[dramatic music playing]
[Andy Staples] The scariest thing in the SEC…
you could run into a day
that just turns into a nightmare.
[players grunting]
For two programs, on that Saturday night, it was a life-changing event.
Unbelievable scene. It was insane.
A moment like this should not even be possible.
[commentator 1] Inside the 40, Braylen to the 30!
-[Andy] This wasn't a miracle. -[commentator 2] He's gonna break…
[Andy] It was two nuclear bombs that hit on the same day.
Where all of a sudden, your entire worldview has shifted.
This was shocking.
[dramatic music fades out]
-[rain pattering] -[thunder rumbling]
[man 1] Our daily stroll around the facility.
-[man 2] It's what we do. -[both chuckling]
[man 1] The conditions, they're not necessarily ideal for the walk.
[man 2 laughs]
[man 1] We can't expect anyone to see what we're doing as important
unless we see it first as important.
I'm Clark Lea. I'm the head football coach at Vanderbilt.
In high school,
there was some decent hellraising going on.
[man 2] Smoking a cigarette without the filter.
-Yeah. -[both laughing]
[Clark] Barton and I have been friends since the seventh grade.
Grew up going to games here at Vanderbilt.
[intriguing music playing]
[commentator] Tries to get outside! He fumbles!
[Clark] Vanderbilt football is a program that's been the brunt of many jokes.
[producer] How has Vanderbilt been viewed, historically, in the SEC?
[laughing] Was that a serious question?
How bad-- how bad, um…
I mean, Vanderbilt's always been…
the punching bag.
They are considered the worst.
[commentator 2] Georgia shuts out the Commodores, 43 to nothing.
-[commentator 3] 25 to nothing. -[commentator 4] 34 to nothing.
Vanderbilt has always been viewed as the doormat of the SEC.
That's kind of disrespectful to doormats.
[commentator 4] Neal goes deep. It is intercepted!
[Michael] The number one question I get asked from SEC fans,
when the league is gonna kick them out.
Vanderbilt is my alma mater.
[commentator 5] Clark's gonna run it back, baby.
[Clark] As a player, I won six games here in three years.
As a kid, I grew up dreaming of greatness within this program.
[Barton] When we were the Vanderbilt fans amongst our friends,
it was like we were the guys that were just rooting for the underdog, I guess.
This program could become a college football powerhouse.
That's what I want for this to be, and I believe the breakthrough will come.
-[indistinct chattering] -[whistle blowing]
[Clark] Let's go, boys.
Part of my return here is to be the savior of this program,
and I say that knowing how egotistical it sounds.
Here we go.
We got dual left, Z-ply, H-loop, odd-sumo.
Okay. Ready.
You have to have a certain level of belief to build Vanderbilt football…
Work your vices!
Here we go!
…to a point of significance.
Hold, hold.
Throw. Bam. That's it, that's it. Yes!
When I got here two years ago, trying to get the program up on its feet…
Bam! Go. That's it.
Bam!
The biggest challenge is not changing the outside opinion of the program,
it's changing the belief inside the program.
The first 12 days,
we had 26 guys that were late or missed training.
Imagine getting the shit beat out of you
to the point where you realized maybe you can't win.
And apathy sets in.
We'll keep on the same message here. Is it about elevating big ways or small?
-[team] Small ways. -Small ways.
And we were starting from the studs.
What did you learn about yourself last week
that's gonna allow you to be just a little bit better?
-Can we be better Thursday? -[team] Yes, sir.
If I cross my feet… Which is what you're doing, CJ.
If I'm here and he cuts back, what am I?
-[player] Off tackle. -I'm fucked.
Everything had to be taught.
What are we becoming? You have to have an identity.
You're an All-SEC D-lineman, you just gotta get to that point.
Remember, action is the basis of everything.
Discipline…
Push! Yes! Push, go!
…respect. That's the one right there. Good. Then what? Spirit.
Let's fucking go! Get lined up!
That's actually what's gonna take us where we want to go.
I needed to convince these guys of the belief that we're here to win.
We want to win a championship, go to the playoffs.
The potential of what Vanderbilt football could be.
We become through our choices.
Discipline, respect, spirit in all things. I wanna make sure the focus is there.
-You good? -[team] Yes, sir.
-The mission? -[team] Win!
[Clark] Make that the point of today. Bring it in here tight.
[players cheering indistinctly]
[player] "Team" on three. One, two, three!
