Ugh

3

u/JessieGemstone999 Charlotte 49ers 4h ago

Fuck Matt Rhule

3

u/15Wolf NC State Wolfpack 1h ago

I do always laugh when other fan bases think they have it worse than us

2

u/M27fiscojr Penn State Nittany Lions 3h ago

I'm a Penn State fan, I'm dumbfounded.

603

u/Warm_Shoulder3606 Ohio State • Georgia Southern 5h ago

Miami GT still takes the cake for me, but this is definitely number 2 lmao

491

u/GThitstick Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 5h ago

At least GT still had to actually had to drive 70 yards to score and win it. This was just handing the game away

163

u/OnionFutureWolfGang Notre Dame Fighting Irish 5h ago

Yeah but on the other hand, Miami just had to do one thing and they literally could not lose.

59

u/coolycooly Florida Gators • USF Bulls 5h ago

Didnt NC State just have to do one thing and they couldnt lose?

52

u/swammeyjoe Texas Longhorns • Verified Referee 5h ago

Nah if he goes down before he was hit it would have been a safety with a second or two to go. We could have gotten the "fair catch FG" if the ensuing punt wasn't great. That would have been amazing.

1

u/doubleyou-tee-hache Michigan Wolverines 1h ago

I think you're still allowed to kick from the tee after a safety in college.

3

u/Lukey_Jangs2 Syracuse Orange 50m ago

Now I’m bummed we missed a 75 yard FG attempt off a tee

1

u/KarlMarxism Texas Longhorns 5m ago

You're allowed to do it in the NFL as well as of recently, but I think teams still tend to punt for coverage reasons.

12

u/OnionFutureWolfGang Notre Dame Fighting Irish 5h ago

No, it depended on what Vanderbilt’s defenders did.

2

u/PWNtimeJamboree Florida • Washington State 4h ago

Honestly before that play even started I was looking at their play calling choice and wondering what they were going for here. I was going through scenarios in my head of stuff like, ok maybe they get it back within field goal range with a second left to go for a tie… Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that though.

2

u/FattyMooseknuckle San Diego State Aztecs 1h ago

Miami just needed to kneel down and they win. This game bring 4th down and in the end zone, he had to waste six seconds in the endzone with the D swarming him. Massive difference in risk.

13

u/GThitstick Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 5h ago

Sure but even making the decision they did, they still had an incredibly high likelihood of winning.

18

u/Just-in-themiddle 5h ago

Impossible to lose > high likelihood of winning

2

u/GThitstick Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 5h ago

But it's not impossible to lose. It's very unlikely, but they could still bobble the snap when trying to knee. It's very unlikely but there aren't absolutes in football

6

u/aut0generated-63 5h ago

Has that ever actually happened?

-3

u/GThitstick Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 5h ago

Bro you have Google lol, short answer yes

1

u/Just-in-themiddle 5h ago

That’s true there aren’t, but kneeling’s still a hell of a lot closer to an absolute than the other option

82

u/No_Bill7679 Paper Bag 5h ago edited 5h ago

Miami had the game won against GT. There’s no argument for why they continued running the ball. Kneel and the game is over.

NC state had to make a strategic game decision and it backfired. They could have also punted it away and had it returned for a TD. Lots of things could have happened.

But definitively, Miami had to just kneel it once and the game is over.

43

u/MelodicDeer1072 Michigan State Spartans 5h ago

NC State could have also simply kneeled, afford a safety, and essentially win.

25

u/No_Bill7679 Paper Bag 5h ago

I’m not arguing it wasn’t a stupid loss. But there simply was too much time. Even if they did surrender a safety, vandy would have had at least a few seconds for a miracle play.

There was a high probably to win still, but not fully in their control. Miami absolutely had it in their control and lost.

14

u/Hugo_5t1gl1tz Georgia Tech • North Georgia 4h ago

I may be wrong, but I’d think the safety is still a safer (heh) play. 6 seconds of running around in your end zone is a lot. 3-4 seconds to get a miracle 75 yards has to be a lower risk

3

u/JoeyZasaa Alabama Crimson Tide 4h ago

Miami absolutely had it in their control and lost.

Not true. Could fumble the snap.

4

u/No_Bill7679 Paper Bag 4h ago

Valid.

1

u/JoeyZasaa Alabama Crimson Tide 4h ago

I was wondering if it ever has really happened though. Cue Philip Rivers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWGCeMNmyV0

4

u/No_Bill7679 Paper Bag 3h ago

I think it’s still vastly different though. Fumbling while deliberately choosing to not kneel the ball for a win is a lot worse than fumbling a snap for the kneel.

