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The Tuscaloosa News
4 things Alabama football fans should know about Vanderbilt before first SEC road game
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- 4 things Alabama football fans should know about Vanderbilt before first SEC road game
To open its SEC road schedule, Alabama football is heading to Nashville, Tennessee for the first time since 2017.
The No. 2 Crimson Tide will take on Vanderbilt on the road 3:15 p.m. Saturday at FirstBank Stadium . The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
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Alabama has 23 straight wins against Vanderbilt dating back to 1985. Its last loss came Sept. 29, 1984 in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide 's win 1993 against Vanderbilt was later forfeited, while wins against the Commodores in 2006 and 2007 were vacated.
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Here are four things to know about Vanderbilt before Alabama takes on the Commodores Saturday:
Vanderbilt football takes opponents to overtime in 2024
Vanderbilt ’s Diego Pavia celebrates after a touchdown during Saturday’s game between Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville , Tenn., Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
Two of Vanderbilt's first four games of the 2024 season have come down to the wire.
The Commodores' season-opening win against Virginia Tech was a memorable one. Trailing 27-20 with less than two minutes left, quarterback Diego Pavia found Sedrick Alexander for an 8-yard score to tie the game and to secure overtime. And in overtime, Pavia struck again with a 4-yard touchdown run to win the game: Vanderbilt's third-straight season-opening win.
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Vanderbilt's second overtime game ended in heartbreak. Facing No. 8 Missouri , kicker Brock Taylor missed a 31-yard field goal in the second overtime period to give the Commodores their second loss of the season.
Vanderbilt has the fifth-best scoring offense in the SEC
Through four games, Vanderbilt has one of the top scoring offenses in the SEC.
The Commodores have averaged 37 points per game, 26th-best nationally and fifth-best in the SEC behind Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas .
But Vanderbilt's scoring explosion is paired with a run game that's 10th in the SEC with 169.8 rushing yards per game, a group that averages 4.3 yards per carry, and a pass attack that's 12th-best in the conference with 170.4 passing yards per game.
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Vanderbilt is one of three SEC teams to average less than 20 first downs per game along with South Carolina and Oklahoma .
Diego Pavia does a bit of everything for Vanderbilt offense
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) leaps over Missouri safety Marvin Burks Jr. (1) during overtime.
Everything Vanderbilt does runs through Pavia.
A New Mexico State transfer, Pavia leads the Commodores in both passing and rushing, accumulating 1,000 total yards through four games. He has eight total touchdowns - six passing and two rushing - and no turnovers.
Pavia currently as a career high in completion percentage (63.5%), yards gained per pass attempt (8.5), average yards per pass attempt (9.89) and passing efficiency rating (158.1). He also averages a career-high 69.8 rushing yards per game.
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Vanderbilt special teams has been bright spot
Vanderbilt's special teams unit will be one to watch against Alabama.
In four games, defensive back Martel Hight already has a punt returned for a touchdown: a 57-yard score in the Commodores' 55-0 win against Alcorn State . On his eight punt returns, Hight averages 21.3 yards per return.
Vanderbilt punter Jesse Mirco has also been a weapon. The Ohio State transfer has averaged 45.5 yards on 15 punts, landing four inside the 20-yard line and booting two punts of over 60 yards.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What Alabama football fans need to know about Vanderbilt