[team] Team!
[Barton] The first two years,
Clark really showed progress in a tangible way.
[Andy] In Clark Lea's first two seasons,
it seemed like he got players to believe that they can win in the SEC.
-[commentator 1] Dart lost the football! -[Andy] And they started to.
[commentator 2] It's a foot race to the goal line. Nobody will catch him!
Until they lost ten games in a row.
And they didn't just lose, they got smoked in most of those games.
[Paul] You could sense they were getting a little bit better,
but… we'd all snicker.
They're like an overpriced stock.
[commentator 3] And here comes Alabama!
[Paul] Historically, when there are games against Alabama and Georgia,
the stock starts to crater.
[commentator 3] And Alabama looking for more!
[Clark] For the first time, I started to have doubts too.
I felt just an incredible amount of shame in that,
in a place that means so much to you.
But it's like, "All right, Clark, we're gonna keep fighting."
Self-doubt, the fear of being good enough,
was everything that I came in to change.
[Barton] Coming out of '23,
we'd talk to high school kids and say, "We were two-and-ten last year."
We're not gonna beat Alabama on five-stars and top 100 players.
When Clark asked me to take this job as the general manager
to try to improve our roster,
we had to rethink the way we were gonna build a program.
The next couple of weeks is when we see families here or on the road
just to… just to engage,
and meeting with a parent was very meaningful.
I agree with that. That was productive last week.
[Barton] We can't just look at the obvious prospects.
Let's find the guys that maybe someone else might have passed on.
Just underscores the importance of maintaining those connections.
We started focusing on players with some level of resilience.
Everybody good? All right.
The new players that came in represented the real breakthrough.
Young, hungry, chip on the shoulder, out to prove the world they're wrong.
That's why we brought in Diego.
-[night chirping] -[dogs barking in distance]
[player] When you wake up earlier than everyone,
there's like a confidence to it.
Like you could conquer anything.
Diego Pavia. Quarterback, Vanderbilt.
Gonna be the best ever to walk the Earth.
I never let doubt creep in.
It's just engraved in my head since I was a kid.
Forgot to text my mom this morning.
-[friend] Always gotta do that. -Yep.
My mom always told me, "Outwork everyone, and you'll be successful."
When I first got here,
they told me I wasn't able to work out at three in the morning.
I would sneak in the weight room, and I would, like, jam it open.
Broke the door, in a sense, and it would never really close.
And I would lift.
If you tell me I can't do it, I'll do it right in front of your face.
Over and over and over and over again.
I don't care who you are.
Eighteen on the neck.
-[Diego] Sixteen! -Sixteen on the bi.
What was it before?
The gun is the same. Neck went up an inch.
-At least someone does it right here. -[man] You know that.
[Diego] My dream was to always play for A&M,
Florida, Alabama…
But out of high school, no one wanted me.
What up, coach?
[somber music playing]
[birds chirping]
[producer] When I first met you, you said you were 5'10" and an eighth.
[laughs] I got measured at 5'9" and 7/8ths, actually.
[laughing]
Always had doubters.
Like, "He can't do it 'cause of his height."
I played at New Mexico Military junior college,
and we won the national championship, and then New Mexico State recruited me.
[commentator 1] Pavia trying to take a shot deep.
He's got a man!
And it's complete! Justice Powers!
What I expected to see when I turned that film on
was some, you know, 6'5" gunslinger that had just been overlooked.
What I saw instead was a small, tough,
uh… [chuckling] …wrestler.
I was blown away.
[commentator 2] Pavia to the corner of the end zone!
Touchdown!
[Andy] Diego Pavia, he is a quarterback who's not huge.
He doesn't have a cannon arm that's gonna make NFL scouts drool.
[commentator 3] The Aggies win the Quick Lane Bowl!
Congratulations on MVP for the Quick Lane Bowl.
Thank you so much, and God bless.
Diego has proven that he can win with other programs.
But will it work as he moves from New Mexico State into the SEC?
-[crowd cheering] -[marching band playing]
[Andy] This season, Vanderbilt's been tantalizing.
They're much more competitive than they were last year.
[commentator 4] It's Vandy at number seven Mizzou.
Big opportunity here for the 'Dores.
Vanderbilt is looking for a significant road victory.
One game to chart the direction of the program.
Dog-right, wide-left, tank-in, H-jab, on Sunday.
[Andy] The Missouri game represents an opportunity.
It's a top-ten opponent.