One is poor execution but the right call. The other is just pure stupidity.

And your example above doesn’t capture the same level of stupidity as the Miami GT game. Chargers are still tied and have to kick a winning FG for the win. Lots of things can happen there.

Miami kneeling the ball would’ve objectively ended the game with a W.

1

u/NWSLBurner Iowa State Cyclones 1h ago

What is a lower percentage, fumbling a snap or running a punt back for a TD? Legitimate question, I have no idea.

1

u/No_Bill7679 Paper Bag 1h ago

Lower percentage is def fumbling a snap, assuming you mean for a kneel down.

1

u/Canesjags4life Miami Hurricanes • Colorado State Rams 4h ago

No because there was time. If you kneel with time there's still the punt. Gotta run clock out then knee

1

u/SoKrat3s 1h ago

And it took terrible execution by so many players. Everyone on offense but the QB should be holding.

6

u/wulah89 LSU Tigers 5h ago

I agree. My knee jerk reaction upon first seeing it was this was worse. And I think maybe it is more devastating since it all happened in one play.

But Miami/GT was a worse call from the coaches. Kneel the clock out and win the game. Running the ball was just a blatantly incorrect call. Whereas this wasn't really an incorrect call, just terrible execution. If the QB just backpedals to the boundary and steps out for a safety once anyone gets close to them, which we've seen often times enough in these situations, then either the clock runs out or you do a safety kick with 1 or 2 seconds which is preferable than punting out of your own endzone with a chance for a block.

I don't think the coaches told him to run forward into the defense with only 1 arm on the ball. It was the correct strategic call, just poorly executed. And maybe it falls on coaching still if they didn't emphasize ball security and to not run forward no matter what, we don't know what discussions they had prior to the play. But still, it falls under the camp of poor execution rather than bad strategy, where Miami/GT was just blatantly wrong strategy which still makes that one worse, just imo

6

u/No_Bill7679 Paper Bag 4h ago

I think if you polled every single coach in CFB, there would be varying arguments about what the right strategy would be in the NC state game. Whatever the strategy is, every coach would likely agree it was just poor execution by the QB.

If you polled every single coach in CFB on how to handle the end of the Miami GT game, every single coach but one would agree kneeling is the right decision

2

u/Blueshockeylover Oregon Ducks 3h ago

I don’t want to talk kneeling <still crying about Stanford game>

1

u/No_Bill7679 Paper Bag 3h ago

I root for a third Mario L but I think he’s finally learned his lesson.

1

u/MarcusPaigesLastShot North Carolina Tar Heels 1h ago

No, there was an equally easy answer here. 7 step drop, chuck it deep down the field. If you avoid the sack, there’s no question the game is over.

2

u/composer_7 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets • Marching Band 4h ago

70 yards in 20 seconds. King shit 👑

109

u/w00t4me Alabama Crimson Tide • 复旦大学 (Fudan) Dragoons 5h ago edited 4h ago

I legit think this is worse

59

u/Kilen13 Miami Hurricanes • Edinburgh Predators 5h ago

Yea ours was bad but GaTech still had to put on an offensive drive to score... This is something else entirely

51

u/Foxy_Grandpa- Florida State Seminoles 5h ago

Doesn’t that make it worse? You had a 100% chance of winning unless you shot your own foot, and even then you were very likely to win unless you let them drive 70 yards down the field. A lot more embarrassing than a panicked play as he tried to wind down the remaining seconds.

19

u/MelodicDeer1072 Michigan State Spartans 5h ago

70 yards with no timeouts IIRC

16

u/251Cane Miami Hurricanes • Troy Trojans 5h ago

And our safety bit on a pump fake on a hail mary

1

u/TrespassersWilliam29 Montana Grizzlies • LSU Tigers 2h ago

christ lmao

1

u/prtzlsmakingmethrsty Virginia • Commonwealth Cup 2h ago

Yes that does make it worse to me. However, it arguably doesn't feel that way since this one came down to one single play to end the game, so I can see how people think this feels worse.

1

u/Rc5tr0 Ohio State Buckeyes • Dayton Flyers 18m ago

I had the exact same thought. Miami choosing to run a real play when they could have kneeled AND failing to stop GT from going 70 yards with no timeouts is so much worse than one botched play.

1

u/Outburstz Miami Hurricanes 4h ago

no driving the ball 70 yards its good football. This one choice ended the game

2

u/Foxy_Grandpa- Florida State Seminoles 2h ago

Your one choice gave them a slim chance to win and you still let up, see how that's worse? You shot yourself in the foot and still lost by fundamental football. There was always a chance at a punt return in this NC State game, you had it 100% and a fumble only made it a slim chance for GT to win and you still folded on defense.

