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For the first time in school history, Vanderbilt has defeated a top-five opponent
Entering games on Saturday, Vanderbilt was 0-60 all-time when facing an opponent ranked in the top five. With Alabama coming to town ranked No. 1, and coming off a thrilling win against Georgia a week ago, that streak looked to increase by one this weekend.
Except, someone forgot to tell the Commodores.
Vanderbilt built a 23-14 lead by the halftime break and held on down the stretch for a stunning 40-35 upset of the Crimson Tide.
The first sign of danger for Alabama came on their first drive of the game. After Vanderbilt took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in ten plays for a touchdown, Jalen Milroe and the Crimson Tide offense took the field.
In the blink of an eye, it was 13-0 Vanderbilt:
Milroe’s pass in the direction of freshman Ryan Williams gets deflected into the air and into the waiting arms of Randon Fontenette, who returns it 29 yards for the touchdown. While Vanderbilt missed the PAT, the Commodores were out to an early 13-0 lead.
Alabama slowly worked back into the contest, and made it a one-score game after trailing 23-14 at halftime on this touchdown run from Milroe:
But Vanderbilt had an answer. After the teams traded punts, the Commodores faced a 4th and 1 in Alabama territory late in the third quarter, with a 23-21 lead. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea left his offense on the field, and put the ball in the hands of quarterback Diego Pavia.
It would be a smart decision:
Pavia comes out of a run fake and lofts a deep shot in the direction of wide receiver Junior Sherrill, who ran under the throw for a stunning touchdown to give Vanderbilt a 30-21 lead.
Almost immediately, Alabama made it a one-score game again, thanks to more heroics from their young wide receiver:
In almost a replay of his touchdown against the Bulldogs from last week, Williams hauls in a throw from Milroe and breaks through a pair of defenders, en route to a 58-yard touchdown to give Alabama new life.
Vanderbilt tacked on a field goal on their next possession to make it a 33-28 game, but the Crimson Tide needed just two plays to get back into Vanderbilt territory.
However, their third play of the drive ended in disaster:
Pass rusher Miles Capers beats the right tackle off the edge and gets to Milroe, and his hit knocks the ball loose. Yilanan Ouattara fell on the loose football, and the Commodores took over possession.
Vanderbilt would score on that ensuing possession, to build a 40-28 lead, on this throw from Pavia to Kamrean Johnson:
Alabama scored on their next possession to cut the Vanderbilt lead to 40-35, on a short touchdown run from Williams. But the Crimson Tide could not get the stop they needed, and Vanderbilt was able to run out the clock. A key play on their final possession was this run from Pavia himself, to help keep the Vanderbilt offense off the field, and work the final minutes off the clock:
After the game Pavia — who finished the game completing 16-of-20 passes for 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns — was overjoyed with ESPN’s Alyssa Lang, saying that “games like this change your life.”
That was not all he said:
“This is the dream right here,” said Lea with Lang after the game. “And for the next 12 hours I’m going to enjoy the dream.”
Enjoy the dream, Vanderbilt.
