Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia gets brutally honest about Tennessee showdown
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Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has never tasted the rivalry atmosphere against Tennessee. The 117th meeting between schools now features the star Commadores QB.
Pavia will soon throw his first pass and take a keeper run in this battle between the founding members of the Southeastern Conference. He and Vanderbilt are 10.5-point underdogs entering Saturday’s latest confrontation. That’s not stopping the verbose dual-threat from getting brutally honest about the upcoming game.
He used a quote players from both sides often use to describe the contest, per Tennessean reporter Aria Gerson.
Diego Pavia compared the Vanderbilt/Tennessee rivalry as akin to the New Mexico/New Mexico State rivalry. He said he treats it like "life or death"
— Aria Gerson (@aria_gerson) November 26, 2024
That’s right, Pavia already calls this game “life or death.” Those are the three words several other players on Vandy and Tennessee have used to describe this game. Pavia already feels the emotions of it.
Sure, he played in the marquee rivalry game in The Land of Enchantment. However, he’s now in SEC country. And he’s playing in the oldest SEC rivalry with a lot more than state bragging rights on the line. Pavia and Vanderbilt likely want nothing more than to ruin the Volunteers’ chance at a 10-win season, plus any last hope of a final College Football Playoff bid.
Has Diego Pavia’s numbers declined before Vanderbilt-Tennessee game?
Pavia slowly established himself as a surprise SEC and college football star this season. The native of Albuquerque won the hearts of Vandy fans by Week 5.
He racked up 308 total yards and tossed two touchdowns in the epic 40-35 upset over previous No. 1 Alabama. The Crimson Tide even entered as a hefty 22.5-point favorite to topple Pavia and company. Pavia showed his leadership in the huddle against Alabama during the dramatic final offensive possession to seal the upset.
That victory sparked a three-game winning streak and national ranking. He combined for two touchdowns in two more wins over Kentucky and Ball State. But has he seen a numbers decline since?
No. 5 Texas intercepted him twice in beating Pavia and Vanderbilt 27-24. He managed to throw two touchdowns against Auburn in the 17-7 road win — but he settled for just nine completions. Now in back-to-back losses to LSU and South Carolina, Pavia has only thrown one touchdown pass in the last eight quarters of play. He also hasn’t thrown for more than 275 yards since the Oct. 19 Ball State victory. Lastly, Pavia battled a “confusing injury” from the South Carolina game.
Pavia, though, still has delivered solid numbers despite this brief slump. He’s entering Nashville’s FirstBank Stadium with 2,700 total yards throwing and rushing. He’s scored 22 combined touchdowns (six rushing). Pavia even is among the nation’s best at taking care of the football — suffering just three interceptions.
He already knows Saturday is “life or death” for him. But he’s clearly ready for his first taste of one of college football’s oldest rivalries.
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