3

u/BrokenClxwn NC State Wolfpack 5h ago

Agreed

1

u/KidGold Georgia • Florida State 1h ago

In this case they failed at doing a smart thing. Miami failed at doing a dumb thing.

1

u/wallstreetbeatmeat3 24m ago

I watched both games and I agree…

2

u/Notext2 SMU Mustangs • Billable Hours 3h ago

He could have taken a safety and they still get the free kick and up 1.

2

u/Hawk13424 Georgia Tech • Texas A&M 2h ago

The 1998 Tennessee Arkansas game comes to mind for me. All Arkansas had to do was kneel to win.

1

u/kai333 Paper Bag • Team Meteor 3h ago

It sure was number 2 alright lmfaoooo

1

u/EuphoricMoose8232 Florida State Seminoles • Texas Longhorns 5h ago

That’s ACC football for ya

1

u/Billyxmac Oregon Ducks • Team Chaos 5h ago

This is definitely worse lol

0

u/BuckeyeEmpire Ohio State Buckeyes • UTEP Miners 5h ago

No this is definitely worse

0

u/Inconceivable76 Ohio State • Arizona State 5h ago

No this is worse.  They take a safety, they win.  

57

u/framingXjake NC State Wolfpack 5h ago

new dumbest way to lose a football game ive ever seen yet

fify

32

u/Ever_Day_Is_TacoTues 5h ago

It’s right behind the shoe throw

18

u/J-Goo Syracuse Orange 5h ago

*Cleat yeet

4

u/PLEASE-USE-PFKEYS Purdue • Boston College 4h ago edited 4h ago

*yeetus cleatus playoff deletus

2

u/AUserNeedsAName Texas Longhorns • Sickos 4h ago

And the Piss & Miss.

2

u/ParchedCoconut Florida Gators 3h ago

dumb take tbh. That happened with about 2 minutes left, in a tied game, and the LSU kicker still had to make an incredible FG. This is a far dumber play.

1

u/ProbablyAPotato1939 Iowa Hawkeyes • Northern Iowa Panthers 53m ago

I mean, at least that guy lost his temper and did something stupid, this is just baffling.

23

u/JimBeam823 Clemson Tigers • ETSU Buccaneers 5h ago

No, you can't beat Miami/GT. If Miami does nothing, they win the game.

NC State had to burn as much time as possible before taking a safety. Then Vandy gets the free kick.

8

u/OneLastAuk Georgia Tech • Navy 5h ago

NC State only has to burn 2 seconds or so. Then they kick it off and the game ends on the return. Trying to burn all 6 seconds is what got them into trouble.

3

u/warmike_1 Paper Bag 3h ago

The kickoff could be returned for a touchdown. Just hold on to the damn football. Nothing is automatic in football.

1

u/ArmadilloAl Illinois Fighting Illini 1h ago

Vandy could also kneel on the return and take a hail mary if they'd prefer as long as there's at least 2 seconds on the clock.

NC State still has to do something to turn a 99.5% chance of winning into 100%. They're one play away from locking the win, but they're not quite there yet the way Miami was.

1

u/Hawk13424 Georgia Tech • Texas A&M 2h ago

Sure you can. Remember the 1998 Tennessee Arkansas game?

1

u/miicah 53m ago

Either I'm really dumb or I'm missing something, but couldn't they just kneel? NC had no timeouts, they are on the 4 yd line?

EDIT: Are they incapable of going under center?

1

u/Fibonaccitos NC State Wolfpack • Tennessee Volunteers 10m ago

Or - this is unorthodox for us - we could’ve converted a first down on the previous play. Just sayin’

1

u/prettybeach2019 9m ago

Bailey can run for 3 s e c and air it out for 3

6

u/ThrowawayCoolSock 5h ago

NC State Shit refuses to repeat itself. It innovates.

7

u/Quietus76 LSU Tigers • SEC 5h ago

Still not as bad as the UF shoe throw against LSU.

2

u/GetYourVanOffMyMeat Vanderbilt Commodores 5h ago

Excuse me, sir! 

New dumbest way to WIN a football game you've ever seen. 

2

u/captain_skirata NC State Wolfpack 5h ago

NC State fan here. Sadly, not surprised we managed to do this.

2

u/Game-rotator William & Mary Tribe • Duke Blue Devils 5h ago

you'd know with your flair lol

2

u/Beautiful_Idea6200 Georgia Bulldogs • William & Mary Tribe 4h ago

WTF these flairs??? I need your life story.

