On a weekend fulla college football surprises, highlighted by Vanderbilt’s most unlikely victory over Alabama, coach Sam Pittman’s team finally found a way to get over the slump and win a close one, outlasting #4-ranked Tennessee, 19-14, in a slugfest of a game held on a warm October night in the Ozarks. The win not only righted the Razorback ship, it also, more than likely, saved Pittman’s job, at least for the time being (we all know how impatient the Arkansas fanbase can be).
No doubt, it was a crucial and timely W for the Hogs’ coach, team and fans, who piled onto the field in droves after the final horn blew; but make no mistake, Saturday October 5, 2024, will always belong to the Commodores of Vanderbilt University, a college without an official athletic department – one separate from academia, that is. Their upset over the top-ranked Crimson Tide ended a 60-game drought versus teams ranked in the top five, and 40 years of ‘Bama dominance.
Trust me when I say nobody saw this one coming, save perhaps for the Commodores, themselves. Clark Lea, the head coach and proud alum, summed it up best – “This is the dream, right here. And for the next 12 hours, I’m going to enjoy the dream. We’ve got more ahead of us, but this is what Vanderbilt football needs to be about: Big wins on big stages. We’re going to go get some more.”
It’s just like the sign read that some Vandy students unfolded in the fourth quarter – Shock the World. Indeed, they did just that and then promptly stormed the field, tore down a goal post, carried it downtown to the entertainment district of Nashville and raged late into the night. Party on, Vandy.
Missouri, Michigan and USC also felt the sting of the upset bug, as it was as present on college campuses Saturday as Covid was in 2020.
Back in Fayettenam, the Razorback defense continually rose up and met every challenge Tennessee threw at ‘em, while the offense adopted a more deliberate approach, running the ball early, often and successfully against the heralded Volunteer defense.
Defensive coordinator Travis Williams, or TWill as the kids call him, has not received enough credit in this column thus far, despite properly preparing his squad of souljas week after week. Once again, they were up to the task and held the high-flying Vols to a paltry 76 total yards of offense and zero points in the first half.
At times the contest resembled a street fight more so than a football game, incurring almost as many stoppages in play due to injuries as those scheduled for advertisements. While the majority of the fallen players were clad in orange and white, Arkansas QB Taylen Green did go down hard a coupla times during the second half and left the game in the fourth quarter with a bum knee.
No sweat, right? Next man up…
Enter Malachi Singleton, someone with very little game experience under his belt. After a shaky first series, the reserve settled down and calmly led the Hogs 59 yards on their final drive and, fittingly, scored the game-winning touchdown on an 11-yard keeper over the right side.
Speaking of next man up – freshman Braylen Russell, a 253 lb. tank of a kid from Bryant, filled in admirably for star running back Ja’Quinden Jackson late in the game, repeatedly plowing through the Vols’ defense line and chewing up yardage deep into their secondary. These daze a team must have depth at all positions, particularly running back, to compete. It’s nice to know big Braylen can fill that role behind Jackson.
With an always appreciated off week up next, the Razorbacks will utilize their free time by healing and continuing to get better as a unit. So, take this week and relish in the dub, but be ready for LSU and the home stretch, cuz the future looks bright, and success will require all fans on deck.
Woopig!