Clark Lea Updates Status of Eli Stowers and Diego Pavia Ahead of ReliaQuest Bowl

Clark Lea anticipates that both of the Commodores' stars will suit up for the ReliaQuest Bowl against Iowa on December 31.

Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers (9) celebrates his touchdown against Ball State with quarterback Diego Pavia (2) during the second quarter at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NASHVILLE— It looks like it will be one final ride for two all-time Vanderbilt football greats on
New Year’s Eve.

Clark Lea told local reporters on Sunday night that he expects Vanderbilt quarterback Diego
Pavia and Eli Stowers to participate in Vanderbilt’s Reliaquest Bowl game against Iowa.

“I don't have any reason not to,” Lea said on Sunday. “Obviously they've got great futures ahead
of them, but they're also great competitors and that's what has made them so special here. So I
anticipate them playing.”

The pair joined Vanderbilt ahead of the 2024 season and have a 17-8 record in their two
seasons at Vanderbilt. They’ve won against No. 1 Alabama before. They’ve put together the
most successful season in Vanderbilt football history alongside the best team in program history.

Time for them to see if they can check one final box before they depart from Vanderbilt’s
program and are on to the NFL. Stowers is projected to be among the first tight ends taken in
the spring NFL Draft while Pavia is a candidate to have his name called at some point in the
draft after a season that has put him squarely in the mix for the Heisman Trophy.

Pavia and Stowers led Vanderbilt to a 10-2 regular season in which the Commodores defeated
Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Kentucky and Missouri.

The core of former New Mexico State quarterbacks will now look to finish off their college
careers with the program’s first ever 11-win season and a win over Iowa.

“We're so excited to have this opportunity to close out a special season,” Lea said. “I think these
moments become really meaningful and emotional when you know the time and the place of
your final climb. That’s what we learned today. This group's earned the right to go play against a
really strong Iowa team.”

Pavia finished the regular season with 3,192 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, a
71.2 completion percentage, 826 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Stowers finished with a
career-high 62 receptions and 769 yards as well as four touchdowns and a long of 67 yards.

Time for one last outing for Vanderbilt’s two stars as they look to put the final touches on their
college careers.

“We're going to be together and have fun,” Lea said. “We need to make sure we keep mission
focused. And we want to go down and play our best game of the year on New Year's Eve. That
would be a lot
of fun.”