Vanderbilt football upsets No.1 Alabama 40-35 for a historic college football victory

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Vanderbilt Commodores made college football history by defeating the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 40-35. This game marked the first Commodore win against an AP No. 1 opponent in school history and the fourth time Alabama has lost as a No. 1 team to an unranked opponent.

‘This is the dream, right here," Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said. "We've got more ahead of us, but this is what Vanderbilt football needs to be about, big wins on big stages."

The Commodores scored the first 13 points four minutes into the game. Running back Sedrick Alexander scored the first touchdown, plowing into the end zone with a 7-yard run. And on Alabama's first drive, safety De’Rickey Wright tipped a pass from Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and Linebacker Randon Fontenette took the ball for a 24-yard touchdown.

Before the end of the first quarter, Alabama responded with an 8-yard touchdown by running back Jamarion “Jam” Miller.

The game picked back up in the second quarter with an aggressive play from Vanderbilt. Commodores capitalized on an opportunity when a penalty on Alabama extended their drive. Alexander scored a touchdown with a 1-yard rush. Later, Vanderbilt kicker Brock Taylor stacked another three points with a 51-yard field goal.

With the second quarter ending, Alabama answered with a quick 3-yard touchdown by Miller.

Vanderbilt led 23-14 at halftime.

Opening in the third quarter, Alabama has the ball. Milroe secured a 14-yard touchdown to close Vanderbilt’s lead to two points. With Alabama trailing behind, Vanderbilt passed on a field goal on a fourth-and-1 play and went for it. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia pinned a ball to wide receiver Junior Sherrill for a touchdown. Alabama swiftly answered with a 58-yard touchdown pass from Milroe to wide receiver Ryan Williams and collapsed Vanderbilt’s lead back to two points.

To maintain their lead, Taylor gathers another three points from a 37-yard field goal. And on the next drive, Vanderbilt’s defensive players Miles Capers and Yilanan Ouattara tackled Milroe, who fumbled the ball, allowing Vanderbilt’s offense to get back on the field. Pavia wasted no time darting a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kamrean Johnson, pushing their lead up to 12 points.

Milroe managed to deliver the ball to Williams for Alabama’s final touchdown at two minutes and a half left on the clock. But with the ball in Vanderbilt’s possession in the last 30 seconds, Pavia knelt to run out the clock.

“Games like this change your life,” Pavia said.

Vanderbilt fans took the celebration into their own hands as they swarmed onto the field, tore down a goal post, carried it out of the stadium, and tossed it into the Cumberland River.

With ranks reshuffling on the AP Top 25, first-year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said the team has work to do.

“We’re going to find out really how much we care about each other and what it looks like moving forward,” DeBoer said. “We’ve been tested in different ways really a lot of the games here this season, and this is a different type of test now in our response.”

On Oct. 12, Alabama (4-1) will play South Carolina (3-2), and Vanderbilt (3-2) will play Kentucky (3-2).