No one felt more ecstatic after Vanderbilt’s shocking upset of Alabama than senior quarterback Diego Pavia. The Commodores’ starting QB led his team to a jaw-dropping 40-35 victory over the Crimson Tide at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, and his postgame reaction captured the attention of fans nationwide.
Pavia, who was instrumental in the win, gave a postgame interview that quickly went viral, thanks to his unfiltered emotions and raw excitement. Rather than a poised, standard interview, Pavia sounded more like a die-hard fan who had just witnessed his team pull off the impossible.
“Literally, from the jump, God gave me a vision when I was a little kid,” Pavia exclaimed, still riding high on adrenaline. “And he doesn’t back out on his promises—it’s all in God’s timeline. Look at this! Vandy, we’re f—ing turnt!”
His candidness struck a chord with fans, who celebrated alongside him on social media. It’s easy to understand his enthusiasm—any quarterback who leads a team like Vanderbilt to victory against a powerhouse like Alabama would be brimming with emotion.
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Pavia’s performance was nothing short of heroic. He completed 16 of 20 passes for 252 yards and threw two touchdowns. Though his stats might not seem otherworldly at first glance, his contribution went far beyond the numbers. Pavia’s defining moment came on a gutsy 4th-and-1 play, where he converted for a crucial touchdown, sealing his place in Vanderbilt football lore.
Before transferring to Vanderbilt for his final season of eligibility, Pavia played two seasons at New Mexico State. There, he threw for 2,973 yards and 26 touchdowns across 15 games during his last season with the Aggies. His transition to Vanderbilt has been notable, as he entered Saturday’s game with 721 passing yards and six touchdowns already under his belt.
Regardless of how the rest of the season unfolds for Pavia and the Commodores, his unforgettable performance against Alabama has already cemented him as a fan favorite and etched his name into Vanderbilt football history.
The Commodore faithful will be talking about this game—and Pavia’s part in it—for years to come.
