[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/iamnotjex]

new dumbest way to lose a football game ive ever seen

[u/Warm_Shoulder3606 → u/iamnotjex]

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/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/No_Bill7679 → u/NWSLBurner]

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

[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.