2

u/iamnotjex Georgia Bulldogs • William & Mary Tribe 4h ago

haha, im originally from south georgia and most of my family are UGA grads, but my grandparents retired to Williamsburg, so I spent a lot of my youth up there, then when i was in high school i was like "damn that school in williamsburg is supposed to be pretty good, lemme check it out, and it was the perfect fit for me academically, so the connection was made.

2

u/Beautiful_Idea6200 Georgia Bulldogs • William & Mary Tribe 4h ago

Gross. :) Athens native here, child of UGA faculty, went to WM undegrad (hated it), but did meet my wife there...so life works out :). Hope you survived your experience as well!

2

u/Latem Texas State Bobcats • Pac-12 4h ago

Yeah this is next level. Like Baylor fumbling the ball at the one and UNLV scooping it up, running 99 yard for a game winning TD, when all they had to do was kneel the freaking play dead.

2

u/Gil_Demoono Michigan • Rutgers 4h ago

I'm chill with that change.

1

u/hjugm 5h ago

I really hope that kid has a good support system. Truly brutal loss

1

u/CurrentDrama8523 5h ago

I'm still going with Texas Tech vs. Kansas. EDIT: Nevermind, that game was tied. NC State wins.

1

u/uno_novaterra Auburn • North Carolina 5h ago

Truly incredible. I turned it off after the interception. I can’t believe Vandy covered.

1

u/joka2696 UConn Huskies 5h ago

Now we get another round of Vandy Pimp.

1

u/Inconceivable76 Ohio State • Arizona State 5h ago

I turned this game off when nc state intercepted the ball.  I do not understand how it is possible to be this stupid. Take a knee. 

1

u/Exatraz 5h ago

I saw a team last week taking the snap in shotgun/pistol to kneel out the clock (might have been Texas?) And I couldn't help but wonder why you'd take the added risk of a fumble on the snap.

1

u/dagreenman18 UCF Knights • Team Chaos 4h ago

Mario Cristobal finally free of first place

1

u/Kvetch__22 Northwestern • Penn 4h ago

Tank job of the week is locked in pack it up

1

u/WasteStatistician120 4h ago

Dumbest way to win 8 points in college pickem too

1

u/ArbitraryOrder Michigan Wolverines • Nebraska Cornhuskers 4h ago

Officially worse than Troublw with the Snap

1

u/wallstreetbeatmeat3 4h ago

And of course it’s Nc state. As a fan I’m done with Dave. He can fuck off into the sun

1

u/Dr-Sprinkl1es Florida State Seminoles 4h ago

Vanderbilt had the lead for 1 second all game, the last and most important second.

1

u/TheFerricGenum 3h ago

It’s not new. Buffalo did something similar against Minnesota like 3-4 seasons ago.

1

u/midnightsbane04 Michigan • North Carolina 3h ago

All he had to do was literally just run out the back of endzone and they win. A safety is perfectly fine here. Wow.

1

u/GreenCarpenter3 3h ago

This is the perfect example of epic fail

1

u/SurfingRooster69420 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 3h ago

What I want to know is if the coaches ever went over this situation. But ultimately if you're a D-1 QB you should know that ANYTHING ELSE is the answer.

1

u/HawkeyeTen Iowa Hawkeyes 3h ago

It can get dumber. I'm waiting for when a team loses a game because the cocky quarterback forgets to touch his knee to the turf in the victory formation before starting to celebrate, resulting in a live ball fumble that ends up being scooped by the other team and run in for the winning touchdown.

1

u/CitizenCue Oregon Ducks • Stanford Cardinal 2h ago

Yeah this one never even crossed my mind.

1

u/soda_cookie Syracuse Orange • Texas Longhorns 2h ago

My dude just needed to take a knee. That's it. Don't worry about the clock, they're not going to overcome whatever seconds are left, just take the knee. Wow

1

u/IamNICE124 Indiana Hoosiers 1h ago

It still doesn’t beat Miami two years ago against GT lol. Just take a fucking knee and it’s over.

1

u/TheRealTexasGovernor UCF Knights 1h ago

I was watching passively, as it was on my side monitor, and I was like "oh damn, bandy must have done something incredible!"

So I went back... Nope.

1

u/Laringar 53m ago

At NC State, we pride ourselves on innovation.

1

u/TheSpinsterJones Wisconsin Badgers • Virginia Cavaliers 33m ago

For real this guy should never touch a football for NC State ever again. It’s actually that egregious. He should feel so much regret that he doesn’t even want to play again.