CFB Blitz: Vandy's epic finish tops early Week 3 takeaways

The weekly CFB Blitz is the spot to catch up on the most important developments from the day's action and examine their significance moving forward.

Vandy finish reminds us why CFB rules

The players in the NFL are significantly better and the games are much cleaner as a result, but we were once again reminded Saturday why there's simply nothing like college football. When 18- to 23-year-olds are relied upon to deliver under immense pressure in a stadium filled with more than 75,000 screaming fans, chaotic things can happen. That's an apt description for the finish in NC State-Vanderbilt.

The Wolfpack led almost the entire game and appeared to seal the victory by intercepting Jared Curtis on the 1-yard line with 1:04 to play. Moments later, they advanced the ball to their own 4-yard line to set up fourth-and-3 with six seconds to play. Their options: punt the ball away and force Vanderbilt to score a touchdown on the return, or run around in the end zone to kill six seconds before taking a safety to deliver a one-point win.

Turns out, there was a third option that resulted in one of the most ridiculous finishes ever seen in college football.

The Wolfpack opted for the safety, trusting quarterback CJ Bailey to kill the clock and take a knee in the end zone. However, Vanderbilt's defense somehow forced a fumble as Bailey attempted to hit the deck. The Commodores recovered, completing the Music City Miracle, Part II.

In the last 20 years, teams that held a lead and possessed the ball in the final 10 seconds were 1,046-1 entering Saturday. The Wolfpack became the second team to blow that advantage, joining 2015 Michigan as the only ones to lose in that scenario. That prior finish likely played a role in Dave Doeren's decision to give up a safety, as the Wolverines' infamous botched punt (aka "trouble with the snap") led to Michigan State's improbable victory.

Will Stein wasn't lying

Confidence doesn't run in short order for Will Stein. The new Kentucky head coach dropped a banger of a quote during SEC Media Days in July when asked why he thinks the Wildcats can be competitive in the conference.

"Because of me," the former Oregon offensive coordinator said.

Sure, it was a bold call at the time, considering Kentucky went 38-68 in SEC play during Mark Stoops' 13-year tenure. Fast forward to now and Stein has already delivered a signature moment in his first month on the job. Some upsets involve a heavy amount of luck, but Kentucky was simply the better team in all facets of the game versus Texas A&M. Stein's offense put up a hefty 7.9 yards per play, while the defense picked off Marcel Reed twice in the 31-21 win.

Saturday's victory is the latest evidence that Stein was an inspired hire, as the coaching staff clearly made productive adjustments after getting shut out in the second half last week at home versus Alabama. With Stein calling the plays and quarterback Kenny Minchey leading the offense on the field, Kentucky fans have plenty of reason to enjoy football season instead of counting the days until basketball starts.

Clemson found its QB

Ahead of Tait Reynolds' first career start, Dabo Swinney turned heads by putting the freshman quarterback's physical traits in some pretty lofty company.

"I hate to even say it, but I recruited (Tim) Tebow - so physically, he's just gifted like that," Swinney said Tuesday, per Alexander Turri of Clemson Wire.

For the first half of Saturday's game versus North Carolina, Reynolds looked more like Tebow the baseball player than the college football legend.

Afterward, Swinney himself admitted that Reynolds played poorly to that point. The Tar Heels held a 17-6 advantage at the break, marking their first halftime lead in an ACC matchup under Bill Belichick.

However, Reynolds clearly figured out some things in the locker room and became a different player the rest of the way. He guided the Tigers to four scores on five second-half drives, with Clemson outscoring North Carolina 22-3 to secure the comeback victory.

Swinney gushed about Reynolds postgame, telling the ESPN broadcast that the young QB grew up during the game's final 30 minutes. He finished 20-of-29 passing for 215 yards and a touchdown while adding 26 yards on the ground. His dual-threat capability also unlocked Clemson's running game, as the Tigers put up 186 yards on a 5.2-yard average.

Clemson still has plenty to work on, and ACC title contention seems far off, but Reynolds' emergence should at least keep the locals off Swinney's back for the time being.

Georgia owns September

Forget index funds and blue-chip stocks; the best moneymaking venture of the past 12 years is betting Georgia to start the season 3-0. With Saturday's blowout of Arkansas, the Bulldogs are now 3-0 for the 12th year in a row, setting a new FBS record during the AP Poll era. Sure, Georgia's list of opponents this season hasn't exactly been a murderer's row, but previous years have featured big-name opponents. The latest achievement is a nod to the program's remarkable consistency under Kirby Smart.

The Bulldogs are traditionally led by a dominant defense, but it's their offense that's making headlines in 2026. Georgia has put up 178 points through three games, which marks the most for the program since 1913. While the challenge ahead gets harder with Oklahoma and Alabama looming in two of the next three games, Smart's team looks to be among the SEC's elite class yet again.