User:Noble Attempt/sandbox/2024 Vanderbilt vs. Alabama football game

FirstBank Stadium (formerly Vanderbilt Stadium) in 2007, the venue of Vanderbilt's 2024 upset victory against Alabama.
Alabama Crimson Tide Vanderbilt Commodores (4–0) (2–2) SEC SEC 35 40 Head coach:  Kalen DeBoer Head coach:  Clark Lea AP 1 AP Unranked
1 2 3 4 Total Alabama 7 7 14 7 35 Vanderbilt 13 10 7 10 40
Date	October 5, 2024
Season	2024
Stadium	FirstBank Stadium
Location	Nashville, Tennessee
Favorite	Alabama: -22.5
Attendance	28,934
United States TV coverage
Network	SEC Network

The 2024 Vanderbilt vs. Alabama football game was a historic regular season college football game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide. It was held at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 5, 2024. Going into the game, the undefeated 4-0 Crimson Tide was ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll following a win against the then No. 2 ranked Georgia Bulldogs, and led Vanderbilt 63-18-4 in their series. At the game's conclusion, it was immediately hailed by media outlets and fans as one of the sport's biggest upsets in recent history due to it representing Vanderbilt's first victory against Alabama in 40 years, drawing comparisons to prior upsets such as the 2007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan game.

Many news outlets and publications declared the game "historic", and called it the biggest and most significant in the history of Vanderbilt's football program, as well as one of, if not the biggest upset in Southeastern Conference (SEC) and overall college football history.

Background

Alabama

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer

The 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide began the season as their first with newly-appointed head coach Kalen DeBoer, following the retirement of long-time coach Nick Saban in the offseason, after winning six national championships. They had managed to earn a 4-0 record, defeating the AP poll No. 2 ranked Georgia Bulldogs 41-34, representing DeBoer's first Southeastern Conference (SEC) win and earning the team a No. 1 ranked position for the following weekly poll. In addition, the team was projected by CBS Sports to win the SEC championship and to reach a No. 2 playoff seed.

The last game they played against Vanderbilt on Sept. 24, 2022 saw quarterback Bryce Young throw for four touchdowns and 385 yards, defeating the Commodores with a 55-3 score.

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban appeared on The Pat McAfee Show leading up to the competition, where he stated that Vanderbilt was the only exception in Alabama's schedule of tough SEC opponents. He also stated that when playing an away game at Vanderbilt's stadium that Alabama had more fans there than they had.

Vanderbilt

The 2024 Vanderbilt Commodores entered the game with a 2-2 record following a close road loss to Missouri off of a missed potential game-winning field goal, forcing overtime and failing to respond to Missouri's field goal to lose 30-27. Vanderbilt had only two wins in its SEC conference since the end of the 2019 season.

Prior to the game, Alabama won 23 consecutive games against Vanderbilt, a streak beginning in 1984. In addition, Vanderbilt had a 0-60 game history against AP-ranked top-5 opponents, representing the longest streak since the beginning of the AP poll era in 1936.

Pre-game

Alabama entered the game with markedly favorable odds to win at a -22.5 betting line. Prior to the start of the game, the entire eastern sideline of the FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee was filled with Alabama fans, aside from a small Vanderbilt student section. A Sports Illustrated reporter noted that for every Vanderbilt fan walking outside the stadium prior to the game, it appeared that there were about ten more Alabama fans. Alabama wide receiver Kendrick Law was ruled out, while linebacker Justin Jefferson's participation was ruled a "game-time decision".

Game summary

First quarter

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia in 2022

The game commenced with Alabama's Conor Talty executing a touchback, giving Vanderbilt possession at their 25-yard line. The Commodores' opening drive began with a short rushing gain was followed by an outside run resulting in a first down. Facing third-and-5 at the 40, Vanderbilt successfully converted with a screen pass. A quick pass to Quincy Skinner Jr. advanced the ball to Alabama's 33-yard line. After this, quarterback Diego Pavia, under pressure, found Eli Stowers for a crucial first down at the 16-yard line. This culminated in a 7-yard touchdown run by Sedrick Alexander, consuming 6:15 off the clock and causing Vanderbilt to lead 7-0 with 8:46 remaining in the quarter.

Alabama's first drive began at the 25-yard line following a touchback. After a 4-yard rush by Justice Haynes, the team suffered a harsh setback on third down when quarterback Jalen Milroe's pass was deflected and intercepted by Randon Fontenette, who returned it 24 yards for a touchdown. A missed extra point left the score at 13-0 in Vanderbilt's favor. Alabama's second possession involved Milroe connecting with CJ Dippre for a 46-yard gain, followed by a first-down completion to Josh Cuevas, who was briefly attended to by trainers after a hard hit. The drive concluded with Jam Miller scoring on an 8-yard run, with Graham Nicholson's successful PAT narrowing the gap to 13-7 with 4:22 left in the quarter.

