NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Alabama Crimson Tide have lots of experience being ranked No. 1 and staying focused on what matters most.
That’s lifting the national championship trophy at season’s end. So last week’s emotional victory over then-No. 2 Georgia is not going to linger enough for Alabama to trip up Saturday in a rare visit to Vanderbilt.
“It doesn’t matter what games we win on the journey,” Alabama safety Malachi Moore said. “It’s just another stepping stone into reaching the ultimate goal and that’s to win the national championship.”
Alabama (4-0, 1-0) could be forgiven for taking Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-1) a bit lightly after first-year coach Kalen DeBoer’s 41-34 win over Georgia in his introduction to the Southeastern Conference. Vanderbilt has never beaten a top-ranked team.
These Commodores made a lot of changes this offseason and are coming off a 30-27 double-overtime loss at then-No. 7 Missouri. They also are coming off an open date that allowed them to rest up. Vanderbilt opened the season by stunning Virginia Tech in overtime. Clark Lea, who took control on defense in his fourth season at his alma mater, said they have the spirit, energy and belief.
“We have to play smarter, and smart teams win,” Lea said.
Dangerous connection
The Commodores have a huge challenge in trying to slow down the Tide’s combination of quarterback Jalen Milroe and freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams. Nobody else has really managed it.
Milroe emerged from the Georgia game as the Heisman Trophy favorite. He has accounted for 18 touchdowns (10 passing, eight rushing) with only one interception. Williams leads the nation with an average of 28.9 yards per catch and has five touchdowns, including a late 75-yarder that gave Alabama the lead for good against Georgia.
Lea said Vanderbilt will have to be disciplined on defense. The Commodores are giving up 334 yards per game. He added Milroe will make defenses pay, so Vanderbilt can’t get frustrated when Alabama starts moving downfield.
“This comes down to explosive touchdowns and the ability to limit those and to force them to go a long, hard way,” Lea said. “It’s a really explosive offense.”
I know him
DeBoer and Lea have known each other for a long time, dating back to Lea’s arrival at South Dakota State for his first full-time coaching job. DeBoer credited Lea with doing a tremendous job this season getting Vanderbilt to play team ball. Lea brought in 51 new players this offseason, along with former New Mexico State coach Jerry Kill, his offensive coordinator Tim Beck and their quarterback Diego Pavia.
“Just really impressed with fundamentally … how well they do things on each side of the ball,” DeBoer said. “They’ve got some things they can hang their hat on, and they’re executing it well.”
Vandy’s big threat
Pavia was the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year at New Mexico State, and he loves proving people who passed on him earlier wrong. He led Vandy to that upset of Virginia Tech, and he found Joseph McVay for a 65-yard pass at Missouri for the Commodores’ longest offensive play this season. He threw for 178 yards and recorded at least two TD passes in three games for the Commodores.
He’s also a slippery threat when running. Moore called Pavia a “wild card. He’s a player that’s not scared of anything. He has nothing to lose and those players are dangerous. He’s a playmaker for their team.”
Alabama’s streaks
The Crimson Tide not only has dominated the series with the only private university in the SEC, they’ve won the last 23 games on the field. Alabama also has won 23 straight over unranked opponents. The last unranked team to beat the Tide was Texas A&M on Oct. 9, 2021.
The Commodores last beat Alabama in 1984, winning 30-21 on the Tide’s home field.
It’s a new week
Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan isn’t biting on whether “the sky is the limit” for Milroe. His answer could apply to the team, too.
“Each week in this conference at the highest level of competition of college football, which is what we’re in, it starts over,” Sheridan said. “You’ve got to earn it each and every week.”
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AP Sports Writer John Zenor contributed to this report.
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