Vanderbilt was 0-60 all-time in matchups against top 5 teams. The Vanderbilt Commodores have not defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide since 1984.
That’s not the case anymore. On Saturday evening, Vanderbilt upset Alabama 40-35.
Alabama scored with less than three minutes left in the game. They fought back, but Vanderbilt stood and defended their victory.
Throughout the game, Alabama just couldn’t keep Vanderbilt off the field. Quarterback Diego Pavia was 16-20 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns. With less than two minutes remaining, Pavia rallied for a first down that put Vanderbilt in the driver’s seat to seal their victory. The New Mexico State transfer breathed life into Vanderbilt football when it needed it most.
Vanderbilt football has a belief. They beat Virginia Tech earlier this season, and now they’ve pulled off a huge upset against the No. 1 team in college football. Just last week, they took on No. 9 Missouri in overtime. The Commodores want respect, especially from their division opponents.
New coach Clark Lea is turning the program around before our eyes just five weeks into the season.
The Commodores went 0-8 in SEC play last year. This year, they just proved that there are no slouches in the SEC, and if you find yourself asleep at the wheel, you’re bound to be upset.
“I think it’s just about being able to communicate and the love I have for teaching and coaching. I’m a teacher first, a competitor second,” said Lea before the season. “So I feel like I have direct responsibilities by playing and working on the field, building trust with the players by teaching them to help them play the game at a high level. All those things give me strength.”
This win will undoubtedly knock the Crimson Tide out of their No. 1 spot in college football. At 4-1, Alabama is still very likely to make the College Football Playoffs despite the embarrassing loss. The same is not exactly true for Vanderbilt. So far they have lost twice in this short season and they will have to be perfect to be selected as a Top 12 team in the nation when the season ends. Lea even admitted after the exciting victory against Alabama that this is not the final goal, but it is definitely a time of change.
But honestly? Playoffs are beside the point right now. Any way you spin it, this is a huge win for the rising Vanderbilt program. Knocking off Alabama is never easy, but the Commodores pulled things together and did the unthinkable against the No. 1 team. 1 in the nation.
Pay some respect to the Vanderbilt Commodores. They just pulled off the biggest win in the history of their football program.
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