You win that game,
people start taking Vanderbilt football seriously.
[crowd shouting]
[Diego] One more. Ready, go.
[commentator 5] Pavia fakes the handoff.
Wants to load up. Does! Downfield shot! And he's got it!
[Andy] Diego's been great.
He's playing like the little tiny dog who thinks he's a Rottweiler.
[commentator 4] Here we go. Overtime. Vanderbilt tied up with Mizzou at 20.
Looking to throw to Fisher! Touchdown Vanderbilt!
-[whistle blowing] -[crowd cheering]
[player] Let's go!
[commentator 4] Goodness. I can't say enough about Diego Pavia.
[Alyssa] I saw a sideline that could feel belief.
[player 1] That's SEC, baby!
We haven't fucking won yet. Cheer on the defense.
[player 2] Cheer the defense, y'all! Let's go!
[Alyssa] Unranked Vandy going to Missouri and pulling the upset.
Having that game that everyone would've been talking about.
[commentator 4] We're tied at 27.
[commentator 6] Missouri takes the lead.
Vandy could answer with a field goal or win it with a touchdown.
Can you break through the door?
[commentator 4] Pavia takes the snap. He hopped back.
He throws, it is deflected. Incomplete.
You want to hug Vanderbilt and prop them up, but…
[commentator 4] And now Brock Taylor will try to send us into a third overtime.
It's still hard to take Vanderbilt seriously.
[commentator 4] He hooked it!
-Missouri survives! -[crowd cheering]
Need I say more? [chuckles]
[Clark] Obviously disappointed in the result.
We have to set our sights ahead.
Starts with a great opponent in Alabama.
[pensive music playing]
[Andy] Let's be honest.
It feels like that early-season progress was a mirage.
Because if you're gonna lose to Missouri,
what's gonna happen when you play Alabama, the best team in the country?
Alabama, as a football program, is cream of the crop.
[players grunting]
[Andy] Alabama won six national titles between 2009 and 2020.
Playing Alabama is a little bit like being matched up with Tiger Woods
in the final round of a major.
You're going to lose.
[commentator 7] Milroe, keeper.
[commentator 8] Tightroping down the sideline! Touchdown!
They've got guys who are gonna play in the NFL at almost every position.
[crowd cheering]
Quite frankly, this matchup makes David and Goliath look like a fair fight.
[dramatic music playing]
-[whistle blowing] -[Clark] Let's go! Come on. Let's go! Hey!
[indistinct chattering]
There's-- Yeah. That over is non-existent.
[Andy] So the question is, can Clark Lea handle this?
Because the hardest thing in the world
is to have a locker room to keep believing when you're not winning.
I don't know if it's ever gonna get turned around.
[players grunting]
[Clark] We have to start winning.
You let one result lead to two, lead to three,
we're left with a two-and-ten season.
[coach] Here we go!
[Clark] Whatever my message is to the team,
it really becomes very hollow very fast
if they aren't seeing the vision we have for success.
Y'all need to be fucking out here!
-"Grind" on me, on three! One, two, three! -[team] Grind!
[players shouting indistinctly]
[crowd] ♪ Wooo! ♪
♪ Wooo! ♪
[chanting] Pig Sooie!
♪ Wooo! ♪
[chanting] Pig Sooie! Razorbacks!
[all cheering and applauding]
Let's welcome in the head coach of the Razorbacks.
He's with us here tonight.
Good-looking crowd here. A full house.
All right, let's get to our questions. I got a question from Jerry.
Um, wonders if you'll talk about the depth on the offensive line and the development.
[coach] Our line certainly has improved,
and I like them a lot 'cause they're good players.
I mean, I'd like them anyway,
but I like them more because, you know, they can play.
-[host] Helps when they can. -[coach] Right.
What makes Arkansas special is the people of the state.
[guitar twanging]
[coach] They love this team,
and you wanna win so they can go down to the coffee shop or whatever,
talk about the Hogs.
I'm not for sure that any amount of money can buy the feeling that comes with that.
Coaching is not a job, it's your life.
And it's personal.
When we lose a game, it's miserable.
And obviously, we are losing too much right now.
Pittman actually had a decent beginning to his Arkansas tenure.
[crowd cheering]
[Andy] But he hit a dip,
and the situation feels like it's snowballing.
It's getting worse and worse.
The people around the program don't wanna fire him,
but if you look at how things have gone, they seem to be headed in that direction
if Arkansas doesn't turn things around.
