Jared Curtis was in Dickson, Tennessee, on Oct. 5, 2024, scrolling on his phone when a video caught his eye: Vanderbilt students hauling a goalpost out of FirstBank Stadium.
At the time, Curtis was a heavily recruited high school junior and not much of a college football watcher. Still, he knew enough to understand what he was seeing.
Vanderbilt had just beaten No. 1 Alabama.
“I saw the aftermath, field storming, which is pretty cool,” Curtis said Tuesday in his understated way. “That was cool.”
That kind of reaction says plenty about how far Vanderbilt’s program has come since that night. The win over Alabama was more than a shock result. It was Vanderbilt’s biggest victory ever, its only win over a top-five opponent, and the kind of moment that changed how the rest of the sport viewed Clark Lea’s team.
Brock Taylor, who was Vanderbilt’s starting kicker in 2024, put it more directly.
“It was a special night,” Taylor said. “It was a huge turning point for our program.”
The ripple effect was immediate. Vanderbilt used that win to become bowl eligible that season, then carried the momentum into a 2025 roster that produced a program-record 10 wins.
Now the rematch is here, and the setup feels familiar in a lot of ways. This will be the first meeting between Vanderbilt and Alabama at FirstBank Stadium since that 2024 upset.
Vanderbilt is again a heavy underdog. Alabama is again near the top of the sport, this time ranked No. 3 by the College Football Playoff committee after its 31-13 win over LSU in Baton Rouge.
That mirrors the way Alabama arrived last year, fresh off a statement win over Georgia.
There’s one major difference, though: Vanderbilt’s current position is rougher. The Commodores are 4-5 and riding a five-game losing streak. They did get their first SEC win at Mississippi State in Starkville, but even that performance did not meet the standard the program wants.
Alabama, for its part, has made it clear it views Vanderbilt differently now than it did in Kalen DeBoer’s first season in Tuscaloosa.
Lea said the 2024 win still offers something useful for his team, even if he has not spent much time dwelling on it with this group.
“At that point in time, there was a lot in question about where the team was and where we were headed,” Lea said. “I think there's a lot that we can learn from that experience in this moment, too, where the season hasn't actually gone the way we've envisioned it, but here we are, and I think we're getting closer to that identity showing up.”
For Lea, the Alabama game is remembered not just for the result, but for how Vanderbilt won it. He pointed to a complete effort across all three phases, a full afternoon of consistent play, control of possession and an edge at the line of scrimmage through a physical run game.
He also made clear that while the memory matters, his focus this week is elsewhere.
“That game kind of jump started what I felt like was a really good run for us, a two year run,” Lea said. “I do believe it'll be a moment that we go back to when we're reflecting back on the program in 20 years. Right now, we’re in it and we’re focused on this week and what we need to do to beat Alabama.”
In Other News...
Former Vanderbilt Receiver's Legal Case Took An Unexpected Turn
A legal case involving former Vanderbilt wide receiver Kayleb Barnett took a notable turn this week, with the Davidson County District Attorneys Office dropping the charges that had been filed against him. Barnett had been facing allegations of aggravated assault by strangulation, identity theft and false identification after his October 11 arrest, and he was set for a court hearing on November 13 before the case changed course.
Barnetts arrest had already carried football consequences, as he was dismissed from Vanderbilts program for violating team and university standards. For the Commodores, it closes one difficult chapter around a player who had once been part of the roster, even as the details behind the original allegations had already cast a shadow over his departure. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Quarterback Uncertainty Just Changed Vanderbilts Week 11 Stakes
Alabamas quarterback situation has added a fresh layer of intrigue to Vanderbilts Week 11 trip, with the Crimson Tide suddenly having to sort through injury concerns at the games most important position. The matchup is set for Saturday at 12:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network, and the uncertainty comes at a time when every detail around Alabamas offense matters for a Commodores team trying to measure itself against one of the SECs standard-bearers.
Keelon Russell has been getting attention as the key variable, while backup Austin Mack has seen increased first-team reps in practice as the week has gone on. For Vanderbilt, that means the prep work has to account for more than one version of the Alabama offense, and the stakes of the game feel a little different now than they did at the start of the week. [Read more 🡒]
Martel Hight Gives Vanderbilt A New Offensive Question Down The Stretch
Martel Hights move from cornerback to wide receiver has gone from an intriguing experiment to a real roster adjustment for Vanderbilt as the season moves into its final stretch. Hight had already been getting looks on offense earlier in the year, and head coach Clark Lea has now confirmed the switch is permanent, with the staff betting that Hights speed and versatility can give the Commodores another useful piece on that side of the ball.
For Vanderbilt, the appeal is obvious: a player who came into the program on defense now gives the offense another way to create mismatches and add depth without having to wait for the offseason. The transition also speaks to how the staff is trying to maximize every available skill set late in the year, and Hights expanded role adds one more wrinkle for opponents to prepare for as the Commodores keep searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]