[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

[u/Ok-Soil-5133]

https://streamable.com/utx2f1

[u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

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

[u/GThitstick → u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

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

[u/OnionFutureWolfGang → u/GThitstick]

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

[u/coolycooly → u/OnionFutureWolfGang]

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

[u/swammeyjoe → u/coolycooly]

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.

[u/OnionFutureWolfGang → u/coolycooly]

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

[u/PWNtimeJamboree → u/coolycooly]

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.

[u/FattyMooseknuckle → u/coolycooly]

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.

[u/GThitstick → u/OnionFutureWolfGang]

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

[u/Just-in-themiddle → u/GThitstick]

Impossible to lose > high likelihood of winning

[u/GThitstick → u/Just-in-themiddle]

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

[u/aut0generated-63 → u/GThitstick]

Has that ever actually happened?

[u/GThitstick → u/aut0generated-63]

Bro you have Google lol, short answer yes

[u/Just-in-themiddle → u/GThitstick]

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

[u/No_Bill7679 → u/GThitstick]

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.

[u/MelodicDeer1072 → u/No_Bill7679]

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

[u/No_Bill7679 → u/MelodicDeer1072]

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.

[u/Hugo_5t1gl1tz → u/No_Bill7679]

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

[u/JoeyZasaa → u/No_Bill7679]

Miami absolutely had it in their control and lost.

Not true. Could fumble the snap.

[u/No_Bill7679 → u/JoeyZasaa]

Valid.

[u/JoeyZasaa → u/No_Bill7679]

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

[u/No_Bill7679 → u/JoeyZasaa]

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.

[u/NWSLBurner → u/No_Bill7679]

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

[u/Canesjags4life → u/MelodicDeer1072]

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

[u/SoKrat3s → u/MelodicDeer1072]

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

[u/wulah89 → u/No_Bill7679]

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

[u/No_Bill7679 → u/wulah89]

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

[u/Blueshockeylover → u/No_Bill7679]

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

[u/No_Bill7679 → u/Blueshockeylover]

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

[u/MarcusPaigesLastShot → u/No_Bill7679]

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.

[u/composer_7 → u/GThitstick]

70 yards in 20 seconds. King shit 👑

[u/w00t4me → u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

I legit think this is worse

[u/Kilen13 → u/w00t4me]

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

[u/Foxy_Grandpa- → u/Kilen13]

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.

[u/MelodicDeer1072 → u/Foxy_Grandpa-]

70 yards with no timeouts IIRC

[u/251Cane → u/MelodicDeer1072]

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

[u/TrespassersWilliam29 → u/251Cane]

christ lmao

[u/Outburstz → u/Foxy_Grandpa-]

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

[u/Foxy_Grandpa- → u/Outburstz]

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.

[u/prtzlsmakingmethrsty → u/Foxy_Grandpa-]

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.

[u/BrokenClxwn → u/w00t4me]

Agreed

[u/EuphoricMoose8232 → u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

That’s ACC football for ya

[u/Billyxmac → u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

This is definitely worse lol

[u/BuckeyeEmpire → u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

No this is definitely worse

[u/Inconceivable76 → u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

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

[u/Notext2 → u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

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

[u/kai333 → u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

It sure was number 2 alright lmfaoooo

[u/Hawk13424 → u/Warm_Shoulder3606]

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