No. 16 Vanderbilt Football travelled to Tuscaloosa to take on the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday afternoon. The Commodores left with their first loss of the season, moving to a record of 5-1. In perhaps the most anticipated game in program history, attended by ESPN’s College GameDay, Vanderbilt stayed competitive but was hurt by turnovers and poor offensive play in the second half.

The Commodores got off to a fast start, with an early interception and touchdown, which helped to silence the sold-out crowd of 100,077 Crimson Tide Faithful. Both squads showed their resilience, however, battling through turnovers, penalties and big plays to keep the game neck-and-neck throughout, and the game was tied at halftime. Ultimately, Alabama was the more poised team and played a cleaner second 30 minutes, leading them to prevail 30-14.

In a matchup that was expected to be pass-heavy, the ground game and offensive creativity proved to be pivotal for both Alabama and Vanderbilt.

Talent wins

While Alabama poses a menacing roster top-to-bottom, its wide receiver unit is especially talented. The position room is led by the three-headed monster of Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard and Isaiah Horton, all of whom are projected to be NFL wideouts. In order to beat the Crimson Tide, Vanderbilt’s secondary would have needed an outstanding performance. While the unit had its moments, including an impressive fourth-down interception by Martel Hight early in the first quarter, Alabama’s catching core dominated. Especially against man coverage, the speed of the Crimson Tide’s receivers, particularly Ryan Williams, who had six receptions for 98 yards and a score, torched the slower Commodore defensive backs.

The player throwing the passes was also exceptional. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson had an incredible day. The redshirt junior remained perfectly poised throughout the game, delivering blow after blow against the Vanderbilt secondary, steadily moving the chains all day. Simpson’s arm was a huge asset for Alabama, throwing for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns, as he continues to put his name in the Heisman conversation.

Blocked

Vanderbilt’s interior defense has been a solid unit so far this year, being ranked the 12th-best rushing defense in the nation. Against a stout Alabama offensive line, though, the Commodores were contained for much of the game. This gave time for run lanes to open and Alabama star running back Jam Miller to rush for 136 yards on 22 carries.

Vanderbilt’s pass rushers were also unable to get to the quarterback frequently. Simpson had ample time to look downfield to his star receivers. Even when Simpson was pestered, he continued to make big throws under pressure, showcasing why he is considered one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

The Commodores did not have a bad edge rushing attack on the stat sheet, posting four team sacks. They were led by Joshua Singh, who continually found himself in the pocket and yielded four tackles that included a sack and two tackles-for-loss on the day. Vanderbilt’s line is loaded with talent, and this unit will have the ability to bounce back and prove this was a one-off performance.

Terribly timed turnovers

Vanderbilt’s offense was far from perfect, but moving the ball with 100,000 Crimson Tide fans yelling at the top of their lungs is no easy task. While the offense was stagnant at times, especially in the second half, it found itself with numerous opportunities to strike against its opponents.

Diego Pavia played particularly recklessly, especially as the game went on, throwing passes into heavy coverage and taking hard hits from the defense. Twice in the game, his decision-making led to the ball being turned over in red zone situations. His fumble in the first half and interception thrown into tight coverage in the fourth quarter seemingly ended up being the plays that decided the outcome of the game. Pavia recorded a RTG of 102.6 in the game — his lowest of the year. His efficiency and self-composure must be better if Vanderbilt is to be a contender in the SEC moving forward.

While the Commodores did not leave Tuscaloosa with a win, they fought hard against one of the premier teams in the country in a marquee matchup. Vanderbilt now enters a bye week and will have a chance to rest up before the remainder of their SEC slate.

Vanderbilt will next play No. 13 LSU at home on Saturday, Oct. 18, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.