'He's a Magician': Drinkwitz Details Challenge of Defending Diego Pavia

Missouri has faced several mobile quarterbacks this season, but thinks Pavia is the best at improvising.

Sep 21, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) leaps over Missouri Tigers safety Marvin Burks Jr. (1) during overtime at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Quarterback Diego Pavia has made many miracles happen since transferring to Vanderbilt ahead of the 2024 season.

He's led the way for Vanderbilt's first top-10 ranking in the AP Top 25 since 1947. At 6-1, this is the program's best start since 1950. This is the first season ever that the Commodores have racked up multiple wins over top-15 teams. Heck, Pavia even managed to rewrite the rulebook this past offseason while leading this program turnaround. He's emerged as a top Heisman candidate this season because of his transformational play.

From play to play, Pavia is unpredictable, but strategic. Opposing defenses rarely know what's coming next.

No. 15 Missouri is preparing for that challenge of defending Pavia this weekend.

"He's a magician back there," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference Tuesday. "We got to be really disciplined in how we tackle. Got to be disciplined in our angles, and it'll be a real challenge."

Missouri has faced several mobile quarterbacks this season, taking on Jalon Daniels at Kansas, LaNorris Sellers at South Carolina and Jackson Arnold at Auburn.

So far, the Tigers have done an impressive job of defending that style of quarterback. No quarterback has rushed for more than 32 yards on the Tigers so far this season.

But Drinkwitz sees Pavia's playing style in a different way than any other quarterback Missouri has faced this season.

"For the quarterbacks that we've played, Daniels and Sellers, and even Jackson Arnold, I thought did a nice job scrambling, so our guys have some experience," Drinkwitz said. "I don't know that any of them are as good at the improvisation as Diego."

Pavia's evasivness makes him a slippery target to bring down. This season, he's been sacked an average of 0.7 times per game, the fifth-lowest rate in the country.

Though Missouri's pass rush has been elite over the past two weeks, creating a combined nine sacks against Auburn and Alabama, bringing down Pavia is a different challenge. Winning at the line of scrimmage is one thing, but being in the right position to stop Pavia is another.

"We got to be really disciplined in how we tackle," Drinkwitz said. "We got to be disciplined in our angles."

Last season against Missouri, Pavia rushed for 84 yards on 17 carries. Vanderbilt utilized his ability to throw on the run frequently to attack the Missouri defense in the overtime thriller.

Missouri managed to escape last year's matchup with a 30-17 win in double overtime. That game in Columbia last year was a statement of the Commodores' potential. Now, Vanderbilt has quickly surpassed the expectations that their performance last season set.

Missouri will have its hands full Saturday in the Music City. Especially for a quarterback who plays to the beat of his own drum.

"He's a very heady runner," Drinkwitz said. "He knows how to attack angles. He knows how to utilize pump fake. He knows how to eliminate angles, which is really just a savviness. Can get skinny and he can lower his shoulder. He's got all the traits you want of a really tough, physical runner."