Nashville, Tenn—-Can you say Vandy or giant slayer. The Vandy football team walked of the team with a different swaggart hugging each other and high-fiving anyone that what in sight.
Fans of the Vanderbilt Commodores stormed the field, celebrating by tearing down a goalpost, carrying it out of the stadium, and ultimately tossing it into the Cumberland River. Their joy was sparked by a historic win over No. 1 Alabama, marking a significant moment for their team.
Sedrick Alexander rushed for two touchdowns, Randon Fontenette scored on a pick-six, and Diego Pavia outshone Heisman contender Jalen Milroe as Vanderbilt shocked Alabama with a 40-35 victory on Saturday, securing their first-ever win against a top-ranked opponent.
Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1 SEC) had been 0-60 against AP top-five teams, the longest such drought in the poll era, but they ended that streak with a series of game-changing plays. It was their first on-field victory over Alabama in 40 years, breaking a 23-game losing streak. This win also gave head coach Clark Lea, a Vanderbilt alum, one of the program’s most memorable triumphs.
“This is a dream come true,” Lea said. “For the next 12 hours, I’m going to enjoy this. We’ve got more to accomplish, but this is what Vanderbilt football should be: big wins on big stages. And there are more to come.”
The Tide had just taken the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 following an emotional win over Georgia Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide, favored by 22.5 points, became the first top-ranked team to lose as a three-touchdown favorite since USC fell to Oregon State in 2008.
“We’re about to find out how much we care for each other and what the road ahead looks like,” first-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “We’ve faced different challenges this season, but this is a different kind of test.”
Alexander set the tone early with a 7-yard touchdown on the opening drive, putting Vanderbilt ahead for good. It was the first time since 2007 that Vanderbilt had started a game against Alabama with a touchdown.
Alabama (4-1, 1-1) struggled with mistakes, penalties, and missed opportunities, allowing Vandy to extend their lead. Milroe’s 58-yard touchdown dime to Ryan Williams brought the Tide within 30-28, but the Commodores answered with 10 more points.
Thirteen of Vanderbilt’s points came off Milroe’s two turnovers. The second turnover, a strip sack by Miles Capers, was recovered by Yilanan Ouattara at midfield. Pavia then threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Alabama native Kamrean Johnson, extending the lead to 40-28 with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
Milroe tried to mount a comeback, with Williams scoring on a 2-yard end-around, but Alabama couldn’t regain possession. Vanderbilt players and fans erupted in celebration as Pavia knelt to run out the clock.
“Games like this are life-changing,” Pavia said.
Earlier, Milroe’s second pass of the game was tipped by De’Rickey Wright, a former Alabama recruit who ended up at Vanderbilt. Fontenette intercepted the ball and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown, giving Vanderbilt a 13-0 lead.
Vanderbilt surged to a 23-7 lead, marking only the second time in 10 years that an unranked team led a No. 1 by 16 points or more.
The Commodores never relinquished the lead, dominating possession for over 42 minutes and converting 12 of 18 third-down attempts, wearing down Alabama’s defense.
Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson remained hopeful despite the loss. “It’s still early, and everything is still ahead of us,” Lawson said. “We never want to feel like this again.”
Up Next:
Alabama plays home to host South Carolina.
Vanderbilt travels to Kentucky.