[Sam] Come tell me what I got.
All these articles about, "When's he getting fired?"
It takes, like, a whale, shark, python, all that together
skin to be a head coach in the SEC.
Your eleven o'clock today had to stay with Kyle and them.
-[Sam] Oh, that's today? -Mm-hmm.
Coach Pittman really is just like the most genuine guy you will ever meet.
Where's the rest of these? I think there were quite a few more.
Those are today's.
[Izzy laughs]
He'd literally do anything for anybody.
[Sam] But I wanna decide when I wanna walk out of here,
because I don't want these people in this building getting fired.
The head coach gets ten, eight, 15 million dollars to get fired.
That lady out there, she gets nothing.
Two weeks.
And so, this week feels like a really big game.
[keyboard clacking]
-[Sam] See you later. -[Izzy] Bye.
[suspenseful music playing]
[sports pundit] Arkansas and Tennessee set to do battle at Razorback Stadium.
Arkansas looking for a signature upset.
Of course, guys, Tennessee just looking to keep things rolling.
[music intensifies]
[Andy] This Tennessee team, they look like a playoff team.
They have a defensive line that is nasty.
[players grunting, shouting]
This is going to be hard, especially on Arkansas' offensive line.
[players chattering indistinctly]
Y'all ready to go?
[air horn blasts]
[Sam] Let's go, boys.
You guys are racing. We ain't in a race!
We're not doing any of this shit right.
[Andy] The offensive line, they have talent, but they're struggling.
And Sam Pittman built his reputation coaching offensive linemen.
So if you're playing on a Sam Pittman coached team,
it better have a good offensive line.
Brace your hips, get your heels back. Put your heels back.
Hop back, hop back! Put your heels back!
[player] Hut!
[coach] You got it. Do it again!
[Sam] With Tennessee, they're big, they're physical.
If we protect on offense, we'll have a good chance.
[coach] Here we go, boys!
[player] It'll be won in the trenches.
That's usually how most games are won, but especially this week.
My name is Fernando Carmona Junior.
I play offense line for the University of Arkansas,
left tackle.
[whistle blows]
[Fernando] The offensive line, your job is to protect the quarterback.
Don't let the quarterback get hit.
The O-linemen have my most deepest respect.
Because what they do is… it's the dirty work, it's the trenches.
Like, without them, I wouldn't be able to have the, you know, time to throw.
You know, the running backs wouldn't have the lanes to run in.
People don't realize it all starts with them.
Here we go. Be ready, we're on the turf.
Read the social media of the offense line, "The offensive line isn't playing great."
Four down. Hut!
[Fernando] We need to get back on track.
[Sam] That's better.
This ought to be trailing
every single time you're letting him get outside of you, okay?
[Fernando] All offense linemen are the bigger guys on the team.
We carry this big burden on our back of the pressure,
but also on our bodies as physically.
Hey, James. Do you got the food?
All right. I'm right by the buses.
I'm almost like a pregnant lady, you know?
It's a big game for me, so I need to fulfill my cravings.
Obviously we joke about our weights. That's just kind of in the offense line.
It's just funny to look at each other and just be like, "Ah, you're fat."
But that's part of being the position.
You have to be a chunkier boy, and we all embrace it, and we all love it.
Oh, James! Right here.
-Thank you so much, sir. -[James] Yeah.
This is what we came for right here.
But also SEC football is serious.
You have to be fearless.
[player] Yeah, it's so good. You try the cornbread there?
And, you know, that's my quarterback, and you don't wanna see anybody hurt him.
[radio host] Dave, Alabama in this game is a 23-point favorite.
Bama is the far superior, talented team.
If they go out there and handle their business,
they're going to win this game, probably win it handily.
[producer] Here. Take my phone.
Press "play" on it.
The only place you play in the SEC that's not hard to play is Vanderbilt.
[both laughing]
[Nick Saban] If you're Vanderbilt, you have more fans there than they have.
I heard that.
That fuels me.
[coach] Shove, shove!
[Diego] I can't wait till I score. I might chuck this thing up.
-Sign it, chuck it to you up there. -That's fine.
-You can't throw it that far. -[Diego] Shit.
After, Diego do this shit.
He was by the sideline. This the sideline. He fake like he was finna walk out, bro.
[players laughing]
-[player] He be tripping, bro. -He be like trying 360s.
[Diego] Talk all the shit you guys want right now. Wait till team run.
