A stunner: Vanderbilt knocks off No. 1 Alabama for first win against top-5 team

Vanderbilt snapped a 40-year losing streak against Alabama and earned its first win over a top-five team in program history with a 40-35 upset over the No. 1 Crimson Tide.

The Commodores had a pick-6 in the first half and put the game away after sacking Alabama QB Jalen Milroe in the fourth quarter.

Eight plays after Miller's fumble, Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia found Kamrion Johnson for a 6-yard TD on third down. It was another third-down conversion on a full day for the Commodores.

As of Saturday, Vanderbilt had not beaten Alabama since a 1984 win in Tuscaloosa. And the series hasn't stopped in recent years. The four times Alabama played Vanderbilt while the Crimson Tide was coached by Nick Saban, Vanderbilt scored a combined 13 points.

The Commodores hit that number in the first quarter Saturday when Randon Fontenet intercepted a deflected pass and ran it 29 yards for a TD.

Alabama cut Vanderbilt's lead to five late in the game on a fourth-down touchdown run by freshman sensation Ryan Williams. But Vanderbilt was able to run out the clock with three first downs and prevent Alabama from getting another touchdown to win the game.

Not only was Vanderbilt's first win over Alabama in 40 years, but the Commodores' first win over Nashville's Crimson Tide since 1976. 0-60 against teams ranked in the top five of the AP Top 25.

Diego Pavia is King of Alabama

Last season, Pavia was the starting quarterback for a New Mexico State team that knocked Auburn out of its own stadium. On Saturday, he led Vanderbilt to the biggest win in program history.

Pavia's transfer to Vanderbilt wasn't one of the biggest transfer portal moves of the season. But it has already turned out to be one of the most consequential. He was incredibly clutch throughout the game and threw just four incompletions. Pavia was 16-of-20 passing for 252 yards and two TDs. His first TD came in the third quarter with Alabama leading the Commodores by just two on fourth down.

Vanderbilt was 12-of-18 on third down and Pavia's TD pass was its only fourth-down attempt. Alabama's defense simply couldn't get on the field. Vanderbilt held the ball for more than 40 minutes and didn't turn it over while turning both of Alabama's turnovers into touchdowns. This is a recipe for an upset every single time.

An unexpected loss for Alabama

No one could have guessed that Callen DeBoer's first loss as Alabama coach would come at Vanderbilt, a team that was picked to finish last in the 16-team SEC. Make no mistake, the Commodores are scrappy and have a chance to contend for a bowl this year. And it's clear Alabama has some work to do.

The Tide looked terrific in the first half against Georgia a week ago before Ryan Williams' heroics allowed the Bulldogs to take the lead late. Williams was great again Saturday — he had a stupidly good TD catch in the fourth quarter — but it's clear he and Milro can't carry Alabama by themselves.

Milro was 19 of 25 passing for 312 yards and completed passes to nine different receivers. Williams had three catches for 82 yards and two total scores. But the run game managed 84 total yards and the defense left a lot of big plays up in the air.

Alabama's playoff hopes aren't shot by any means, but the Tide is a shining example of how tough life is going to be for all the top teams in the SEC right now. If Alabama loses on the road at Vanderbilt, it's hard to see anyone else going undefeated in the regular season.