Just one week ago, Alabama was on top of the college football world.
After unseating then-No. 2 Georgia 41-34 in an instant classic in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide claimed the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll and assumed the role of the favorites to claim the SEC title.
One week later? The Crimson Tide are reeling from one of their worst losses in program history.
Top-ranked Alabama was upset 40-35 by Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville, marking the Commodores' first outright victory over the Crimson Tide since 1984 and their first win over an AP top-five team in program history. To add insult to injury, Vanderbilt went wire-to-wire in its historic victory over the Crimson Tide.
The Commodores dominated possession en route to victory, maintaining the ball for 40:32 of game action.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia outdueled Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80 percent of his attempts. Pavia added 49 yards on the ground, while Milroe threw for 312 yards and a touchdown but turned the ball over twice — coming in the form of an interception and fumble.
Vanderbilt jumped on Alabama from the game’s opening whistle, taking its opening possession 75 yards in 10 plays to take an early 7-0 lead. The Commodores added to their lead almost instantly, as sophomore cornerback Randon Fontenette intercepted a ricocheted pass from Milroe and took it 29 yards to the house to give Vanderbilt a 13-0 lead.
The Commodores extended the lead to as much as 23-7 in the first half but ultimately took a 23-14 lead into the locker room at the game’s midway point.
Milroe quickly cut into the deficit with a 14-yard touchdown run with 12:01 remaining in the third quarter, drawing the Crimson Tide within two points of Vanderbilt. But the Commodores took advantage of a short field later in the frame, going 45 yards in four plays to extend the lead to 30-21 off of a 36-yard touchdown strike from Pavia to Junior Sherrill on 4th-and-1.
Less than two minutes later, Alabama freshman receiver Ryan Williams worked his magic yet again. The 17-year-old phenom snagged a contested catch and tight-roped the sideline for a 58-yard touchdown, drawing the Tide back within two points, 30-28.
After a field goal that pushed the lead to 33-28 with 10:53 remaining in the game, Milroe quickly led the Crimson Tide to midfield before fumbling and giving the ball right back to the Commodores. Pavia made quick work of the Alabama defense and ultimately found Kamrean Johnson for a six-yard touchdown, giving Vanderbilt a two-score lead with 5:07 to play.
Williams, again, found himself in the end zone — coming on a two-yard run off of a reverse — to cut the deficit to 40-35. But it was too little, too late for the Crimson Tide at that point.
Alabama will try to regain momentum next Saturday against South Carolina, while the Commodores hope to maintain their winning ways against Kentucky.
