Vanderbilt Shocks the World, Upsets No. 1 Alabama

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No. 1 Alabama (4-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) entered FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., at 4:15 pm EST on Oct. 5 as a 23.5-point favorite and left in defeat. In beating Alabama, Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1) earned their first win against an Associated Press No. 1 team and broke their 28-game losing streak against top 10 teams by downing the Crimson Tide 40-35. This is not only the biggest win in coach Clark Lea's tenure, but also the biggest in Vanderbilt's History.

Vanderbilt Was Unstoppable

The Commodores got off to a quick start scoring on the game's opening drive and then intercepting Alabama QB Jalen Milroe on a tipped pass for a pick-six, to go up 13-0 early in the first quarter.

Alabama couldn't find a way to stop QB Diego Pavia and the Commodores' offense. Every time the Crimson Tide brought the game to within a score, the Commodores found a way to score. Pavia was a magician with the football and exposed the Alabama defense with his legs and ability to find unique ways to get the ball to his receivers.

Entering this game Alabama had allowed opponents to convert on third down just over 16 percent of the time. The Commodores went 12-of-18 on third down for a conversion rate of 67 percent.

Alabama Hurt by Penalties, Turnovers

While the outcome of this game was due to a strong performance by the Commodores and a lazy one by Alabama, the Crimson Tide did shoot themselves in the foot with penalties.

Alabama and Kane Womack's defense let too many of the Commodores' scoring drives continue due to untimely penalties. Alabama ended the game with 6 penalties for 57 yards and most came in key moments.

The Crimson Tide turned the ball over two times compared to zero for the Commodores. Both turnovers came from Milroe, one in the form of an interception and the other a fumble.

Pavia Shines

Pavia had a performance of a lifetime even though his stat line doesn't tell the whole story. He completed 80 percent of his passes for 252 yards, 2 TDs and another 56 yards on the ground. Pavia was able to make big plays when it mattered the most be it with his legs, a shuttle pass or a toss to one of his receivers or backs. Vanderbilt travels to Lexington, Ky., to take on the Kentucky Wildcats (3-2, 1-2) next weekend with all the confidence in the world.

What It Means

Vanderbilt has been playing very well this season and just upset the AP's No. 1 team for the first time in school history. The sky is the limit for the Commodores moving forward. This win will not only boost morale and confidence moving forward, but it will do wonders for recruiting too.

For Alabama, this is a proverbial fork in the road. The Tide have gone from the ultimate high of beating No. 5 Georgia (4-1, 2-1), to the lowest of lows, losing to unranked Vanderbilt in just a week. Will this be a wake-up call for the Tide or will they continue to overlook "lesser" opponents? Alabama faces another SEC road game next week when they face South Carolina (3-2, 1-2).