When I first got here, it was like,
"Man, we play freaking Alabama, we play Kentucky."
"This game's winnable. I don't know about this. This one's not."
Like, what the hell you talking about? Every game is winnable, you know?
And so that pissed me off.
-[coach] Turn around! Yeah, yeah, yeah! -[whistle blowing]
[Clark] We had a huge opportunity at Missouri
to get ourself to an important benchmark.
I was disappointed we came up short.
If I'm feeling it, that's probably tenfold for our players.
We're asking these players to keep fighting for more,
independent of the results.
That's a characteristic not many people have.
[Diego] Listen, listen, listen. I need you guys right here.
Solo left, two Roger, wide drill, disc on Monday! Ready!
[Clark] His belief and confidence,
to have that kind of heartbeat in the locker room,
is such a powerful connector to get us to this breakthrough point.
[Diego] One more. Ready, go.
This ain't play around time no more.
-Hey, Jamoni, try to stay on this side. -[Clark] Thirty-two!
-[Diego] In the middle is a safety hazard. -[Jamoni] Yeah.
You know, Diego's competitive personality, it burns hot.
-[Diego] Hurry, bro. Need one more run. -[player] I don't wanna run PT.
-[Diego] You changed, bro. -[player] This isn't after, it's before.
I look at him pushing teammates beyond what they think they're capable of.
[Diego] Let's go, let's go, let's go!
I just don't care. I just… That's just the kind of guy I am.
That's all I care about is winning.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Listen. That's how you finally go get a ball.
There's never been an attempt by me to limit that
'cause I think it's so important for Vanderbilt right now.
[players shouting indistinctly]
[indistinct chattering]
[Diego] No, that's the Spanish way, jackass.
Sometimes people don't understand that I'm really just wired different.
[friend 1] Diego, seriously, how are you a Yankees fan?
'Cause I'm a fucking winner, Mosey.
And so that's why it's really, really good that I got Eli here too.
Oh my God.
He's like, "What?!"
I'm Eli Stowers. I play tight end at Vanderbilt University.
Eli, if you gave a pregame speech, what would it sound like?
[friend 2] Some bullshit!
[all laughing]
[Eli] I actually went to New Mexico State and played with Diego,
so I think it would be a missed opportunity
if I didn't try and help him and the team develop a relationship
and an understanding for each other that translates off the field to on it.
So that you want to go out there and play for your brother.
Am I the most accurate quarterback you know?
[producer] What do people need to know about Diego?
[chuckles] Uh…
He's been doubted his whole life.
I can't sit here and lie,
and act like I believed that this 5'10" little Hispanic kid
could be a quarterback.
But I was wrong.
And, um, when I actually decided to come out here to Vanderbilt,
honestly, it had a lot to do with the confidence that I had in Diego.
[Diego] So this is really the last dance.
[Eli] We both gotta go get it.
[Diego] If I'm MJ, who are you?
[Eli] I guess I'm Scottie.
-[Diego] I'm Dennis. I do the dirty work. -[Eli] If I'm being honest.
I'm MJ. You're Dennis.
-[Diego] All right, chill the freak out. -[Eli] Sorry.
[gas stove clicking]
[Diego] You gonna put some butter on the bottom or no?
This is a burger, bro.
-[Diego laughs] -You don't need that.
Mmm.
-[Diego] Don't make my shit too salty. -[Eli] Talking to me.
-Did you just say "salty"? -[Diego] Yeah.
Your whole family's from Mexico, you'd think you'd like some seasoning.
[Diego laughing]
[Eli] Diego being, you know, a little gritty,
how confident he comes off as,
sometimes it can go a little far.
-You always find a way to hate on me. -[Eli] You're doing better.
No, what do I do that's bad?
[Eli] As a role model for kids,
you shouldn't go out in public and cuss in front of everyone. [laughs]
-But I don't cuss… to "mother F" someone. -You have to stop doing that.
Sometimes I'm talking to Eli, he's like, "Yo, dude, just chill."
"Everything's cool," you know?
And the fact is that the way that, you know,
that he approaches his day-to-day work
can be something that inspires his team.
[upbeat music playing]
[Diego grunting]
It inspired me. I'm like, bro, I need that if I wanna be successful.
[Diego] These guys didn't have a winning attitude when I first got here,
but I'm gonna lift them up,
I'm gonna make sure I'm gonna get the best out of everybody.
Pump that shit again!
