Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams felt the same reactions as the rest of Alabama during last season’s stunning loss at Vanderbilt. One of the most shocking losses in program history represented a worry from start-to-finish as the Commodores seemed to stay one step ahead of the heavy favorites throughout the contest.
With Vanderbilt back on the schedule in 2025, Alabama will not take its SEC brethren lightly. In fact, the Crimson Tide will be wide awake for the matchup inside Bryant Denny Stadium.
“Going into this game, we don’t call them revenge games … we’re going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer this year,” Williams told Jon Gruden during a recent interview. “Every game we fell short last year, we definitely got red eyes going into them (this year).”
The Commodores converted several crucial third downs, rushed for 167 yards as a team including 120 from quarterback Diego Pavia and used an early defensive touchdown to apply pressure.
Vanderbilt’s win snapped the Crimson Tide’s 23-game streak in the series and was the program’s first victory in 61 tries against top-5 competition all-time. To say it was an unforgettable effort in Nashville for Clark Lea’s group is an understatement.
“They played a better football game than us (that) game,” Williams said. We came out slow and they capitalized. They held the ball. They had their game plan and they executed.”
Gracing the cover of EA Sports College Football 26, Williams is one of the nation’s most electrifying pass-catchers after turning heads as a five-star freshman. His streaking 75-yard pirouette touchdown between two defenders during Alabama’s win over Georgia became his arrival moment at the highest level.
Williams finished with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, numbers that should improve in 2025 with a more solidified passing game under new leadership within an offense anchored by projected starting quarterback Ty Simpson and first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
For Williams and the Crimson Tide, getting back to the College Football Playoff following a one-year hiatus is the goal. Alabama is a unanimous top-10 team as second-year coach Kalen DeBoer signed a top-five recruiting class and welcomes back a number of future early-rounders, including two of the SEC’s top cornerbacks and tackle Kadyn Proctor.
If Williams’ early prediction is any indication, this will in fact be a “revenge” tour for the Crimson Tide after losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma even if Alabama’s not calling it that inside the locker room.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings