Alabama's Malachi Moore Loses His Cool in Game's Final Seconds Saturday

The fifth year senior had a tantrum on the field as Vanderbilt was taking its final kneel-downs.

Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) jumps over Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Malachi Moore (13) for a first down during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images / Butch Dill-Imagn Images

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Vanderbilt faithful were losing their minds in FirstBank Stadium on Saturday night as the Commodores pulled off the biggest upset in school history defeating the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 40-35. While those in black and gold were going crazy in a positive way, one of Alabama's permanent captains had a meltdown of his own as the loss was settling into reality.

Alabama graduate senior Malachi Moore slammed Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's head into the turf after the whistle, before exploding on his teammates and then ultimately drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for kicking the ball after it had been spotted.

"Honestly, you all saw what happened on the field," Alabama linebacker Quandarrius Robinson said. "That was unacceptable, even by him, being a captain. So we've definitely got to talk to him about his attitude on the field, but he was calm in the locker room and he was able to be the leader he's always been."

Here's a collection of Malachi Moore's meltdown against Vanderbilt pic.twitter.com/PXMiuUUSbg

— Tony Tsoukalas (@Tony_Tsoukalas) October 6, 2024

Moore filled the stat sheet up to the tune of 10 total tackles with one coming for a loss, however, he was part of a defensive unit that allowed 418 total yards and 40 points while allowing Pavia to complete 80-percent of his passes and convert 12-of-18 third down attempts.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack tried to sub Moore off the field in the middle of his tirade, but the graduate senior refused to exit the game, causing deeper concerns about the leadership in the Crimson Tide locker room.

""He was much better when he got in the locker room," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said. "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 and remember that tomorrow when we show up Tuesday, Wednesday and all season long.

"So Malachi, I'm 100 percent confident he will do that. The frustration out there comes from the work and belief he puts in. There's a couple guys that were critical from day one when I got here, that put their foot down and believed in this place, and he's certainly one of them. We're gonna continue to believe in him and he leaves it all out on the football field. Every game and every day we're practicing, he's very vocal and we need him to continue to be that way."

The Alabama leaders were adamant after the game that Moore's outburst was a moment of passion and not a sign of deeper trouble.

"Just keep it together, keep being "HIM"," Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker said on his message to Moore. "It's always tough losing. It's an emotional moment. He had an emotional moment, but we're human. We're all going to have those. We're all behind Malachi right now. He came into the locker room and he was the leader he needed to be."