Vanderbilt pulled off a historic upset of the Alabama Crimson Tide last season, with the Commodores defeating the No. 1-ranked team in the country for the first time in program history, upsetting the Crimson Tide 40-35 in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

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Vanderbilt has used that upset to vault into a new stratosphere as a program, finishing 2024 7-6 and starting 2025 5-0. The nucleus of last year's historic upset is still in Nashville, with head coach Clark Lea, quarterback Diego Pavia, and tight end Eli Stowers back in the saddle as the Commodores are two wins away from tying last season's win total. This year's team looks different than years past, and if a couple of games fall in their favor, they could tie the most wins in a single season in program history (9).

 

Other people are beginning to notice what Lea is building in Nashville, as Vandy tries to pull off another big-time, program-defining win. They'll use as much magic as they can, which is why former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel will be roaming the Commodores' sideline on Saturday against the Crimson Tide, he said on his podcast.

 

Manziel has experience upsetting Alabama in Tuscaloosa, as he led the Texas A&M Aggies to a 29-24 victory over the Tide in Tuscaloosa in 2012. In that game, he passed for 253 yards and two scores and also had 92 rushing yards.

 

Vanderbilt will look to cash in on however much 'Manziel magic' is left in the tank as they take on Alabama at 2:30 p.m. CT at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Vanderbilt is currently a 10-point underdog to the Crimson Tide, who have not lost in Tuscaloosa since week two of the 2023 season.

 

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.

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