Vanderbilt is 0-60 against top 5 teams. The Vanderbilt Commodores haven't beaten the Alabama Crimson Tide since 1984.
This is no longer the case. Vanderbilt defeated Alabama 40-35 on Saturday night.
Alabama scored with less than three minutes left in the game. They fought back, but Vanderbilt stepped up and defended their victory.
Alabama couldn't get Vanderbilt off the field all game long. Quarterback Diego Pavia went 16-20 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns. With less than two minutes left in the game, Pavia jumped the ball and put Vanderbilt in the driver's seat to seal the victory. The New Mexico transfer gave Vanderbilt football a shot of energy when it needed it most.
Vanderbilt football has faith. They beat Virginia Tech earlier this season, and now they've beaten the No. 1 team in college football. Just last week, they took ninth-ranked Missouri into overtime. The Commodores demand respect, especially against top-ranked opponents.
New head coach Clark Lea has turned the program around before our eyes just five weeks into the season.
The Commodores were 0-8 in SEC play last year. This year, they just proved that the SEC is no slouch, which might be disturbing to you if you find yourself falling asleep at the wheel.
“I think specifically, it's about being able to rekindle my passion for teaching and coaching. I'm a teacher first and a competitor second,” Lee said before the season. “So feeling like I have direct responsibility for the game and the performance on the field, building trust with the players by coaching them and helping them play at the next level. All of that keeps me energized.”
This win will undoubtedly knock the Crimson Tide off the top spot in college football. Despite the tough loss, Alabama still has a good chance of making the College Football Playoff at 4-1. That wasn't entirely the case for Vanderbilt. They've lost two games into the new season and will need to be perfect if they want to be among the top 12 teams in the country by the end of the season. Leah even admitted after the thrilling win over Alabama that it wasn't the end goal, but it was certainly the turning point.
But honestly? The playoffs are no longer the focus. Regardless, this is a huge win for the rising Vanderbilt program. Beating Alabama is never easy, but the revamped Commodores did the unthinkable against the No. 1 team in the country.
Show a little respect to the Vanderbilt Commodores. They just had the biggest win in the history of the football program.