As the quarter neared its end, Vanderbilt converted a 3rd-and-6 from their own 29-yard line before Alabama's defense managed a third-down stop, forcing a Vanderbilt punt in the final minute. The quarter concluded with a peculiar incident: Alabama was penalized for having two players wearing number 2 on the field during a punt return, resulting in Vanderbilt gaining possession at the Alabama 47-yard line. At the first quarter's end, Vanderbilt held a surprising 13-7 lead over Alabama, having dominated the first two drives of the game in part by capitalizing on Alabama's mistakes.

Second quarter

The quarter began with Vanderbilt facing a 3rd-and-8 situation, where Vanderbilt quarterback Pavia scrambled for a first down, with an additional 15 yards added due to a face mask penalty against Alabama, moving the ball to Alabama's 22-yard line. After a roughing the passer penalty on Alabama's Que Robinson that gave Vanderbilt a fresh set of downs, Pavia converted another third down, setting up 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Following an Alabama timeout to avoid a 12-men penalty, Sedrick Alexander scored his 2nd touchdown of the game from one-yard out. The 17-play, 75-yard drive consumed 9:50 of game time, extending Vanderbilt's lead to 20-7 with 9:32 remaining in the half.

Alabama's subsequent possession was marred by several difficulties, with Emmanuel Henderson fumbling the kickoff return, albeit being ruled down by contact upon review. Starting from their own 14, Alabama's drive stalled quickly, with a sack on second down leading to a third-and-long situation. An initially ruled first-down catch bobbled by Ryan Williams on third-and-11 was overturned upon review, forcing Alabama to punt. Vanderbilt capitalized on their good field position at their own 42, moving into Alabama territory before being stopped on third down. Brock Taylor successfully kicked a 51-yard field goal, which extended Vanderbilt's lead to 23-7 with 4:10 left in the half.

After a short kickoff return, Alabama started at their 16-yard line. Successful plays for Alabama's drive included a 14-yard run by Justice Haynes and a crucial third-down conversion by Kobe Prentice, including a targeting call against Vanderbilt that was overturned upon review. Jam Miller broke free for a long run to the Vanderbilt 3-yard line. Following this, Miller scored his 2nd touchdown of the day on a 3-yard run, which narrowed Vanderbilt's lead to 23-14 with 1:25 remaining in the half.

After Vanderbilt received the ball and converted another third down to reach Alabama territory, their momentum was stalled by a delay of game penalty, leading to a third-and-15 situation. After initially lining up for a 60-yard field goal attempt, Vanderbilt opted to punt following a timeout. Going into halftime, Vanderbilt maintaining an unexpected 23-14 lead with a significantly longer time of possession of 21 minutes and 28 seconds out of the total 30 minutes of play and converting 7 out of 10 third-down attempts, coupled with Alabama's defensive lapses and penalties. For the first time in the 2024 season, Alabama quarterback Milroe failed to score in a half of play.

Third quarter

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in 2023

Alabama started the second half with greater offensive efficiency, beginning when Emmanuel Henderson returned the kickoff to the 46-yard line, giving Alabama good field position. Quarterback Jalen Milroe connected with Germie Bernard and Robbie Ouzts for consecutive first downs, pushing into Vanderbilt territory. Ryan Williams made his first reception of the game, moving Alabama to the Vanderbilt 25, followed by two more completions to Williams the brought Alabama into the red zone. Milroe capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run, narrowing Vanderbilt's lead to 23-21 with 12:01 left in the quarter.

Vanderbilt's subsequent possession began from their 25, with Que Robinson sacking their quarterback on first down. Despite this setback, Vanderbilt converted their eighth 3rd down of the game to continue the drive. Despite nearly converting another third-and-long, a dropped pass forced Vanderbilt to punt from midfield. The drive consumed 5:46 of game time, maintaining Vanderbilt's control of possession.

Alabama's next drive began with poor field position from their own 4-yard line, and Alabama's offense stalled, facing a third-and-9 from the 5-yard line. Milroe's subsequent pass on third down was ruled illegal as he had crossed the line of scrimmage, resulting in a loss of downs and a punt. Vanderbilt capitalized on the resulting good field position at the Alabama 45-yard line, with quarterback Pavia finding Junior Sherrill behind Alabama's defense for a 36-yard touchdown in a 4th-and-1 situation. The touchdown extended Vanderbilt's lead to 30-21, with 2:53 remaining in the quarter.