[anticipatory music building]
[crowd cheering]
[sports pundit 1] It's a football Saturday in Arkansas.
[sports pundit 2] Tennessee's 5-and-0. Outscored the opponents
by an average of 54 to seven.
[sports pundit 3] Tennessee, 8th best at pressuring the quarterback.
Arkansas, 103rd in sacks allowed.
Offensive line's really not good,
and I think Arkansas is headed the wrong direction.
Oh, what a night, baby.
[Andy] This is a game that Arkansas is expected to lose,
and if you lose this one,
I don't know if Sam Pittman's gonna make it.
Take a knee real quick, guys. Come on.
We got one of the greatest crowds we've had
since we've been at the University of Arkansas
waiting on you right out here tonight. Why?
They're coming to see you win.
I've played for a lot of head coaches,
and Coach Pittman, by far, is the most genuine
and the one who cares about his players the most.
This is probably the closest offensive line I've been a part of.
We're gonna beat number four tonight.
We're gonna win tonight.
It ain't how you look, it's how you freakin' play.
It ain't how you play, it's how we all play together.
We ain't gotta have the most stars. We just need the best team.
-Y'all good? -[team] Yes, sir!
-Let's go kick their ass. -[player] Go get 'em!
[players cheering]
[suspenseful music playing]
[crowd cheering]
Go!
[crowd chanting] Wooo Pig Sooie! Razorbacks!
[Fernando] Coach Pittman,
we wanted to show him
that we had his back and that we were gonna do this for him.
[commentator 1] As we start the fourth quarter,
the Razorbacks down 14 to ten.
Tennessee the fourth ranked team in the land,
the Hogs are giving them all they want.
14:52 to play in the football game.
Razorbacks first-and-ten at their own 33-yard line.
Green to throw, got some time down the field!
Caught!
Let's go! Let's go!
The offensive line was playing great against a really good defense.
[Sam] We got Taylen Green,
we got a chance to win.
[commentator 1] First down at the 45.
Green's gonna throw without a huddle.
That pass is complete,
out of bounds at the Tennessee 15-yard line!
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 1] They hit Taylen Green late.
Green is down. Green is down.
[somber music playing]
[Taylen] You know, I just saw my knee, and it just started swelling up.
It was like a grapefruit.
[crowd cheering]
[player] You know that, bro! You fucked up, bro!
-You gotta fucking play smarter! -[coach] Hey. Come on, here we go.
[player] We don't need that.
[Sam] Taylen, you know, getting hurt and then Malachi Singleton coming in…
you know, Malachi was always one of them guys
that, you know, he never really got on the field.
[commentator 1] Third down and goal.
Bad snap!
Singleton picks it up, and they dump him right away.
Boy, that didn't work out.
They're gonna have to kick a field goal to try to get within one.
It's a good snap.
The kick's on the way, and the kick is good.
Hey, hey. Time to knuckle down. Let's go.
We're in the line of scrimmage. I don't give a shit who they are.
Don't nobody care who they are.
[commentator 1] Third down and nine.
Hogs got to hold 'em right here to get the ball back.
Down one, 3:35 to play in the game.
[tense music playing]
[commentator 1] Nico gets the snap. Got some time.
Throws it short! It's incomplete.
[crowd exclaiming]
[commentator 1] And Arkansas is gonna get it back.
[Sam] What do we gotta do? Let's see. We gotta score to win?
What's insurmountable about that? Nothing.
We just all gotta have our eyes up and see it.
-Does everybody hear what I'm saying? -Yes, sir.
[Fernando] And so, with Malachi, our game plan changed,
and we were gonna run the damn ball.
And now it's on us to, you know, execute and put the game away.
[commentator 1] Having the football right now.
At the 41 with 3:20 left.
[Joshua] When you run blocking,
you have to move the man across from you, just change him off of his path.
You have to make a hole…
to protect the running back.
[commentator 1] Inside the 40, Braylen to the 30,
cuts back inside the 25!
[Joshua] You just have to come together as a unit.
[commentator 1] Two minutes!
Russell rumbles down to the 11-yard line!
It was like some 1950s football. Like, very slow.
[commentator 1] They fake it to Russell, and Singleton right side!
-Touchdown, Arkansas! -[crowd cheering]
Malachi Singleton from 11 yards out!
[commentator 2] It's 19 to 14,
and a touchdown could win it for Tennessee.
Nico wants to throw.
