Alabama wideout Ryan Williams puts Vanderbilt on notice. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Alabama star on Vanderbilt rematch: 'Kill an ant with a sledgehammer'

Originally posted on CFB-HQ on SI | By James Parks | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 1:09 PM ET

Alabama football star Ryan Williams didn’t beat around the bush when it came to how he feels about going up against Vanderbilt this season.

Vandy’s win against then-No. 1 Alabama last year was of historic proportions and played a part in derailing the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes, but this time around, the Bama wideout said he and his teammates are taking a more aggressive approach.

“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.

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

He added: “Every game we fell short last year, we definitely got red eyes going into them.”

Vanderbilt outgained the Tide in total yardage and held Bama to just 84 rushing yards while forcing two turnovers and Diego Pavia was 16 of 20 passing with 2 scores as the Commodores pulled off the 40-35 upset.

That game snapped a 60-game losing streak Vandy had against AP top-five teams and ended a 40-year run of Alabama dominance in the series.

“They just played a better football game than us,” Williams said.

“We came out slow and they capitalized. They held the ball, they had their game plan, and they executed it.”

Alabama has home field advantage this time around, but will undergo major change at the quarterback position after Jalen Milroe turned pro.

Vanderbilt’s quarterback situation remains the same, as Pavia returns in 2025 after winning a legal case against the NCAA to earn an additional year of football eligibility.

Bama and Vandy meet again on Oct. 4.

We’ll see if the Tide can kill this “ant”, or if the ‘Dores can get lightning to strike twice.

Either way, the game will serve as another important litmus test for Kalen DeBoer to prove he deserves to be Nick Saban’s replacement for the long term.