Clark Lea delivers emotional statement on upset win vs. Alabama: ‘We expected to win’
Vanderbilt shocked everyone except themselves on Saturday.
Defeating No. 1 Alabama 40-35 in a historic upset for the Commodores, Vanderbilt went toe-to-toe with the then-top-ranked team in the country and came out victorious. They outgained Alabama in total yards, and dominated time of possession. Head coach Clark Lea was emotional after the win, believing his team was too prepared for the outcome to be a fluke.
“As far as the game went, independent of the way I feel right now, we expected to win that game,” Lea said during his postgame press conference. “It’s not shocking to me. I was going to be emotional no matter what, ’cause it’s a big win and to capture that stadium and as we’re kneeling the ball out you know just a picture in my mind of what the dream is. That is the dream. That’s why I came here.
“That’s what I came here to do, and there are days where you feel like you’re really close, and there are days where you feel like you’re miles away. And to have that actualized for the moment, was special and something I’ll never forget.”
Not only has Vanderbilt been a factor in every game they’ve played this season, but they took a top-10 Missouri team to double overtime on the road and beat Alabama outright at home. Losing to Georgia State on the road is a head-scratcher based on the rest of their resume, but everything else points toward the Commodores making some noise in the SEC this season.
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“This isn’t an arrival for our program,” Lea said. “It’s the beginning in some ways. I do feel like this is a breakthrough moment for us, but it only matters, it only matters in terms of the climb we’re on and the journey if we turn and get right back into our process.”
Next up for Vanderbilt is a road trip to Kentucky, who were on their bye this week after coming off a road win over a top-10 Ole Miss team in Week 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network as the Commodores look to continue their momentum in Lexington.