Here comes the pressure.
Spins away, rolling left.
Has some open field in front of him.
Fires it deep down the field.
And it is caught.
[Sam] It's a lot different if you're two scores up,
and you got the ball and you're kneeling on it,
versus you're one score ahead and they're driving on you.
Let's go!
[commentator 1] Broke that pass up.
It's fourth down.
And with six seconds to go, we are down to this.
Arkansas trying to pull off the upset.
But they've gotta survive one more play.
Come on. Come on.
[commentator 1] Rolling right, still looking downfield.
Arkansas wins!
[crowd cheering wildly]
[commentator 1] The Razorbacks have knocked off Tennessee,
and they're rushing the field!
[Sam] That last drive was a thing of beauty.
You don't win without the O-line. This was their best game.
All hell's breaking loose, you know, because the fans ran out there,
but first top-five win in a long, long time.
I don't know how long, but been a while.
[players cheering]
Now, listen, the teams in the past that's been at Arkansas,
well, how the hell can't we be one of them?
-[players] Hell yeah. -We are now.
[players cheering]
[sports reporter] It's number one Alabama and Vanderbilt from First Bank Stadium.
The last time Vanderbilt beat Bama in the Music City,
Neil Armstrong took his one small step for man in 1969.
-[intriguing music playing] -[crowd cheering]
[indistinct chattering]
[players shouting enthusiastically]
Let's fucking go!
-[players shout] -There's no chance! There's no chance!
Come on! Here we go!
[rhythmic clapping]
[players shout]
-"Grind" on three! One, two, three! -[team] Grind!
[Clark] We all know what today means.
Saturdays, you get judged by all those outsiders.
But I'm gonna tell you this,
no one understands who we are, except for the people in this room.
And come what may,
don't ever, ever, ever forget who the fuck you are!
Yes, sir.
-We're a bunch of fucking warriors. Yes? -[team] Yes, sir.
Don't ever forget that. Don't ever forget what defines you.
I ain't walking out this bitch without a W!
[Clark] That's what we need today. This is our challenge.
But you have to know who you are.
And today,
if we do what we're supposed to do, the world finds out too.
From the first snap to the fucking last snap,
we dominate every single snap!
Let's fucking go! Let's go!
-"Win" on me, on three! One, two, three! -[team] Win!
[rhythmic clapping]
[all shout]
-[Clark] Team, are we ready? -[team] Ready!
[suspenseful music playing]
[Diego] I understand it's Alabama,
with freakin' six first-rounders and stuff.
I'm a first-rounder too, in my head.
You gotta be freakin' psychotic, a little bit, you know what I mean?
♪ Get up out of my face Back being out ♪
[Diego] We go in for the coin toss, and they're trying to laugh in our face.
I just kept telling them, "Shit, we gonna see."
Like, we gonna see.
[commentator 1] There's the kick-off.
Alabama, number one in the country.
Vanderbilt has never beaten a number one team in the country
in program history.
[Clark] Come on, boys, let's go!
Any competitive arena, you wanna throw the first punch.
[Diego] Ready, go.
[rousing music playing]
[commentator 1] Pavia drops back. He's got pressure.
Diego Pavia, a magician to get away from the pressure.
First down, Vanderbilt.
[Diego] Ready, go.
[commentator 2] Off the left side, lowers his shoulder.
And powers to the goal line!
He's in, and Vandy draws first blood!
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 2] Midway through this first quarter. Milroe…
-[player grunts] -[music stops]
-[music resumes] -[commentator 2] Intercepted!
Picked off by Vanderbilt!
In for the score!
[Clark] There's a landed punch,
while they were still kind of waking up to the game.
Yeah! Let's fucking go!
[Clark] But, you know, I mean, this is Alabama.
[commentator 1] This one is caught. Breaks a tackle at the 50.
Forty-five, 40, down the field.
And the Tide in plus territory.
Handoff, stays on his feet, bounces toward the left, he's got six.
[Clark] And they scored really quickly.
[Diego] Ready, go.
[commentator 1] It's a handoff. Alexander goes for it.
Touchdown, Vandy!
[Clark] We built a lead.
[commentator 2] Miller's got plenty of space,
and he's got a touchdown run.
[Clark] And then Alabama comes back.
[commentator 1] He's gotta break his way toward the end zone.
That was easy for the number one team in the country.
[Clark] In the past,
this is the moment when the team would lose confidence and break apart.