Alabama moved quickly down the field after from their 25 after a touchback, culminating in a 58-yard touchdown reception by Ryan Williams, who broke two tackles en route to the end zone. This play brought Alabama within two points of Vanderbilt at 30-28, with 1:01 left in the quarter. As the quarter drew to a close, Vanderbilt began another drive at their 25, executing a shovel pass play that broke multiple Alabama tackles, with the final play of the quarter involving Vanderbilt pushing back into Alabama territory.

Fourth quarter

The final quarter of the game began with Vanderbilt at Alabama's 40-yard line with a first down. Their offense quickly converted a third-and-short situation, pushing into the red zone. Despite having a touchdown nullified by a holding penalty, Vanderbilt managed a 35-yard field goal from Brock Taylor, extending their lead to 33-28 with 10:35 remaining. Alabama's subsequent drive was short-lived after completions to CJ Dippre and Germie Bernard, with Elijah Pritchett being beaten on the pass rush, resulting in a sack and fumble by Jalen Milroe. Vanderbilt recovered the ball at their own 47-yard line with 9:36 left. Vanderbilt capitalized on the turnover while facing a third-and-2 at Alabama's 45, with Pavia found a diving receiver for a first down. The drive culminated in a 6-yard touchdown pass from Pavia to Kamrean Johnson on third-and-2, pushing Vanderbilt's lead to 40-28 with 5:07 left.

Starting at their 25, Alabama quickly moved downfield, highlighted by an athletic catch by Germie Bernard that survived a review. Facing fourth-and-1 at the Vanderbilt 2-yard line, Alabama called a timeout with 2:54 remaining. The Crimson Tide executed a lateral to Ryan Williams, who found the end zone for a touchdown, narrowing the score to 40-35 with 2:46 left. Starting at their 18-yard line with 2:44 remaining, Vanderbilt faced intense pressure, Vanderbilt successfully executed a screen pass that resulted in a crucial first down just before the two-minute warning. Vanderbilt secured another first down with just over a minute remaining, effectively sealing the game as Alabama had exhausted their timeouts. The final score stood at Vanderbilt 40, Alabama 35, marking Vanderbilt's first win over Alabama in 40 years.

Malachi Moore outbursts

As the final kneel downs were taking place, Alabama graduate senior, strong safety, and one of the team's leaders Malachi Moore forcibly grabbed Pavia's facemask and slammed his head into the ground following the whistle, screamed at his teammates, threw his mouthpiece prior to a play, and kicked the ball out of a referee's hand after it was spotted, leading to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. In the middle of Moore's outburst, Alabama's defensive coordinator Kane Wommack attempted to substitute Moore out of play, but he refused to exit.

Scoring summary

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Alabama Vanderbilt 1 8:46 10 75 6:14 Vanderbilt Sedrick Alexander 7-yard touchdown run, Brock Taylor kick good 0 7 1 8:03 3 4 0:43 Vanderbilt Interception returned 29 yards for touchdown by Randon Fontenette, Brock Taylor kick no good 0 13 1 4:22 7 75 3:41 Alabama Jam Miller 8-yard touchdown run, Graham Nicholson kick good 7 13 2 9:32 17 75 3:41 Vanderbilt Sedrick Alexander 1-yard touchdown run, Brock Taylor kick good 7 20 2 4:10 8 26 4:02 Vanderbilt 51-yard field goal by Brock Taylor 7 23 2 1:25 9 83 2:41 Alabama Jam Miller 3-yard touchdown run, Graham Nicholson kick good 14 23 3 12:01 5 53 2:51 Alabama Jalen Milroe 14-yard touchdown run, Graham Nicholson kick good 21 23 3 2:53 4 45 2:13 Vanderbilt Junior Sherrill 36-yard touchdown reception from Diego Pavia, Brock Taylor kick good 21 30 3 1:01 4 75 1:52 Alabama Ryan Williams 58-yard touchdown reception from Jalen Milroe, Graham Nicholson kick good 28 30 4 10:35 9 60 5:26 Vanderbilt 33-yard field goal by Brock Taylor 28 33 4 5:07 7 53 4:29 Vanderbilt Kamrean Johnson 6-yard touchdown reception from Diego Pavia, Brock Taylor kick good 28 40 4 2:46 8 75 2:21 Alabama Ryan Williams 2-yard touchdown run, Graham Nicholson kick good 35 40 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 35 40

Statistical summary

	Alabama	Vanderbilt
1st Downs	17	26
3rd down Efficiency	3-7	12-18
Total Yards	394	418
Passing Yards	310	252
Completions/Attempts	18/24	16/21
Yards per pass	12.9	12.0
Rushing Yards	84	166
Rushing Attempts	21	54
Penalties	6-57	3-20
Turnovers	2	0
Interceptions	1	0
Fumbles lost	1	0
Time of Possession	17:52	42:08

