The Vanderbilt Commodores' fans stormed the field, their excitement palpable as they dismantled a goalpost and triumphantly carried it out of the stadium, marching several miles before tossing it into the Cumberland River. This jubilant celebration was a fitting tribute to their school's monumental victory over the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Sedrick Alexander's two touchdowns, Randon Fontenette's pick-six, and Diego Pavia's stellar performance against Heisman Trophy candidate Jalen Milroe all contributed to Vanderbilt's stunning 40-35 win on Saturday. This marked the Commodores' first victory over the nation's top-ranked team, breaking a 60-game losing streak against AP top-five opponents, according to SportRadar. Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) had not defeated Alabama on the field in 40 years, but they ended a 23-game losing streak by executing one big play after another, securing the most significant win in coach Clark Lea's tenure.

"This is the dream," Lea said. "And for the next 12 hours, I'm going to savor this dream. We have more ahead of us, but this is what Vanderbilt football is all about: Big wins on big stages. We're going to chase more of these."

The Commodores started strong, scoring the first 13 points and building a 16-point lead, their largest ever over a No. 1 team. Alabama managed to narrow the gap to 23-14 just before halftime with Jam Miller's second touchdown. The Crimson Tide had recently ascended to the top of the AP Top 25 after a win over then-No. 2 Georgia, but their stay at the top will be brief. First-year coach Kalen DeBoer acknowledged the need for his team to regroup after a subpar performance on Saturday.

"We're going to discover how much we care about each other and what our future looks like," DeBoer said. "We've faced various challenges this season, and this is a different kind of test for our response."

Alexander's seven-yard touchdown on the opening drive set the tone for Vanderbilt, marking the first time since 2007 that the Commodores had scored first against Alabama, a feat last achieved in Nick Saban's second game as coach. The Tide (4-1, 1-1) contributed to their own downfall with numerous mistakes, sloppy play, and penalties.

Alabama closed the gap to 30-28 with Milroe's 58-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams, but Vanderbilt responded with 10 points. Thirteen of their total points came from Milroe's two turnovers, including a strip sack by Miles Capers recovered by Yilanan Ouattara at midfield. Pavia sealed the victory with a six-yard touchdown pass to Alabama native Kamrean Johnson with 5:07 left, giving Vanderbilt a 40-28 lead. Milroe attempted a late rally, but Vanderbilt fans and players began celebrating as Pavia kneeled down to run out the clock.

"Games like this change your life," Pavia said. Milroe's second pass of the game was tipped into the air by De'Rickey Wright, who committed to Alabama but ended up at Vanderbilt. Fontenette seized the opportunity, running 24 yards to the end zone for a pick-six, giving Vanderbilt an early 13-0 lead. The Commodores surged ahead to a 23-7 lead, only the second time in the last decade that a No. 1 team trailed an unranked opponent by 16 or more points.

Vanderbilt never trailed, dominating possession with over 42 minutes of ball control. Despite Alabama's 312-252 yardage advantage, Vanderbilt's efficient third-down conversions (12 of 18) wore down the Tide's defense. Linebacker Deontae Lawson emphasized the need for Alabama to learn from this experience.

"We never want to feel this again," Lawson said.