History has a way of repeating itself, especially when it comes toN.C. State facing SEC teams.
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N.C. State (1-2, 0-1 ACC) fell to Vanderbilt (3-0), 35-31, on Saturday at First Bank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, extending its losing streak against SEC teams.
With the game on the line and Vanderbilt looking for its biggest comeback in the Clark Lea era, Brody Barnhardt what should’ve been the biggest play of the game. He intercepted Curtis’ pass at the N.C. State 2-yard line, giving the Wolfpack possession with one minute left. It looked like the game was over.
Until N.C. State quarterback CJ Bailey fumbled the football and Vanderbilt recovered it in the end zone. Comeback complete.
Bailey finished the day 24 of 36 passing for 262 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and the fumble. By most accounts, it should’ve been a good day. It wasn’t.
The Wolfpack led by as many as 17 points midway through the second quarter. Vanderbilt put together a scoring drive at the end of the first half and two straight in the second, cutting N.C. State’s lead to three points. Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis completed 33- and 38-yard passes — one on each late scoring drive — to put pressure on its ACC visitors.
Initially, that pressure didn’t get to the Pack. N.C. State put together a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter to retake a two-possession lead. Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey found Preston Douglas for a gain of 11 yards and Keenan Jackson for a 14-yard pass. Jackson made a 23-yard catch, with a defender in coverage and Bailey’s pass under pressure. His reception in the end zone put the Wolfpack back up two possessions.
When the Commodores responded again, the Wolfpack couldn’t find the end zone. N.C. State turned the ball over on downs at the Vanderbilt 31-yard line with 2:04 remaining in the game.
The Commodores marched down the field with ease only needing a touchdown to win it. It looked like things were over. Until they weren’t.
But Barnhardt’s play will be forgotten.
N.C. State opened the game with two straight scoring drives, one on a 38-yard touchdown run by backup quarterback Will Wilson and a second on a 30-yard pass from starting quarterback CJ Bailey to wide receiver Keenan Jackson.
It added to the lead with a 24-yard field goal from Kanoah Vinesett.
Jackson scored two more times — including his fourth quarter reception — to lead all players with three. The junior scored more touchdowns on Saturday than he did in each of his first two seasons. He finished the day with 100 yards on eight catches.
Here’s what we learned in the Wolfpack’s trip west.
Nashville native Jaren Sensabaugh missed nearly the entire 2025 season after sustaining a shoulder injury in the opener against East Carolina. Sensabaugh underwent surgery and rehab before he was cleared for activities in the offseason.
He appeared in the first two games of this season, with few balls thrown his direction. Sensabaugh’s best, or maybe most exciting, game came in front of his friends, family and the school to which he was once committed.
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“It means everything to me,” Sensabaugh said this week. “I’d like to thank God for the opportunity to be able to play again. Obviously, facing some adversity last year with injuries and things like that, but to be able to go home and play in front of my family who still lives there … is honestly just a blessing.”
The junior recorded N.C. State’s first tackle of the game, stopping Sedrick Alexander short of a first down. He added an interception on 3rd down and 15, forcing the first turnover for either team.
Sensabaugh added a pass breakup on the second play of the second half and played in coverage on an incomplete third down pass on the next. His efforts forced a punt, and a short field, for the Pack offense.
Punting used to be so consistent for the Wolfpack that it was easy to forget about. Any time the team needed to punt, it was almost always good for at least 40 yards.
Such was not the case on Saturday.
Arkansas State transfer Jackson Waller struggled on his first two kicks of the game. His first punt took place early in the second half and traveled 32 yards. Vanderbilt took over just shy of midfield at the N.C. State 45-yard line.
His second punt came late in the opening half and was only good for 26 yards. The Commodores, with help from White’s penalty, scored on the short field.
Waller’s best punt of the day came in the third quarter, but soared out of the end zone. The distance would’ve been great had he kicked from the 20-yard line. Instead, it put Vandy on its own 25.
N.C. State relied on former punter Caden Noonkester for three full seasons. He joined the team in 2021 as a redshirt walk on, earned a scholarship and the starting job late in the 2022 season, and became one of the program’s best punters. He recorded 6,316 punting yards — seventh in school history — and ranks third with a 42.9 yard punt average.
Starting center Spike Sowells traveled with the team to Nashville and was listed on the pregame depth chart, but he was not in uniform.
Doeren said earlier in the waak he’d likely be available.
“He’s doing great,” Doeren said Monday. “Yeah, no, he’s doing really good. Totally expect him to be ready.”
The Wolfpack sophomore left the Richmond game in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury. He did not return after the weather delay.
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