Quarterback Diego Pavia led the Vanderbilt Commodores to a huge 45-24 win against their in-state rivals, the Tennessee Volunteers. The victory gave the program its first-ever 10-win season. This was Vanderbilt’s first win against the Vols since 2018, pushing their season record to an impressive 10-2.
According to Sportskeeda, Pavia was clearly excited about the historic win. He lit up a cigar right after the game and posted a video to Instagram that quickly went viral on X. In the video, he didn’t hold back when talking about Vanderbilt’s dominance over Tennessee. He said, “I told you before. And I’m gonna tell you again. We fing run Tennessee. That s was no f***ing joke.”
The profanity-filled celebration made sense given the stakes and history involved. What makes it even better is that Pavia had been saying this for months. Back in August, during the Netflix series “Any Given Saturday,” he already predicted that the Commodores could beat Tennessee. He was just as confident then, saying, “They think they’re going to destroy us. F*** every single one of those dudes.”
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Pavia’s on-field performance matched his bold trash talk perfectly
Pavia’s performance backed up everything he said. He completely dominated the Tennessee defense throughout Saturday’s game. He threw for 268 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 165 yards and another score. That’s a massive day for any quarterback.
His incredible performance led to more calls for him to win the Heisman Trophy. As he celebrated the win, fans chanted, “Heisman! Heisman! Heisman!” While there are other strong candidates this season, a Heisman win would be the perfect ending to an unforgettable season. Players talking trash after big wins isn’t unusual in college football, though some rivalries turn into embarrassing cheap shots.
The success of this 10-2 season comes down to second-year coach Clark Lea’s vision. He recruited Pavia from the transfer portal before the 2024 season. Lea built the team’s comeback around Pavia’s strong play and powerful personality in the locker room. Pavia isn’t the only quarterback whose confident postgame interviews sparked controversy recently.
Lea praised his star quarterback’s impact on the team. He said, “The way he’s transformed our locker room, the way he’s transformed our play on the field… and not losing his personality, not losing the things that make him so special, because that’s not what the world needs. They don’t need Diego in a box.”
The praise from Lea shows how special Pavia is as a player. It also explains why the Commodores are celebrating their first 10-win season in program history.
Published: Dec 1, 2025 02:15 am