Alabama is coming off a massive home win over Georgia and, naturally, trying to avoid a letdown. Playing usual SEC bottom feeder Vanderbilt — albeit the Commodores are feisty in 2024 — only adds to the possibility of a flat, upset-worthy performance.

So the Crimson Tide are trying to avoid the trap game and falling victim to the “rat poison” of consuming too much praise, as former head coach Nick Saban coined the term. To help hammer home the message, though, player personnel director Josh Chapman got some useful props: Actual rat traps.

“It was yesterday, Chap walks in, throws a bunch of rat traps down. ‘It’s a trap game, y’all!’” Offensive lineman Parker Brailsford said on Tuesday.

And to Brailsford, the message was well received. He knows now is the time to button down and weather the storm of taking the best shots opponents have to offer.

“I mean, I agree. These are definitely games that — I wouldn’t even say it’s a trap game, I would just say I think Vanderbilt’s a good team and I think we’re just going to get everybody’s best like always,” Brailsford said. “Like I said, the standard’s the standard, we’re going to play ball.”

Alabama catches Vanderbilt coming off a week off and, to some extent, reeling after a 2-0 start turned in to a 2-2 stretch to open the season. The most recent outing from the Commodores was valiant, though, a double overtime loss to Missouri that was poised to go to a third until Vanderbilt missed a game-tying field goal attempt.

Either way, the rat traps serve as a reminder: Any team Alabama plays in the SEC can beat them.

“It’s all about just making sure respect the team we’re playing and not just being like, ‘Oh, it’s just Vanderbilt.’ Vanderbilt is a very good team,” linebacker Que Robinson said. “They took Missouri to double overtime. And we just gotta respect that, you know? You just can’t go out there moseying around, you gotta respect the team and go out there and play our standard of football.”

And while the “rat poison” term was coined and popularized by Saban, the message didn’t need translating for newcomers to the program like transfer safety Keon Sabb.

He first noticed some rat traps in the locker room and quickly got the gist.

“It got to me right away,” Sabb said. “Once you see it, you know, ‘OK, it’s not an infestation in here. It’s something else.’ I got it real quick.”

And Sabb shared that for him, at least, the rat traps are having the intended effect.

“Once you see it, it’s like, ‘OK,’ something in your brain that every time you see one, you know it’s not one of those games,” Sabb said.

Ryan Williams has made no shortage of big plays in his first season with Alabama football.

The 17-year-old freshman phenom’s most recent highlight reel catch came in the Crimson Tide’s 41-34 win against Georgia, with Williams spinning around two Georgia defenders, making his way into the end zone for what ended up being the 75-yard game-winning score.

Earlier in the night, Williams had an impressive 54-yard catch, bobbling the pass from Jalen Milroe twice then juking two defenders to make his way deep into Georgia territory.

Williams finished the game with a season-high six receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown, going onto earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Four games into the season, he leads Alabama’s receivers with 16 receptions for 462 yards and five scores.

The More than 100 recruits in attendance at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday night to watch Alabama take on Georgia had a front row seat to the show Williams put on, taking to social media to share their reactions. Here’s what they had to say:

WINNING REACTIONS: Alabama football recruits share Alabama-Georgia football trip experience

RYAN WILLIAMS: Ryan Williams highlights: Watch every top catch by Alabama football star freshman

Alabama football recruits social media reactions to Ryan Williams vs Georgia

Caleb Cunningham: 2025 5-star WR commit

Keelon Russell: 2025 5-star QB commit

Zyan Gibson: 2025 4-star CB prospect

Christian Ingram: 2025 3-star DL prospect

Luke Metz: 2025 4-star LB commit

Anna Snyder covers high school sports and University of Alabama softball and football recruiting for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com. Follow her on X @annaesnyder2.

“Beat Everyone” podcast host Ben Flanagan is joined by AL.com college football writer Michael Casagrande and pod producer Matt Scalici to break down Alabama’s instant classic against Georgia in Tuscaloosa Saturday night.

Jalen Milroe’s Heisman-worthy performance, the Bulldogs’ thunderous comeback, Ryan Williams’ acrobatic go-ahead touchdown, Zabien Brown’s game-sealing interception. The thriller inside Bryant-Denny Stadium really had it all. We look back at everything one of the best games we’ve ever seen had to offer.

What did we learn about Alabama after their thrilling win over Georgia?

Is the College Football Playoff officially in sight?

How do we grade Bryant-Denny Stadium’s atmosphere on Saturday?

Is Ryan Williams already one of Alabama’s best all-time wide receivers?

Where does Bama need to improve before their next big test on a difficult SEC schedule?

Later, AL.com Alabama football reporter (and Nashville native) Matt Stahl joins Ben to preview the Tide’s looming road visit against a feisty Vanderbilt squad. And Matt shares his insider restaurant picks in the Music City.

Beat Everyone is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show on your favorite platform to automatically receive new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Beat Everyone is brought to you by Broadway Joe’s Fantasy Sports.