Vanderbilt Commodores Just Made History With Upset Victory Against Alabama | Deadspin.com Trending Global News

Vanderbilt was 0–60 all-time in matchups against Top 5 teams. The Vanderbilt Commodores have not defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide since 1984.

That is no longer the case. Vanderbilt defeated Alabama 40–35 on Saturday evening.

Alabama scored with just over three minutes left in the game. They fought back, but Vanderbilt held on and preserved their victory.

Throughout the game, Alabama was unable to keep Vanderbilt off the field. Quarterback Diego Pavia was 16-20 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns. With less than two minutes remaining, Pavia scored a first down to put Vanderbilt in the driver’s seat and seal their victory. The New Mexico State transfer breathed life into Vanderbilt football when they needed it most.

Vanderbilt believes in football. They beat Virginia Tech earlier this season, and now they have pulled off a huge upset against the No. 1 team in college football. Just last week, they took No. 9-ranked Missouri to overtime. Commodores demand respect, especially against ranked opponents.

New head coach Clark Lee is transforming the program before our eyes just five weeks into the season.

The Commodores went 0-8 in SEC games last year. This year, they proved that the SEC is no slouch, and if you find yourself falling asleep behind the wheel, you might be worried.

Lee said before the season, “I think especially it’s talking about being able to reconnect with my passion for teaching and coaching. I’m a teacher first, competitor second.” “Feeling like I have direct responsibilities over the game and performance on the field, teaching the players and building confidence in them and helping them play the game at a higher level. All of those things are energizing for me.”

This win would undoubtedly knock the Crimson Tide off their No. 1 spot in college football. At 4-1, Alabama still has a very strong chance of making the College Football Playoff despite the embarrassing loss. The same is simply not true for Vanderbilt. They have already suffered two losses in the young season and will need to be perfect to be among the top 12 teams in the country by the end of the season. After the thrilling win against Alabama, Lee also admitted that this is not the ultimate goal, but it is definitely the turning point.

But honestly? The playoffs are close to the point right now. Any way you spin it, this is a big win for the rising Vanderbilt program. Beating Alabama is never easy, but the Commodores did the unthinkable against the No. 1 team in the country.

Keep some respect on the Vanderbilt Commodores. They achieved the largest win in the history of their football program.