Alabama football found itself with an opportunity to seize the lead. With just moments left in the first quarter and trailing by six, the Crimson Tide had successfully compelled Vanderbilt to punt. Ryan Williams fielded the kick deep in his own territory.
As the UA offense geared up to advance down the field, a flag was thrown, pausing their momentum.
Williams and cornerback Zabien Brown, both No. 2, were on the field at the same time. Illegal substitution on Alabama, first down for Vanderbilt, which turned the drive into a touchdown to expand its lead to 20-7.
“We win together and we lose together,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer stated following the game. “Those moments are especially painful because they kept the drive going, ultimately leading to a touchdown. It was that hurdle we struggled to overcome throughout much of the game, and that was one of the early ones.
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The points ended up being critical as Alabama suffered a 40-35 loss in Nashville, marking their first defeat to Vanderbilt since 1984. This loss couldn’t have come at a worse time, tarnishing Kalen DeBoer’s initial season as Alabama’s head coach.
“This is on all of us,” DeBoer commented. “We have systems in place for communication to ensure everyone is aligned, but the plays we called needed specific players on the field. That information didn’t reach everyone, and we recognize that. We simply need to improve in that area.”
With this defeat, Alabama’s record drops to 4-1, 1-1 in the SEC, and they are expected to lose their No. 1 ranking when the AP poll is released on Sunday. The Crimson Tide will return to the field next Saturday against South Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt improves to 3-2 and will travel to Lexington to take on Kentucky.
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