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    • Diego Pavia played through injury in Vanderbilt Football’s road win
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    Diego Pavia played through injury in Vanderbilt Football’s road win

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    LEXINGTON, Ky. – A younger Diego Pavia would probably have been caught up in the spectacle of the past week.

    The victory over Alabama. The field is storming. The TV appearances. The attention.

    “If I was younger, I definitely would have been in trouble mentally all over the place, but I’m 22 years old,” he said. “I have to be an example for the younger guys in the locker room.”

    After a week that could easily have served as a distraction for Vanderbilt football (4-2, 2-1 SEC), Pavia calmly led his team to a 20-13 victory over Kentucky (3-3, 1-3) on Saturday. night at Krogerveld. That’s despite being beat up during a third-quarter play when a Wildcats player slipped on his knee during a quarterback power run.

    Pavia came out of the game for the final attacking play of that drive, but returned with a brace on his knee. For Pavia, working with senior offensive advisor Jerry Kill – who has battled epilepsy and cancer in his long coaching career – keeps him playing through the pain. Kill, Pavia said, has been through much worse and still stayed in the game.

    Despite the victory, Pavia was not particularly satisfied with his performance. He threw his first interception of the season on a play he would like to get back. He also completed 15 of his other 17 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 53 yards on 14 carries.

    “We’re not surprised,” wide receiver Richie Hoskins said. ‘Diego is a dog. We’ve known it since he got here… That’s a real leader. He will put the pain aside and go win a football game.”

    Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State, is unlikely to win SEC Offensive Player of the Week again because of this performance, as he did when Vanderbilt upset Alabama. This victory was far from perfect and far from flashy. But a team that had won one SEC road game in the last six seasons before Saturday and had never seen as much attention as the win at Alabama was what the Commodores needed.

    The rest of the country came to know Pavia through his high-profile antics, whether it was urinating on a rival’s practice field or dropping F-bombs on camera. But through it all, he didn’t let his team lose focus or let their guard down. And for Vanderbilt, this victory may be even more important than the one against Alabama. Beating the Crimson Tide was a first, but one win won’t help the Commodores bowl games or accomplish any of their other goals. By beating Kentucky, six wins are now clearly possible.

    “As much grit as he exudes, and we love that, I love the confidence he plays with, but as much confidence as he exudes, that guy dedicates himself to preparation this week, he’s a silent competitor in practice,” said coach Clark Lea. “He does his thing. He builds connections with guys, meaningful connections with guys in the locker room. He is so grateful to be at Vanderbilt for all the things that are happening around him.”

    When the spectacle of the past week is over, there will still be plenty of football to be played, and an older, wiser Pavia understands that. And if the win over Kentucky shows one thing, it’s that the Commodores won’t take their foot off the accelerator with Pavia.

    DIEGO AND GOLIATH The Vanderbilt fraternity banner foretold how Diego Pavia would take down Alabama football

    Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.

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