Vanderbilt pulled off the improbable upset of top-ranked Alabama on Saturday night and one Commodores player already has his sights set on bigger goals.
Diego Pavia had 252 passing yards and two touchdown passes, including one to Kamrean Johnson with 5:07 left in the team’s 40-35 win.
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Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia celebrates a touchdown with offensive lineman Gunnar Hansen during the Alabama game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Pavia said after the win that he wants a chance at a national championship.
“I love Vandy,” he said after the postgame press conference. “This is what I came here for. Came here to win big football games. Our ultimate goal is to go to the College Football Playoff, and so we want a chance at the national championship. Just how everyone else does.
“This is just a step in the way, and we just got to keep getting better. There’s still little mistakes out there that we got to clean up. But you know, any given Saturday, anything’s possible.”
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Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia dives for extra yards past Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Nashville. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Vanderbilt never relinquished the lead the entire game. The Commodores started 13-0 after Randon Fontenette returned a Jalen Milroe interception 29 yards for a touchdown. The team was then up 23-7 with 4:10 left in the first half following a Sedrick Alexander rushing touchdown and a Brock Taylor field goal.
The closest Alabama got to taking the lead came in the third quarter after a Milroe rushing touchdown. It was 23-21 at that point. But Vanderbilt hung on.
Immediately after the win, Pavia was emotional.
“Games like this change your life, you know what I mean?” he said. “It’s all about hype nowadays, and I don’t like it like that, but it’s a reality of NIL and all that stuff.
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Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, center, celebrates the team’s 40-35 win over No. 1 Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Nashville. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
“But just staying grounded, stay where my feet are and every single day, tomorrow we got to work on Kentucky.”
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