Malachi Moore penalized: What did the Alabama captain do?
The Vanderbilt Commodores' shock 40-35 win against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday was one of the highlights of Week 6.
The Crimson Tide entered the game as firm favorites, but ended as the victims of a huge upset.
During the game, Alabama's graduate senior Malachi Moore expressed his frustration with his team's performance. He slammed Commodores QB Diego Pavia's head into the turf after the referee blew the whistle in the fourth quarter.
His frustration didn't stop there as Moore angrily beat his headgear and eventually kicked the ball after it had been spotted, resulting in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Moore is undoubtedly one of the best players in college football and is in his fifth season at Alabama. In the game against Vanderbilt, he recorded 10 total tackles, but his team gave up 418 yards.
Additionally, the defense couldn't stop Commodores QB Diego Pavia, who completed 16-of-20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns and converted 12-of-18 third-down attempts.
Alabama's Que Robinson and Kalen DeBoer react to Malachi Moore’s on-field meltdown
Malachi Moore's teammate, Que Robinson, found his captain's actions "unacceptable."
"That was unacceptable, even by him. He's a captain. Definitely have to talk to him about his attitude and stuff on the field."
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer also addressed Malachi Moore's reactions on the field. While he didn't support the behavior, he acknowledged how frustration can build up in players who put their sweat and blood into the game.
DeBoer said:
"He was much better when he got in the locker room. The guy pours everything into what he does, but that doesn't make it okay. We want to be first class in everything we do and there's a lot of guys that are really frustrated. So, you know, the key is that we turn that frustration into positives moving forward, and make sure we remember what we feel here tonight"
The two teams met for the 86th time in their rivalry, with Alabama holding a 23-game winning streak against the Commodores since 1985 before their Week 6 loss. With this defeat, Alabama now leads the head-to-head series 69-19-4.