No. 1 Alabama fell into the trap as Vanderbilt shocked the world with a 40-35 upset of the Crimson Tide on Saturday.
In just two weeks, Alabama experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Fresh off beating No. 1 Georgia, the Crimson Tide fell to Vanderbilt for the first time since 1984. Vanderbilt came into the game with a better game plan and just wanted it more than Alabama.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Third Down Defense
Alabama came into Saturday’s game leading the nation in stopping the opponent on third downs. That team did not show up on Saturday. The Crimson Tide forced Vanderbilt into 18 third downs, but they were able to convert 12 of them. Even when the defense came up with a stop on third down, penalties extended the drives. The Commodores were also a perfect 1-1 on fourth down conversions.
Penalties
The number of penalties was not as much of an issue as when the penalties occurred. Alabama was flagged for six penalties for 57 yards with only one of those on the offensive line. On Vanderbilt’s second touchdown drive of the game, the Alabama defense committed three drive-extending penalties. On a fourth down punt, Alabama had two guys on the field with the same number, resulting in a flag and a first down. On the same drive, Alabama had a face mask and a roughing the passer penalty on third downs that kept the Vanderbilt drive alive.
Defensive Struggles
There is no question that the defensive side of the ball was the problem tonight. No matter who the quarterback is, you can’t give up 40 points to Vanderbilt ever. It was just an overall disaster of a performance by the Alabama defense. Costly penalties, a lack of third-down stops, and looking flat-out lost covering the Vanderbilt rushing attack were the culprits.
Untimely Turnovers
Vanderbilt forced two turnovers against Alabama, and they came at the absolute worst times. The first was an interception off a tipped ball that Vanderbilt ran back for a touchdown, giving the Commodores a quick 13-0 lead and putting the pressure on Alabama. The second turnover was early in the fourth quarter when Alabama had slowly clawed its way back and was driving to take the lead. Jalen Milroe dropped back to pass, and a blitzer came through the line and forced Milroe to fumble.
Time of Possession
With an explosive offense like Alabama’s, it’s hard to win the time of possession category. The Crimson Tide didn’t just lose the time of possession category—it got dominated by Vanderbilt 42:08 - 17:52. You have to hand it to the Vanderbilt coaching staff. They had an excellent game plan to slowly march the ball down the field to shorten the game by letting the play clock drop below 10 before each snap.
The Crimson Tide will face South Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium next week at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be televised by ABC.
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