Vanderbilt quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. watched the score at his brother’s football game, then went to a restaurant to see the incredible: Commodores 40, Alabama 35.

“It was exciting to see them beat Alabama,” Mitchell said. “But I’m not surprised. They could easily be 5-0 now.”

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Linebacker pledge Josiah Broxton hosted a wake party at his grandmother’s house.

“Seeing them dominate and control the whole game sent me and the whole family into a frenzy,” said the star from Tallahassee, Florida.

CHICAGO (Ill.) – Mt. Carmel quarterback commit Jack Elliott was at the homecoming pictures when the game ended, but after visiting Vanderbilt in the early summer a few months after his commitment, he knew the Commodores were heading in the right direction had struck.

“When I was there in June, I knew the program was going in the right direction, especially with the new attitude of not only the staff but the players as well,” Elliott said.

In one of the biggest upsets in college football history, Vanderbilt shocked Alabama 40-35 on Saturday night in Nashville. Fans then carried the goalposts across Broadway on a night Music City will never forget.

In the postgame press conference, Vanderbilt coach Clark Leah torn. Not only did the Commodores defeat Alabama (which peaked the week before with a win over Georgia), but Vanderbilt never trailed against the Crimson Tide.

It was the first time Vandy had beaten Alabama since 1984 and only the second time since 1969. In the last three meetings between these two teams, Alabama has outscored the Commodores 148-3.

Vandy obliges. Vanzale Hinton was at the stadium and called it a surreal experience.

“Going into the game, I knew they were ready,” Hinton said. “There are many more victories to come.”

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What’s even more spectacular is that Vanderbilt hasn’t had a winning season in a decade since the Vanderbilt days James Franklinwho posted back-to-back nine-win campaigns before leaving for Penn State.

But the Commodores might currently be 5-0, with just a four-point loss to Georgia State and a three-point decision to Missouri.

Now in his fourth season, Lea was 11-29 entering Saturday’s game against No. 1 Alabama. The Commodores had a 2-23 record in SEC games under the 42-year-old coach.

After Vanderbilt stunned Alabama 2026 safety Justin Hopkins of Nashville (Tenn.), Ensworth said the stadium went wild as fans stormed the field.

“People were jumping off the tracks to get onto the field,” Hopkins said.

Maybe this is the start of something special for Vanderbilt, where nothing special has almost ever happened in its football program.

Maybe it was a sweet, unforgettable night that will always be theirs.

“We just beat the No. 1 team in college football,” three-star defensive lineman George Okorie said.

“Mark my words: Vanderbilt will surprise the world. Keep sleeping on us. The whole world will wake up to the Coach Lea era.”

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