POSTGAME NOTES
--/RV Vanderbilt Commodores vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack | Nashville, Tenn. | Sept. 19, 2026
Vanderbilt 35, NC State 31
TEAM NOTES
- Vanderbilt’s four captains – Issa Ouattara, Nick Rinaldi, Cole Spence and Makhilyn Young– represented the Dores for the coin toss
- Vanderbilt won the toss and elected to defer
- With a sellout crowd of 35,000, Vandy has sold out seven consecutive home games dating back to last season
- The 17-point come-from-behind victory marks the largest under head coach Clark Lea
- It is Vanderbilt’s largest comeback win since erasing a 17-point deficit at Ole Miss on Nov. 10, 2012
- The Dores post their fifth double-digit come-from-behind victory under head coach Clark Lea and the first since Nov. 8, 2025, against Auburn, when they erased a 14-point deficit in the 45-38 overtime win
- The Commodore win earned the fourth-straight victory against an ACC opponent
With the fumble recovery for a touchdown, Vanderbilt has now had a defensive or special team touchdown in three-straight games - With the victory, Vanderbilt has won ten home games in a row for the first time since winning 12-straight games at then Dudley Field between 1928-30
- Vanderbilt has now started a campaign at 3-0 for the second-straight season, marking the first time since the 1946 and 1947 campaigns
- The Commodores have won 11-straight games against nonconference teams at FirstBank Stadium, marking the program’s longest winning streak at home against nonconference opponents since winning 10 straight from 2015-19
- The Dores scored the game-winning touchdown in the final minute of the game for the first time since Nov. 12, 2022, when Vanderbilt posted a 24-21 victory at Kentucky
PLAYER NOTES - Nick Rinaldi’s first quarter sack gives him 3.5 on the year and 13 for his career, both of which lead the team
- Junior Sherrill hauled in his first touchdown of the year, a 12-yard pass from Jared Curtis. The senior wideout now ranks 10th in Vanderbilt history with 14 career touchdown receptions
- Bryce Cowan picked off NC State’s CJ Bailey in the third quarter, his first interception since Nov. 4, 2023, against Auburn. It’s the Dores’ third interception of the year
- Makhilyn Young punched it in from 7 yards out for the 10th touchdown of his collegiate career and first of 2026
- Sedrick Alexander caught a 10-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, his first receiving touchdown of the year and the 29th total score of his career
- Curtis’ 43-yard touchdown pass to Sherrill was the longest pass of Curtis’ career and the longest reception for Sherrill in 2026
- Sherrill scored multiple touchdowns in a game for the first time since Sept. 27, 2025, vs. Utah State, when he scored three