Diego Pavia Slated To Start for Vanderbilt Ahead of Huge LSU Matchup
Vanderbilt got their second bye week when they needed it most.
With two games left in the regular season, they have an opportunity to cap this magical year by pulling off upsets against LSU and Tennessee that would shake things up nationally when it comes to the College Football Playoff.
But, if it weren't for the break in action they got last weekend, they wouldn't have been in position to do that.
Commodores star quarterback Diego Pavia was injured on the final offensive drive of the game against South Carolina two Saturdays ago, and that prompted head coach Clark Lea to largely keep him out of practice leading into their game against the Tigers.
There were questions if the senior would even be able to go this weekend after Lea told the media Pavia is still not 100%.
However, it appears like the program changer will suit up in Death Valley.
He was not listed on the injury report and "the team expects him to play" despite dealing with the shoulder and ankle issues that have started to plague him over the course of the season.
That is huge for Vanderbilt.
LSU has struggled to defend mobile quarterbacks throughout the entirety of the campaign, and even though Pavia is not going to be completely healthy, he still gives the Commodores the exact profile that should present the Tigers problems on Saturday.
Still, there is a chance one hit changes the outlook of this game.
After LSU's early-season struggles on defense, they have rebounded to provide at least some resistance to opposing offenses even if they aren't elite by any means. And with NFL bodies at different positions, their physicality could play a role in how Pavia is used.
Lea knows that, stating backup quarterback Nate Johnson will need to be ready.
Giving Pavia rest in practice ahead of this matchup should have given the junior enough time to know the game plan if he is called into action.
He also can present some issues for LSU as a duel-threat guy himself, totaling 527 yards through the air and 380 on the ground during his three years of college football at Utah and Vanderbilt.
The Commodores are hoping it doesn't get to that point, though, anticipating that the extended rest is enough for Pavia to regain enough health to be effective on Saturday.
