Vanderbilt Star Jumps in Top Quarterback Rankings Despite Loss to Texas
The Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback continues to gain recognition for his performances on the field lately.
Despite losing 27-24 to the Texas Longhorns last week, the Commodores played a tough game against the fifth-ranked team in the country. Dores quarterback Diego Pavia continues to impress, playing hard and keeping the team in it until the final drive of the game.
On Monday, Bleacher Report released its Top 25 Power Rankings for Quarterbacks in College Football After Week 9 of the season. Staff writer Joel Reuter gave Pavia a massive jump in the polls regardless of the outcome this past weekend. The Vandy signal-caller moved from 24th to 19th on the list.
“Pavia had two passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and 210 total yards in Saturday's loss to Texas, and he made things interesting with a pair of second-half touchdown throws to turn what was a 21-7 deficit at one point into a 27-24 nail-biter. His dual-threat production is a big reason why the Commodores have returned to relevance,” writes Reuter.
The rushing touchdown at the beginning of the game gave Vanderbilt some early momentum. Pavia capitalized off a turnover from Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and took the first lead of the day with the touchdown.
He finished the day with a touchdown on the final drive of the game to bring the team within three points when he completed an eight-yard pass to Tight End Eli Stowers.
After the eighth game of the season, Pavia, the former New Mexico State Aggie, has 1,534 yards passing with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. His turnover margin has improved significantly from last season before transferring to Vanderbilt, where he threw nine interceptions in 2023. His 79.8 Quarterback Rating (QBR) is the 14th-best in the nation.
The Vandy team captain could be the first quarterback to lead the program to a bowl game since 2018, with at least one more win in the season. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), the team has a 76 percent chance of reaching their sixth win and going bowling.
Pavia and the rest of the Vanderbilt Commodores will be back in action on November 2nd as they head to Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on the Auburn Tigers.
