How Diego Pavia Demonstrated Resiliency, Stardom in Vanderbilt Win over Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA—Perhaps the reaction from an NFL scout in the first row of the press box when Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was wrapped up, but held himself up long enough to get off a pitch to freshman receiver Kayleb Barnett was enough to summarize the appropriate reaction to what the Vanderbilt quarterback did on Saturday night.

“Damn,” the scout said while he was seemingly sitting there in awe as if he didn’t have any background knowledge of Pavia–who struggled early.

Pavia’s performance was yet another example of the classic works of magic that he’s performed so many times throughout his college career. It wasn’t the outing that Pavia’s brother, Javier, said would include five touchdowns “at minimum,” but there was plenty of workmanship in the Vanderbilt quarterback’s performance.

“He’s amazing,” Vanderbilt center Jordan White–who used to have a disdain for Pavia while they both played in Conference USA–said. “Every time I see him, he’s amazing. I love to have him as a quarterback.”

The veteran quarterback looked every bit of a veteran as he bounced back from an early interception–which was Virginia Tech safety Quentin Reddish’s first–with an outing in which he threw for 178 yards, rushed for 61 and accounted for two touchdowns. If anyone thought college football’s greatest enigma or his team were stuck on the mat, they were mistaken. If anyone thought he wouldn’t bounce back and find a way to get Vanderbilt back in the game, they probably haven’t seen him play a whole lot.

At this stage of his career, they should know better.

Sep 6, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) throws a pass against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

“That kid is as competitive and resilient a person as I’ve ever known,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. “He did a great job recovering.”

If they didn’t prior to Vanderbilt’s 44-20 win over Virginia Tech, they likely found out what they needed to as they left a once sold-out Lane Stadium or flipped off their TVs.

If it wasn’t the 54-yard touchdown strike to Vanderbilt tight end Brycen Coleman that sold them, they were likely forced to throw up their hands and give the Vanderbilt quarterback his due as he repeatedly found Vanderbilt receiver Tre Richardson down the sideline.

“He bounced back great in my opinion,” Richardson said. “He always plays pretty great.”

Love it or hate it, the spectacle was alive and well on Saturday night in Blacksburg as Pavia walked onto the field for the first time of the day rapping an ASAP Rocky song aloud in street clothes well over two hours before kickoff. By the time it ended, his family was waving its Vanderbilt flag with Pavia inscribed on the bottom as if they knew this would be the outcome all along.

They weren’t waving it as if they were satisfied, though.

“His performance was good enough to win,” Javier Pavia told Vandy on SI in regards to what his brother put on tape, “But, not perfect.”

Perhaps those around him have seen Pavia do this enough times to feel like there’s another step in his game that should’ve been tapped into, but as he ran into the tunnel late Saturday night in a mostly cleared out Lane Stadium everyone in his camp was there yelling as he put his arm around his sister and went into the tunnel.

In a week marred with controversy, it was sincere joy for Pavia and his people. It was an emotion that he envisioned feeling when he thought up what his last year of college football would entail. Pavia never envisioned this as the end all be all, but he’s always known that he’d has to have games like Saturday’s if he’s going to reach the heights he’s set out to.

“We’ll be ready for next week,” Javier Pavia said. “On to South Carolina.”