Three Vanderbilt football legends – two of whom led the Commodores to their last home field win over Alabama in 1969 – say they loved everything about this year’s shocking 40-35 victory over then-No. 1 Bama Oct. 5 at FirstBank Stadium and the ensuing celebration that ended with the torn-down goal post being dunked into the Cumberland River.

Only former quarterback Jordan Rodgers, who led the Commodores to back-to-back bowl games in 2011-12 and is now an analyst for the SEC Network, had anything to gripe about. He was supposed to be working the Nashville game and instead wound up covering host Texas A&M’s 41-10 romp over Missouri.

“One thing I am mad about is that I was supposed to be on the call for the game, and (fellow ESPN/SEC Network analyst) Jesse Palmer, his other job pulled him away so I had to fill in for (him),” Rodgers says, who worked last Saturday’s Vandy win at Kentucky.

“So I’ve got to say Palmer owes me one because I was supposed to be on that (Bama-Vandy) call instead. I was watching it from a hotel room in College Station (and) yelling at the screen just as loud as I would have been in person.”

55-year-old memories

Also doing a lot of shouting were former quarterback Watson Brown and halfback Doug Mathews, who led the Commodores’ 14-10 victory over the No. 13 Crimson Tide in 1969 at Dudley Field.

Both greats went on to lengthy coaching careers and have worked in local sports talk radio in recent years. And both agree the 2024 win evoked memories of the year they helped the Commodores take down the Tide. Brown and Mathews each threw a touchdown pass in that memorable game.

“It was almost 55 years to the very day, the fifth game of the year, that we beat Alabama and Coach (Bear) Bryant in Nashville 14-10,” says Mathews, who now hosts weekend sports talk shows on 104.5 The Zone.

“And much like the 1969 game, (this year’s win led by transfer graduate quarterback Diego Pavia) wasn’t a fluke play or a fluke player. Vanderbilt outplayed Alabama the whole ballgame. It was a game where Vanderbilt won that game. It wasn’t Alabama giving it to them on a silver platter. So it was very impressive and not surprising.

“Normally when you win a game like that, it’s kind of a squeaker. Maybe you win on a field goal 14-10 or 9-8. But to score 40 points on what many consider one of the better defenses in the Southeastern Conference (and) coming off a big win against Georgia, that was quite an accomplishment.”

Brown, who served as head coach at four schools, including his alma mater from 1986-90, discussed the most recent win over the Tide as a guest on the George Plaster Show, now on 94.9 The Fan.

Photo by George Walker IV | AP
Vanderbilt fans tear down the goal post after the team’s 40-35 win against No. 1-ranked Alabama.

-- Photo By George Walker Iv | Ap

“Alabama, man, I mean, they got beat. That’s all there is to it. There was no fluke,” Brown says. “After we knocked off Alabama in 1969, we played Georgia in the next week and got beat good (losing 40-8 en route to a 4-6 season). We didn’t handle it very well.”

Brown and Mathews see similarities between this season’s stunner and theirs. Alabama was coming off huge victories both times – over Ole Miss in 1969 and Georgia now.

“(Alabama) had just played Ole Miss and Archie Manning and it was a very high-scoring game for that time of football in the 1960s. And they won, so it was big nationally. Then they came to (Nashville) and we knocked them off when they were not ready to play us,” Brown recalls.

“I don’t know that Alabama wasn’t ready to play (this year). I just think their defensive plan was awful. But it’s the same thing. I thought they’d handle it by beating Georgia, but when they got ranked No. 1 on Monday, I said ‘uh-oh’ because that’s going to be harder to handle.”

Less expensive celebrations then

Mathews recalls the fans’ postgame celebration then was much the same as now – minus the SEC’s $100,000 fine that followed the most recent field storm.

“Back then, they didn’t fine you for coming on the field like they do now,” Mathews says. “It was a big-time deal. Coach Bryant came into our locker room and spoke to us. It was a blessing.

“You don’t forget things like that, and I’m sure this Vanderbilt team will not forget this one, either. And beating the No. 1 team, you don’t get a whole lot of opportunities to do that,” Mathews says. “Certainly, since my playing days, this has to be at the very top of great wins.”

Rodgers, who went 0-1 versus Alabama during his two-year tenure, followed the postgame celebration on social media from his Texas hotel room.

“If was there, I would have been marching right with them, probably trying to ride the goal post down to Broadway,” says Rodgers, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in VU’s 38-24 win over North Carolina State in the 2012 Music City Bowl.

“I was bummed that I wasn’t there in person like I was supposed to be. But it was pretty fun to see how it all transpired and see the passion of the fans. It was something we maybe will never see again – at least not to the magnitude that we saw it.”