Vanderbilt 38, North Carolina State 24
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Vanderbilt didn't move the ball much, but used a 5-0 advantage in turnovers as well as some timely offensive plays, as the hometown Commodores beat N.C. State, 38-24, on New Year's Eve in the Music City Bowl.
The Commodores managed just 225 yards of total offense, but took advantage of great field position to turn three of those five turnovers into 17 points. Three came on interceptions off Wolfpack quarterback Mike Glennon.
VU senior quarterback Jordan Rodgers also came up big when it mattered, throwing touchdowns to Chris Boyd and Jordan Matthews and also adding a rushing score of his own.
Rodgers' rushing touchdown came with 5:11 remaining, and gave the Commodores an insurmountable 38-17 lead at the time. The victory gave the Commodores (9-4) their first bowl win since the 2008 Music City Bowl, and their first nine-win season since 1915.
Most of the action came in the first half. The Wolfpack (7-6) outgained VU 187-151 in offensive yards at the break, but trailed 28-14 mostly because of four turnovers.
Vanderbilt converted Kenny Ladler's interception into a 6-yard touchdown run by Zac Stacy, and an Eric Samuels pick later resulted in an 18-yard pass from Rodgers to Matthews.
Vanderbilt also had a 5-yard toss from Rodgers to Boyd on the game's first drive, and Wesley Tate's 7-yard, second-quarter scoring run. The throw to Boyd was a highlight-reel grab, with the junior making a one-hand grab while getting a toe inbounds just before going out of the side of the end zone.
State got its first-half points on a 1-yard run by Tony Creecey, and a 94-yard kickoff return by Tobias Palmer.
Glennon threw a touchdown to Reshard Smith with 2:06 remaining as part of a 35-of-53, 383-yard, one-touchdown day. Vanderbilt's Carey Spear hit a 30-yard field goal, and the Wolfpack's Niklas Sade booted one from 24, accounting for the only other points of the second half.
Vandy's Stacy, the school's all-time leading rusher, finished with 25 carries for 107 yards.
