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Vanderbilt Hero Miles Capers Takes Incredible Story Into SEC Opener Against Auburn
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- Vanderbilt Hero Miles Capers Takes Incredible Story Into SEC Opener Against Auburn
Miles Capers probably couldn't have imagined a better way to become one of the biggest stories in college football.
The Vanderbilt defensive end didn't score a touchdown last Saturday against NC State . He didn't make a game-winning field goal. He didn't even initially realize exactly what had happened.
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He simply refused to quit on a play.
With Vanderbilt seemingly headed for defeat and NC State attempting to kill the final seconds by retreating into its own end zone, Capers chased quarterback CJ Bailey . Instead of giving up on the play, Capers punched the football free.
Cayden Daniels recovered it in the end zone.
Touchdown Vanderbilt.
Game over.
The Commodores had somehow turned almost certain defeat into a 35-31 victory, and Capers had created a moment Vanderbilt fans won't forget anytime soon.
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Now comes the next chapter. Capers and the undefeated Commodores travel to Auburn on Saturday for their SEC opener, carrying one of college football's best early-season stories into Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Miles Capers Became Vanderbilt's Unlikely Hero
The beauty of the play wasn't simply what happened. It was who made it happen.
Capers is a senior who has stuck with Vanderbilt through the difficult parts of the program's rebuild. Coach Clark Lea has spoken highly of what Capers represents inside the program, and the veteran defender has emerged as an important piece of a defense creating havoc this season.
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Capers enters Saturday with five tackles for loss, a total that ranks among the SEC leaders. But nothing on his resume will be remembered quite like what happened against NC State.
Vanderbilt had trailed by 17 points. The Commodores didn't take their first lead until there was one second remaining.
All Capers had to do was give up on the final play, and Vanderbilt loses.
He didn't.
"I've never been part of a game like that," Lea said afterward.
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Capers' teammates knew exactly who had saved them. The celebration continued from the field into the locker room, with the veteran defender suddenly at the center of one of the wildest wins in program history .
Vanderbilt Takes Its Feel-Good Story to Auburn
There isn't much time to celebrate. Vanderbilt enters Saturday 3-0 for the second consecutive season, something the program hadn't accomplished in back-to-back years since 1946 and 1947.
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The Commodores will face an Auburn team that is 2-1 and looking to rebound in SEC play. Vanderbilt has also had success against the Tigers recently. The Commodores have won two straight in the series, including a 17-7 victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2024 and a 45-38 overtime win last season.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
For Capers, it will be the next game after the play that changed his season.
One punch at the football.
One second remaining.
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One unforgettable Vanderbilt victory.
And now an opportunity for the Commodores' newest hero to help his team make another statement.
Related: NC State Just Lost to Vanderbilt in the Most Embarrassing Way Possible
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