Aftermath

Vanderbilt

Many news outlets and publications immediately declared the game as the biggest in the history of Vanderbilt's football program at its conclusion. As soon as the game ended, Vanderbilt fans swarmed the field and began to tear down one of the goalposts in celebration as they jumped up and down and danced. The crowd of fans proceeded to carry the goalpost out of the stadium, walking two miles along Broadway Street to throw it into the Cumberland River, after which the crowd began a "Seven Nation Army" chant. The action was compared to the post-game celebration of in-state rival Tennessee Volunteers fans, who also tore a goalpost off its foundations and threw it into the Tennessee River following a similar upset against Alabama. In addition, the stadium began to play clips on loop of Nick Saban's recent interview on The Pat Mcafee Show calling Vanderbilt the exception to difficult teams in the SEC.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea stated after the game: "This is the dream, right here, and for the next 12 hours, I'm going to enjoy the dream. We've got more ahead of us, but this is what Vanderbilt football needs to be about: big wins on big stages. We're going to go get some more." Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, while being interviewed right after the upset victory, emotionally stated:

“It’s literally all God’s timing. Literally from the jump. God gave me a vision when I was a little kid…It’s God’s timeline. I’m super thankful for guys like Eli Stowers. Man, that kid’s incredible. The rest of our team. Look at this. Look at this. Vandy, we're fucking turnt!”

— Diego Pavia

The win was regarded by several news outlets as a historic upset, represented by the victory being Vanderbilt's first win over an AP top-ranked football program in its history, as well as the first time it scored forty points versus an AP top-five opponent. Vanderbilt's quarterback Diego Pavia finished with an 80% completion rate, representing the rate by a quarterback competing against Alabama since 2010. Pavia succeeded Kansas State's Skylar Thompson and Syracuse's Eric Dungey and for winning games where they were 21+ point underdogs over the past twenty seasons, reaching three as a result of the game.

Alabama

Alabama became the fourth No. 1 team since the beginning of AP polls to lose to an unranked program the week following a win over a top-two ranked opponent, and the first to do so since the 1960 victory of the Purdue Boilermakers over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The game marked the first time since 1996 since Alabama gave up more than 20 points in a single game to Vanderbilt, with the 40 points they gave up being the most against Vanderbilt since a 78–0 blowout loss on October 20, 1906. Alabama giving up 13 points in the first quarter was considered notable due to Vanderbilt only being able to score a combined total of 13 points across the four games where they faced against the Nick Saban-led Alabama team.

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, in the post-game press conference, stated that he was:

"Obviously, extremely disappointed, frustrated. You named what it is. That's what everyone is like in the locker room right now. You prepare and it's positive energy all week long. I really think our guys prepared hard. There's some things that look back on tomorrow. Really, really frustrated about talking, 'what-ifs' that's gonna be the situation we're going to be dealing with tomorrow. The guys in the locker room, we just talked about that there's only one option to move forward, to get back to work. I feel we've got a great football team. We weren't at our best today. We're gonna find out how much we care about each other, and what it looks like moving forward. We've been tested in different ways, really, a lot of the games here this season, and this is a different type of test for us now in our response."

— Kalen DeBoer

He praised the Vanderbilt offense's control of the game, their play action and ability to find open spaces for completions, and Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea's play calling. Linebacker Deontae Lawson stated that while it was still early in the season, he stated: "We never want to feel this again" in reference to his team's response to the upset loss. Alabama linebacker Quandarrius Robinson called safety Malachi Moore's outburst at the end of the game "unacceptable, even by him, being a captain", and noted that he calmed down in the locker room after the game.

CBS Sports analysts noted that the upset loss severely weakened the likelihood of Alabama making a strong playoff berth, putting it at the mercy of the performances of Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas A&M.

Media and celebrity reactions

ESPN referred to the upset victory as "A NEW MUSIC CITY MIRACLE! [sic]" on its Twitter/X page. Several sports figures reacted to the upset by giving high praise to Vanderbilt while also making fun of or celebrating the No. 1 ranked Alabama team's downfall, including former Indianapolis Colts punter and sports analyst Pat McAfee, J.D. Pickell, and former Notre Dame linebacker and Butkus Award winner Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Several social media users decried Malachi Moore's outbursts during the final plays of the game, with many stating that such behavior would not go undisciplined under former coach Nick Saban.

Mayor of Nashville Freddie O’Connell make a joking Twitter/X post following the game: “I’m hearing reports that the Cumberland River is experiencing low tide” in reference to Alabama and the goalposts thrown into the river.

See also

• 2007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan football game
• 2015 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech football game
• 2022 Third Saturday in October
• List of nicknamed college football games and plays

External links

• Vanderbilt 40-Alabama 35 (Oct. 5, 2024) Final Score – ESPN