Star quarterback Diego Pavia will make perhaps his final home start when No. 14 Vanderbilt takes on Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in Southeastern Conference play at Nashville, Tenn.
Barring a surprise home playoff game, this figures to be the last time the Heisman Trophy candidate plays for the Commodores in Music City. He’s sung a winning tune since his arrival in 2024, turning a 2-10 program in 2023 into a team competing for an at-large spot in the College Football Playoff this season.
“He’ll be someone who will be in conversations for the next 50 years here,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said of Pavia. “So it will be an opportunity to watch a guy that is a Heisman contender for a reason, that we believe is the best player in the country, that has earned the right to have people paying attention to him.”
The transfer from New Mexico State has thrown 41 touchdown passes — against just nine interceptions — and has 15 scores on the ground during his two seasons with Vanderbilt. He’s also become a folk hero while injecting excitement into the downtrodden program.
Pavia etched his name into program lore last season when the Commodores notched one of college football’s most stunning upsets, taking down No. 1 Alabama 40-35 for the program’s first-ever victory over a top-five team.
The magic has continued this season with victories over then-No. 11 South Carolina, then-No. 10 LSU and then-No. 15 Missouri to bolster the playoff resume.
However, the Commodores (8-2, 4-2 SEC) need to win their last two games — a visit to No. 20 Tennessee will end the regular season — and probably will need some help to land an at-large playoff spot. Five SEC teams are higher ranked.
Lea is aware that a loss to the Wildcats would end Vanderbilt’s playoff hopes.
“Everything that we want postseason-wise is out in front of us,” he said. “We’ve got to earn it, and we (do that) by winning two games. And to win two games, you can only win one this week. So we’re going to focus on Kentucky and have a sense of urgency about our craft.”
Kentucky (5-5, 2-5) has turned its season around by winning its last three games by an average of 23.3 points, including a close road win over Auburn and a home beatdown of Florida. Last weekend, the Wildcats routed FCS program Tennessee Tech 42-10.
Running back Seth McGowan, who rushed for three touchdowns against the Golden Eagles, said he is impressed with the way the team responded after four straight losses from Sept. 27 to Oct. 25.
“This team, we’ve always known our potential,” said McGowan, who has rushed for 693 yards and 12 scores this season. “We’ve always known our identity and how powerful this team is, and it’s all just everything that’s happening now is something that we’ve known since our camp. We just got to stay consistent and keep at it.”
Cutter Boley and Kendrick Law teamed often during the rout of Tennessee Tech. Boley completed 18 of 21 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown, while Law recorded career bests of 11 receptions and 124 yards.
Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said he is pleased with his team’s recent rise. But making him uncomfortable is looking on the field and seeing Pavia ready to take a snap.
“Well, it puts great pressure on the defense, and it doesn’t matter what defense it is,” Stoops said. “It doesn’t matter who you are. He makes plays, and he does it in every game he plays in. He’s going to make some plays. We just have to make ours.”
Pavia passed for 143 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and rushed for 53 yards as the Commodores notched a 20-13 road win over Kentucky last season.
