NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A late touchdown by Jam Miller cut Alabama’s deficit to single digits before halftime, but Vanderbilt’s 23-14 lead at the half Saturday was one of the most surprising results of the early season.
Coach Kalen DeBoer recorded the biggest win of his short Alabama career last week against Georgia, but the challenge this week was keeping his team focused for a proverbial “trap game” at Vanderbilt.
However, Alabama fell victim to the slow start. Vanderbilt had scored 13 points against Nick Saban-led Alabama teams in four meetings. It scored 23 in the first half alone on Saturday.
Rat traps were placed throughout the football facility this week to warn the players about the atmosphere: a FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, where about 28,000 fans watched Alabama-Vanderbilt because of construction in the smallest non-COVID crowd for an Alabama conference game since 1963.
First-half miscues
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia finished the first quarter 4 for 4 for 56 yards as Vanderbilt possessed the ball for more than 10 minutes and converted three of its four third-down tries.
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Alabama found itself down 7-0 after the Commodores scored a touchdown. On the Tide’s first possession, a tipped pass resulted in a pick six, and Alabama’s deficit grew to 13-0.
VANDERBILT PICK 6
THE COMMODORES ARE UP 13-0 OVER ALABAMA 😮pic.twitter.com/Jkfg1efxGi
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 5, 2024
Into the second quarter, penalties hurt Alabama’s chance for momentum. Trailing 13-7, Alabama forced a punt on the Vanderbilt 47-yard line, but a penalty with both No. 2s (Zabien Brown and Ryan Williams) on the field at once gave Vanderbilt a first down. On the same drive, a facemask and roughing the passer gave Vanderbilt two more first downs en route to a touchdown to increase its lead to 20-7 with 9:32 remaining in the second quarter. Alabama nearly fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but the fumble call was overturned, preventing a catastrophe.
Alabama finished with those three penalties for 33 costly yards. It’s the continuation of a troubling trend as the Tide entered Saturday ranked 96th nationally in total penalties and 104th in penalty yards.
Despite a near-even margin in total yards (Vanderbilt 186, Alabama 159), the Commodores controlled the game by converting third downs — 7-of-10 in the first half. The result was a 21:28 to 8:32 advantage in time of possession.
Miller’s touchdown and Alabama stopping any more points by Vanderbilt created some momentum before the half, but Alabama will need perhaps its best second half of the season to avoid a historic upset. Vanderbilt has never beaten an AP top-five team.
(Photo of the Vanderbilt players celebrating after Brock Taylor’s field goal late in the first half: Butch Dill / Imagn Images)
