Vanderbilt stuns No. 1 Alabama to secure the biggest win in program history on upset day

CNN
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College football endured one of its most chaotic days on Saturday, as four of the top 11 teams in the AP Poll were defeated by unranked teams.

It was the first time in eight years that so many riots like this happened on the same day, AP said, citing sports technology company Sportradar.

Most dramatically, Vanderbilt beat Alabama 40-35 in Nashville, a week after the Crimson Tide clinched the No. 1 ranking with a victory over their longtime rival, the Georgia Bulldogs.

No. 4 Tennessee fell to Arkansas 19-14, No. 10 Michigan fell to a 24-17 loss to Washington, while No. 11 Minnesota beat No. 11 USC 24-17.

But it was in Nashville where celebrations continued late into the night, as videos posted on social media showed throngs of Vanderbilt fans parading a goal post across Broadway and throwing it into the Cumberland River.

Although the Commodores have never beaten a top-five team in their program history, they didn't fall short against Alabama.

Vanderbilt took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter and was able to withstand pressure from the potent Alabama offense, led by quarterback and Heisman hopeful Jalen Milroe and 17-year-old freshman phenom wide receiver Ryan Williams.

Just after halftime, Milroe scored a 14-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 23-21. But Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia answered the bell by throwing a touchdown of his own to extend Vandy's lead.

On Alabama's next possession, Milroe threw a 58-yard pass to Williams, who made an acrobatic catch and stayed downfield to take the lead again and make the game 30-28.

Vanderbilt then answered again by kicking a field goal and adding another Pavia touchdown to extend the lead to 40-28.

The Crimson Tide had their backs against the wall as the clock ticked down to just under five minutes left in the game and they needed a touchdown to stay in the game. Alabama drove down the field and reached the end zone after a two-yard touchdown from Williams.

The Vanderbilt offense didn't shy away as time ran out and they secured the win as fans stormed the field at FirstBank Stadium.

Before Saturday's game, Vanderbilt was 0-60 all-time against its top five opponents, the most losses without a win in NCAA history.

Pavia finished the game with 252 yards passing, two touchdowns and 57 yards rushing. Vanderbilt running back Sedrick Alexander added two touchdowns.

Commodores head coach Clark Lea told the SEC Network that it took everything the team needed to beat Alabama.

“This is a really good football team,” Lea said. “This is the dream right here and for the next 12 hours I'm going to enjoy it. We still have more to come, but that’s what Vanderbilt football has to be about. Big victories on big stages. We’ll get more.”

Vanderbilt ends a 23-game losing streak against Alabama and picks up its first win against the Crimson Tide since 1984.

Vanderbilt improves to 3-2 on the season while Alabama falls to 4-1.

Vanderbilt will play Kentucky on the road next week. Alabama will host South Carolina.

Elsewhere, Arkansas also beat a top-five team, defeating No. 4 Tennessee 19-14 by scoring a touchdown with less than two minutes to play. Their fans also ran onto the field cheering.

It was the first time multiple AP Top 5 SEC teams lost to unranked teams on the same day.

“These guys are happy, they’re not surprised. If we have the same number of turnovers, we can play with anyone,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman told reporters afterward.

Meanwhile, Washington avenged its loss in last season's national championship by defeating No. 10 Michigan 27-17.

Although Washington got off to a fast start, taking a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, Michigan responded and with just 10 minutes remaining, both teams were tied at 17 points. But the Huskies added a touchdown and a field goal in the fourth quarter to tie the score on the road for a memorable win.

And there was more drama in Minneapolis as Minnesota scored a last-minute touchdown to beat No. 11 Southern California 24-17.