Tempers Flare After Vanderbilt Commodores Pulls Off Gutsy Win at Auburn
For the first time in program history, the Vanderbilt Commodores have a win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Commodores defeated the Auburn Tigers 17-7 in an SEC showdown on the plains. The team moved the contest to a two-possession lead with just minutes remaining in the game to seal the deal for Vanderbilt.
The game marked the first time since 2012 that the Commodores defeated their conference rival in a rare matchup against the Tigers.
After the game, star quarterback Diego Pavia was celebrating at midfield with some of his teammates. After a few comments from offensive lineman Steven Hubbard, tempers began to flare some of Auburn's players.
Tempers flare as Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt celebrate the win at Auburn. Pavia is now 3-0 vs. Hugh Freeze. pic.twitter.com/2aj6K31my5
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) November 2, 2024
Despite the win, Pavia didn’t have his best day under center. He went 9 for 22 for 143 yards passing with two touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback also only had 26 yards on the ground rushing on 12 attempts. He threw 11 straight incompletions that spanned from the end of the first quarter into the second half and still found a way to come away with a victory.
Pavia has had a great collegiate career against Auburn’s head coach, Hugh Freeze. The quarterback is now 3-0 against the Tigers coach, including winning two of those games at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Before transferring to Vanderbilt this offseason, he defeated Auburn on the road last season as the quarterback of the New Mexico State Aggies. He also defeated Freeze in 2022 when he was the head coach of the Liberty Flames.
This is the first time since 2013 that Vanderbilt has won two SEC road games in a season. Vanderbilt is now 6-3 on the season and 3-2 in conference play. This is a massive improvement from last season when Lea and the 2023 Commodores posted a 2-10 record, including going winless in the SEC.
The win also secured a bowl game for the Commodores. It is the first time the team is bowl-eligible since the 2018 season and the first under head coach Clark Lea.
The head coach wants the bowl-clinching season to be just a “launching point” for the program after the team's historic year.
It is the first time since 1955 that Vanderbilt defeated the Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide in the same season.
