The Vanderbilt Commodores have achieved a historic win by defeating a No. 1 team in football for the first time ever. This victory over top-ranked Alabama, 40-35, is the biggest win in the program’s history.
The Commodores never fell behind during the game, giving coach Clark Lea a win that matches the successes of his alma mater in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and two national championships in baseball.
“This is why I came back,” said Lea, who was celebrated with a Gatorade shower. “It’s meant to be emotional. I bled a lot into this, and it just feels great to be able to celebrate with the team that I love and care about. I look forward to doing that more in the future.”
Lea had previous coaching success, most recently as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. He returned to his hometown team, which has often been viewed as the weakest team in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Commodores’ most notable successes happened over a hundred years ago, before the SEC was even formed.
With changes in college athletics, there has been talk about Vanderbilt possibly being replaced in the SEC by a university that could bring more to football.
Lea had only won five games in a season once during his first three years and had a record of 2-10 in 2023.
As Vanderbilt undergoes its first major renovation of its football stadium since 1981, Lea made significant changes to his program during the offseason. With Vanderbilt finally getting involved in NIL (name, image, and likeness) opportunities, he brought in 51 new players, including quarterback Diego Pavia.
“Vandy, we’re (expletive) turnt!” Pavia said in an interview on the SEC Network right after the biggest win of his career. “Games like this change your life.”
Pavia was the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year at New Mexico State and came to Vanderbilt as a graduate transfer. His former head coach Jerry Kill and offensive coordinator Tim Beck joined him to help Lea improve the offense.
With Pavia playing with extra motivation after not being recruited by bigger schools, Vanderbilt kicked off the season by defeating Virginia Tech in overtime. The Commodores’ only losses came late against Georgia State and in double overtime against then-No. 7 Missouri, with a total margin of just seven points.
Then came Alabama, which had just moved to the top of The Associated Press’ Top 25 after a significant win over Georgia.
Vanderbilt hadn’t beaten Alabama since 1984 and had lost 23 straight games against them. The Commodores were also 0-60 all-time against teams ranked in the AP Top Five. Pavia set the pace by driving the team down the field for a 7-yard touchdown run by Sedrick Alexander, giving Vanderbilt a lead they never relinquished.
This was the first time since 2007 that Vanderbilt scored a touchdown against Alabama at the start of a game, back when Nick Saban was coaching his second game. Alabama won that matchup 24-10.
Pavia helped Vanderbilt control the game, converting third down after third down with passes or by slipping past defenders to keep drives alive. The Commodores maintained possession for over 42 minutes.
“Every time he touches the ball, we have a chance,” Lea said. “I love him. In so many ways, he embodies the program that we’re building. Tonight, he deserves this stage. I’m proud of him, love him, and I’m glad he’s our quarterback.”
Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1) now has to travel to Kentucky next. In a stadium with the south end zone still under construction and needing a new goal post, the Commodores also have upcoming home games against No. 2 Texas and South Carolina before the regular season finale against No. 4 Tennessee.
They will also visit Auburn and LSU. Lea stated that this isn’t the end for his team and what they are building.
“There’s more for us than this,” Lea said. “This isn’t a finishing point, but it’s a hell of an arrival for tonight. We’ll celebrate it. I love this university. I love this team. Let’s go get some more.”
