Alabama Recap: Upstart Vandy Stuns Top Ranked Alabama, 40-35
One week removed from securing a dramatic milestone victory over Georgia, the Crimson Tide has officially laid its first egg of the Kalen DeBoer era…and what a massive egg it was.
Led by transfer quarterback Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt…yes, Vanderbilt, the team that has served as the SEC’s doormat for many years, outplayed and outcoached Alabama to the tune of 40-35 in Nashville on Saturday afternoon. It was the first victory over a top ranked team in school victory. In addition, it was the first time the Commodores have beaten the Tide since Ray Perkins was roaming the Bama sidelines in 1984. With the stunning loss, Alabama dropped to #7 in the national polls.
All the credit goes to the Commodores, as Bama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and the Tide D had no answer all afternoon for the Vandy offense, who ended up rolling up 418 yards on the day. Bama’s D, who have now struggled mightily since halftime of last week’s Georgia game, simply could not get the Commodore offense off the field as Vandy owned third down (12-18 on the day). Even more telling is the fact that Vanderbilt controlled the ball for a whopping 42:08 compared to the Tide’s 17:52. Throw in two Bama turnovers that both turned into Vanderbilt touchdowns, and you have a recipe for disaster for the former top ranked team.
Make no mistake about it, right from the opening kickoff Vandy coach Clark Lea and his staff out coached DeBoer, Wommack, and company to an alarming degree. The Tide offense did what they could do with limited possession time, and overall, scored 35 points as Jalen Milroe completed 18 of 24 passes for 310 yards and a nice 58-yard touchdown strike to Ryan Williams. However, the Bama offense was playing catch-up all day. Twice, Alabama pulled within two points of the Commodores, yet Pavia and his option offense answered each time the Tide drew close. Penalties once again plagued the Crimson Tide, and on one possession in the second quarter, three costly penalties on third down extended a Vandy drive that resulted in a touchdown for the home squad. On another occasion in the second quarter, the Tide defense got a rare third down stop, forcing a Vandy punt. Yet, Alabama had both players that wear #2 on the field at once, resulting in an illegal substitution penalty. Vanderbilt regained the momentum, and the drive resulted in another touchdown.
Alabama found itself down 13-0 early because of Vandy taking the opening kickoff 75 yards on 10 plays, resulting in their first score of the day. On Bama’s opening possession, a Milroe pass was tipped in the air and intercepted for a pick-six. Vandy missed the ensuing extra point, and Milroe and company responded with a nice 7 play, 75-yard drive ending with a Jam Miller 8-yard run to cut the lead to 13-7. Vanderbilt punched right back with a 17 play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 9:50 off the clock and was aided by the three penalties mentioned before. After a Bama three-and-out, Vandy added a Brock Taylor 51-yard field goal to extend the lead to 23-7. Bama ended the half with an 84-yard touchdown drive and went into the locker room trailing 23-14. Bama gave its fans, who constituted 75% of the crowd, hope by taking the opening kickoff of the second half down the field that ended in a Milroe 14-yard run for six. The Bama D held Vandy to a 3 and out, yet a terrific punt pinned the Tide offense on their own 4-yard line. The Tide went backwards and after a James Burnip punt to the Tide 45, Vandy regained the momentum with a touchdown that extended the lead to 30-21. Bama again responded on a Milroe to Williams 58-yard strike that closed the gap to 30-28 with a quarter to play. Vanderbilt dominated the 4th quarter, forcing a costly Milroe fumble on a blind-side hit and they would add 10 points to Bama’s 7 in the fourth to complete the upset.
The loss officially marked the end of the DeBoer honeymoon period, and with the likes of a trip to Rocky Top to face an inconsistent, but dangerous, Tennessee Volunteer squad, as well as away games against LSU and Oklahoma, the margin of error to make the CFB playoffs has shrunk. As distressing as the loss was, what was more distressing was the way numerous Tide players acted on Saturday. Throughout the contest, even though they trailed the entire game, Tide players were seen jawing constantly at Pavia and other Commodore players. The low point was when Vandy lined up in the victory formation, fifth year senior and team captain Malachi Moore kicked a set ball in frustration, resulting in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that was indicative of the entire game. Under Saban, Bama was well known for its class and conduct during victories as well as defeats. The sportsmanship that Alabama Nation has grown accustomed to was lacking on Saturday in Nashville, and here’s hoping that a repeat performance will not occur. Frustration is one thing; however poor sportsmanship is never acceptable to us that love this program dearly.
Despite the loss, all is far from lost for the 2024 Crimson Tide. Losses, even bad ones, happen and there are several teams this year, most notably Notre Dame and Clemson, that have bounced back strong from difficult defeats. Even though this is going to be a rough week for DeBoer, Wommack, and the Tide, everything is still in front of the Crimson Tide. The reset starts next Saturday at noon when Alabama will take on a South Carolina team that is coming off a 27-3 loss to Ole Miss.
