3 realistic reasons Vanderbilt can upset Alabama

2. Kyle Shurmur is playing out of his mind

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur is coming into this contest with a ton of confidence. He was able to break through Kansas State’s defense, which is ranked 24th in the country in total defense. Alabama, on the other hand, is ranked 37th.

Shurmur may not be making huge plays, but he is throwing with incredible accuracy. His completion percentage through three games is 71 percent, which ranks 15th in the country among all quarterbacks. Alabama gunslinger Jalen Hurts is 26th in the nation.

He has improved big time since last season. He completed just 54.4 percent of his passes a year ago and threw 10 interceptions.

He’s thrown for 703 yards and eight touchdowns without throwing a single interception this season. The Vanderbilt quarterback is 11th in yards per passing attempt with 10.19. He threw just 19 touchdowns in all of 2016.

A lot of Shurmur’s improvement can be traced to improvements in the offensive line. In 2016, he was sacked 32 times, but this year he has been sacked just twice in three games.

Amazingly, Shurmur is ranked sixth in the country in passing efficiency behind the likes of Heisman candidate Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma. Alabama’s Jalen Hurts is ranked 22nd.

Last season, Alabama was ranked 30th in passing defense, but this season they aren’t even in the top 50 through three games.

It is easy to see the discipline gained by Shurmur early in his junior season and he could challenge this Alabama defense that isn’t as good as years past. The Crimson Tide need to watch out or Shurmur could march this Vanderbilt offense down the field with ease.