And now we have a person who, when he gets knocked down…
he gets back on his feet and always stays in the fight.
[intense music playing]
[commentator 1] Third down for Vanderbilt. Four minutes to go, third quarter.
[Diego] Here we go, here we go. One more. Ready, go.
[commentator 1] Five and a half yards to go for first down.
[commentator 2] It's gonna be a little bit short for Vanderbilt.
Fourth down.
What's the decision for Clark Lea?
[Clark] At some point in these games,
you're gonna have to take risks if you wanna win,
where you choose to be courageous
and you put the game in the hands of players that you trust.
[commentator 1] Fourth down and one, from the 36.
[Diego] One more. Ready, go.
We were supposed to do a play-action pass to Eli up the sideline.
It's not open. I'm like, "Oh, shit."
I said, "Fuck that."
[commentator 2] Pavia wants to throw!
And… caught!
Touchdown!
That might be the most Diego Pavia play ever.
On fourth and one, he goes deep.
[announcer] Vanderbilt, touchdown!
-They can't! Fuck no! Unbelievable. -Yeah, baby!
[Clark] But I would say that Alabama,
they are one snap from being back in the game.
[commentator 2] Unloads deep. Two men there.
It is caught at the sideline.
[Clark] I can feel the push to come back.
[commentator 1] They close the gap.
Vanderbilt by five.
One more drive, everything we got!
Every single one of us.
Just one more drive. Everything we got! It's up to us.
[Clark] To close it out, we need to weaponize the clock
to sustain this possession.
[commentator 1] If you're Vanderbilt, you've got to keep the football
away from Alabama.
You need first downs in a big way.
[Diego] One more. Ready, go.
[commentator 2] Big run, left side, and a first down for the Commodores!
Another first down,
and Vandy can take a knee and go into victory formation
against a number one team for the first time.
-[uplifting music playing] -[team cheering]
[commentator 1] 1:18 to go.
One more. Ready, go.
[commentator 1] It's an option toward the left for Pavia.
-[announcer] First down! -[commentator 1] It's a first down!
[crowd cheering]
Diego Pavia!
The magician from New Mexico!
What a moment here for Vanderbilt!
[Clark] After three-plus years of absolute agonizing climb,
we are on the brink of making a breakthrough.
[commentator 1] Is this real life? You bet!
The greatest moment in Vanderbilt football history!
-[uplifting music continues] -[crowd cheering]
[Clark] The narrative around our program is about to change,
opening eyes to what's possible here.
Oh my God! We won it.
It's a great feeling. Not a lot of people will experience it ever in their lifetime.
[journalist] You just beat the number one team in the country!
What's going through your mind right now?
I'm super thankful. Super thankful for guys like Eli Stowers.
Man, that kid's incredible. To the rest of our team, look at this!
Look at this!
Vandy, we're fucking turnt!
I knew I could play at the highest level. I see a vision in myself no one else sees.
I'm just the ultimate competitor that just wants to win at all costs.
The only place you play in the SEC that's not hard to play is Vanderbilt.
[Diego] I like to manifest things, you know?
So now people know that we can play with anybody.
And I'm not looking back.
It's pretty fun to slay Goliath, but the vision is, you know,
we're gonna become Goliath.
[crowd cheering]
[sports pundit 1] These people took that goal post
the better part of two miles, and chucked that thing in the river.
[sports pundit 2] Some of the stuff these students will remember
after their four years, happens tonight, literally in this moment.
You stayed in the fight, and you kept showing up,
and you kept coming back, and said, "I believe in what we're doing."
Thank you.
Vanderbilt football will be the best program in the country.
It feels great to be at a point now
where people see the vision and the program for what I see it.
And maybe not all the way as I see it, but we're incrementally getting there.
[crowd chanting] Said it's great to be an Auburn Tiger…
[Andy] When Auburn's good, Auburn's great.
The only problem is, when things are bad at Auburn,
they're really bad.
[man] Auburn, you wanna restore it to its glory,
it does take work and time and patience.
Stop! "Roscoe" is that way!
[Andy] LSU, if they wanna make the college football playoff,
they cannot slip up at all.
[sports pundit 1] Alabama and LSU in a playoff eliminator.
This is what you live for right here.
He's fucking short of the goal!
[player] Nuss, he's our best player.
[sports pundit 2] If Garrett Nussmeier leaves LSU,
this football program will be in some trouble.
[upbeat music playing] ill be in some trouble.