College football endured its most chaotic day on Saturday, with four of the top 11 teams in the Associated Press poll being surprised by unranked teams.
This was the first time in eight years that such upsets had occurred on the same day, according to a report from the Associated Press citing sports technology company Sportradar. Most dramatically, Vanderbilt's surprising 40-35 win over Alabama in Nashville came a week after the Crimson Tide took the lead with a win over longtime rival Georgia Bulldogs. No. 4 Tennessee was blown out by Arkansas, 19-14, No. 10 Michigan lost to Washington, 24-17, and Minnesota beat No. 11 USC, 24-17. But in Nashville, the celebrations continued late into the night, with videos posted to social media showing a crowd of Vanderbilt fans carrying goalposts and running down Broadway before hurling them into the Cumberland River. Despite never having beaten a top-five team in the history of their entire program, the Commodores had never lost to Alabama. Vanderbilt led 13-0 in the first quarter and withstood the pressure of a powerful Alabama offense led by quarterback Jalen Milroe, a Heisman candidate, and 17-year-old freshman and phenomenal wide receiver Ryan Williams. Just after halftime, Milroe scored a 14-yard touchdown run to cut the score to 23-21.
However, Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia responded with a touchdown of his own to extend Vanderbilt's lead. On Alabama's next possession, Milroe threw a 58-yard pass to Williams, who made an acrobatic catch to stay on the field and cut the lead again, bringing the game to 30-28. Vanderbilt fought back again, kicking a field goal and then scoring a Pavia touchdown to extend their lead to 40-28. With just under five minutes left on the clock and the Crimson Tide's backs against the wall, they needed a touchdown to stay in the game. Alabama stormed down the field and found the end zone with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Williams. With fans streaming onto the field at First Bank Stadium, the Vanderbilt offense remained undaunted as the clock expired to secure the win. Entering Saturday's game, Vanderbilt held a career 0-60 record against top-five opponents, the most winless losses in NCAA history. Pavia passed for 252 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 57 yards. Vanderbilt running back Cedric Alexander added two touchdowns. Commodores head coach Clark Lea told the SEC Network that his team needs to do everything in its power to beat Alabama. "This is a really good football team," Lea said. "This is the dream, and we're going to enjoy this dream for the next 12 hours." "We still have work to do, but that's what Vanderbilt football is all about: big wins on big stages. Let's get to it."
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