The biggest shocker of the 2024 CFB season came when the Vanderbilt Commodores toppled No.1 Alabama Crimson Tide, 40-35. Alabama’s WR Ryan Williams was asked how the Crimson Tide would bounce back in 2025. His response? Steady and confident, proof that Alabama already has its sights set on redemption in 2025.
Alabama Star Ryan Williams Promises 2025 Payback
In a recent interview, Williams didn’t beat around the bush regarding his feelings about going up against the Commodores this season.
Alabama’s loss to Vanderbilt last season SHOCKED college football, and I got to ask Ryan Williams how Alabama dealt with that and how they will respond this season! pic.twitter.com/n4PtzgIAt8
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) June 2, 2025
“They played a better football game than we did. In this game, we came out slow, and they capitalized. They held the ball. They had their game plan, and they executed,” Williams told Jon Gruden.
“Man, going into this game, we don’t call them revenge games. We’re going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer this year. So, I mean, just every game we fell short last year. We definitely got red eyes going into them.”
In 2024, Vanderbilt stunned Alabama with a 40-35 victory. They outgained the Tide and limited them to just 84 rushing yards while forcing two turnovers. QB Diego Pavia was nearly perfect, completing 16 of 20 passes with two touchdowns.
The win snapped a 60-game losing streak against AP top-five teams, ending Alabama’s 40-year reign over the rivalry. The Crimson Tide lost three more games in Kalen DeBoer’s first season as head coach.
Looking ahead to their rematch on Oct. 4, Alabama will have home-field advantage but faces changes at QB after Jalen Milroe turned pro. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt’s QB situation remains steady, with Pavia returning after winning a legal battle for another year of eligibility.
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We’ll see if the Tide can kill this “ant” or if the Commodores can get lightning to strike twice. Either way, this game will be a crucial test for DeBoer as he aims to prove he’s the right man to carry on Nick Saban’s historic legacy in Tuscaloosa.
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