A Signature Win In Vanderbilt Football's Golden Era? Definitely; Column

Vanderbilt football picked up its 10th win in a 45-24 takedown of Tennessee as it was led by Diego Pavia and Clark Lea.

Nov 29, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2), running back Sedrick Alexander (28) and offensive lineman Jordan White (53) celebrate a touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

KNOXVILLE, TENN—By the five minute mark of the fourth quarter, the mass exodus of fans wearing orange had ensued and the result was imminent. This Vanderbilt team’s magnum opus was within reach and it appeared as if the group in orange didn’t want to see it executed. 

By the time it was all over, the Neyland Stadium stands were nearly empty, Vanderbilt had taken down Tennessee by 21 points, brought out a belt to indicate what it had just done and embraced its fans on the way back to its locker room. A reaction like that was only fitting. In the biggest game in program history, Vanderbilt delivered. 

“This is one for the record books,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. “That was a team win, and it's one that it's worth celebrating, and hopefully everyone that needs to be paying attention is paying attention. Because I felt like the way this team played to close out the season was worth taking note of and deserves an opportunity to compete for a national championship.”

Vanderbilt’s Saturday win was its first over Tennessee since 2018, was the first time Lea took down the Volunteers, secured this program’s first ever 10-win season and put its quarterback firmly in the mix to win the Heisman Trophy. 

It was a masterpiece for this Vanderbilt team. It scored on its five final full drives, held Tennessee to just three second-half points and outscored it 24-3 after the break. It was a statement to the College Football Playoff committee that transcended anything the other teams on the playoff bubble showed on Saturday. 

Tennessee wide receiver Braylon Staley (14) is grabbed by Vanderbilt safety/outside linebacker Randon Fontenette (2) in an NCAA college football game on Nov. 29, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Who knows how this all ends for this Vanderbilt team in regard to the College Football Playoff, but it can find peace in knowing it put together its best performance and its biggest win when it mattered the most. That’s the mark of an elite team. 

“They better not let us in because we’re hot right now,” Vanderbilt STAR Randon Fontenette said. “I was talking to Diego [Pavia] and he was like ‘they better not let us in because we’re the hottest team in College Football.’ But, I feel like we made a statement. That was a great team, that was a top 25 team in the nation and for us to come here and go out there and dominate them in all phases, that was a big statement.” 

The reality may indicate that it’s too little and too late for this Vanderbilt team to find its way into the College Football Playoff, but Saturday indicated that it’s good enough to make some level of noise if it gets the opportunity to play there. 

At the very least, it appears to have the most important part in Heisman-candidate quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia went for 268 passing yards, 165 rushing yards on 8.3 yards per carry and two total touchdowns on Saturday. His rushing touchdown ended in an end zone gesture in which he made it rain and struck a Heisman pose. 

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) and coach Clark Lea embrace after the team’s win against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“It is my belief that he is the best football player in the country,” Lea said postgame. “As the best player in the country, he also strengthens the performance of everyone on this football team. Some of that is not statistical. I’m not sure where he’s gonna net out statistically with all the guys that are up for the award, but I can’t imagine that there are many of them that have as impressive of a resume as he has. He’s done it in the hardest conference in the country.”

Now, Pavia and this Vanderbilt team have added to their already illustrious career resume with a crown jewel of a rivalry win in Neyland Stadium on Saturday that indicated it can compete with anyone in the country if it’s at its best. 

The last time it was in this place, it finished a 2-10 season and had to sit there wondering what was necessary for it to do in order to find its way closer to the standard that it had set for itself and had fallen miserably short of. A day like this didn’t always appear to be possible when that one occurred, but it happened on Saturday. 

Vanderbilt football’s golden era is still very much in progress. It may have had its best moments on Saturday, too. At the very least, they’re unforgettable.

“This is the breakthrough moment, and it happens once, and everything after just becomes you hope to do it again or replicate it, or move it a little bit further forward,” Lea said, “But this group of players and this coaching staff has now done something that's never been done in our program."