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Vanderbilt Quarterback Diego Pavia Makes Bold Statement About Tennessee Football

Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia made an interesting statement about Tennessee football earlier this week.

Christian Kirby

Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrates a first down as Auburn Tigers take on Vanderbilt Commodores at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Vanderbilt Commodores defeated Auburn Tigers 17-7.
Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrates a first down as Auburn Tigers take on Vanderbilt Commodores at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Vanderbilt Commodores defeated Auburn Tigers 17-7. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia made an interesting statement about Tennessee football earlier this week.

The Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores are one of the few in-state rivalries in the SEC and have met annually on the gridiron since the year 1900. But this year's matchup between the teams could provide an extra spark to the rivalry following the comments of one Commodores player.

Vanderbilt starting quarterback Diego Pavia recently was recently featured on an episode of the "Bussin With the Boys" podcast where he made an extremely bold proclamation about the future of college football in the state of Tennessee.

“Vanderbilt is gonna run Tennessee after this year,” said Pavia. “This is gonna be the new staple of college football. It’s going to happen here at Vanderbilt.”

In fairness to Pavia, the Commodores are coming off one of their most exciting seasons in program history after defeating the No.1 Alabama Crimson Tide. But while Vandy's 2025 season has more momentum than usual, the Commodores are still widely regarded as a lesser-than program within the SEC.

This viewpoint is especially true in the eyes of the Tennessee Volunteers, who are on a six-game win streak over the Commodores. The Vols also control the all-time series with a record of 81-33-5 over Vandy, making it quite apparent that college football in the state of Tennessee predominantly runs through Knoxville.

The Volunteers and Commodores will renew their annual rivalry game on Saturday, November 29th at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for either 3:30 or 4:30 p.m. and a TV network has not yet been announced.

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Christian Kirby
CHRISTIAN KIRBY

Christian Kirby II is a multimedia sports journalist who has years of experience both covering and working with collegiate sports teams. He has received a journalism degree and a sports media certificate from the University of Georgia and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Emerging Media.

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