“Vandy shouldn’t be on the same field as Alabama": Former Crimson Tide QB gives Diego Pavia's team due credits after Week 6 win

Alabama’s performance against Vanderbilt has continued to garner varied reactions in the college football world. The Crimson Tide suffered a 40-35 loss to the Commodores in Nashville in Week 7, marking their first defeat to the lowly-rated program in four decades.

Former Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron has offered his view on the disappointing loss. Speaking on the “McCready and Siskey Podcast,” McCarron, who led Bama to three national championships under Nick Saban, expressed how disheartening the Saturday loss is.

“I’m all for giving credit to Vandy,” McCarron said. “Vandy shouldn’t be on the same field as Alabama. Let's be real. Athlete by athlete, they shouldn't be able to match up and that's a bad loss. That's the one loss you can't have if you're Alabama on your whole season.”

AJ McCarron plays down failure to stop Diego Pavia

The defense was one of the evident flaws in Alabama’s tactics in the game against Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide defense struggled to clamp down the Commodores offense, led by quarterback Diego Pavia, throughout the game, resulting in the historic upset.

“They had a converted quarterback that was at New Mexico State, with Pavia,” McCarron said. “[He] all of a sudden swaps to tight end and he is carving them up on man-to-man coverage like that's named Travis Kelce out there. I'm like ‘What the hell are we doing? We don't have anybody to guard this guy.”

Pavia became an overnight star following the win in Nashville. The quarterback completed 16 of 20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns to rip the Crimson Tide apart. He claims Johnny Manziel motivated him for his performance in the game.

A suitable atmosphere for Alabama to secure a win

The game atmosphere on the road in the Southeastern Conference can be hostile. However, it was a different case for Vanderbilt due to its low fanbase. A.J. McCarron believes that the atmosphere in Nashville on Saturday was suitable for the Tide to claim a win.

“It was 98% Alabama fans in there,” McCarron said. “They showed the wide view, they maybe had one little damn section. It was like the band was over here. That's all they had. You had no crowd noise, you had nothing. It was a home game.”

Kalen DeBoer’s Crimson Tide returns to Tuscaloosa this weekend to play host to South Carolina. Bama will aim to bounce back from the disappointment of Week 7 against the Gamecocks on Saturday.