Diego Pavia played in Vanderbilt Football's road win due to injury

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A younger Diego Pavia likely would have been caught up in last week's spectacle.

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

“Younger people certainly, purely spiritually, would have been all over the world, but I'm 22 years old,” he said. “I have to be a role model for the younger guys in the locker room.”

After a week that could have easily distracted Vanderbilt football (4-2, 2-1 SEC), Pavia calmly led his team to a 20-13 road win over Kentucky (3-3, 1-3) on Saturday. Night at Kroger Field. That's despite taking a hit during a play in the third quarter when a Wildcats player slipped on his knee during a quarterback power run.

Pavia was forced out of the game for the final offensive play of that drive, but returned with a brace on his knee. For Pavia, working with senior offensive advisor Jerry Kill – who battled epilepsy and cancer during his long coaching career – ensures he can keep playing despite the pain. Kill, Pavia said, has been through much worse and still stayed in the game.

Despite the win, Pavia wasn't particularly happy with his performance. He threw his first interception of the season on a play he would like to have 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 since he's been here… This is a true leader. He will put the pain aside and win a football game.”

Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State, likely won't be named SEC Offensive Player of the Week again for 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 an SEC road game in the last six seasons before Saturday and had never received as much attention as the win at Alabama was exactly what the Commodores needed.

The rest of the country has come to know Pavia through his attention-grabbing antics, be it peeing on a rival's practice field or dropping F-bombs on camera. But despite all this, he didn't let his team lose focus or be inattentive. And for Vanderbilt, this win might be even more important than the one against Alabama. The win against the Crimson Tide was a first, but a win won't help the Commodores to bowl games or any of their other goals. If you beat Kentucky, six wins are entirely possible.

“As swagger as he shows himself, and we love that, I love the confidence that he plays with, but as much as that confidence comes through, this guy dedicates himself to preparation in the week, he's a quiet competitor in practice .” said coach Clark Lea. “He goes about his business. He builds connections with men, meaningful connections with men in the locker room. He's so grateful to be at Vanderbilt, for all the things that are happening around him .”

Once last week's spectacle wears off, there will still be plenty of football to be played, and an older, wiser Pavia understands that. And if the win over Kentucky showed one thing, it's that the Commodores aren't letting off the gas with Pavia become.

DIEGO AND GOLIATH The banner of the Vanderbilt fraternity predicted how Diego Pavia would crush 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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