Sometimes Things Don't End The Way They're Supposed To. They Didn't For Vanderbilt Football; Column
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TAMPA—With his back to a sea of Iowa fans and the chances at a magical ending to his college football career waning, Diego Pavia did something that he’s never done.
Pavia caught the snap and motioned to hand it off to Vanderbilt running back Sedrick Alexander, but Alexander had already passed him. In the ensuing seconds, Pavia was snaked to the grass as if Iowa’s defensive line had a vendetta against him. The visual was unfamiliar, jarring and was symbolic of a fallen hero. In that moment, the seemingly unbreakable quarterback looked human.
Vanderbilt’s drive wouldn’t end there and ended in a field goal, but the play in which Pavia was driven into the ground appeared to be symbolic of how this thing was set to end.
With the way Pavia and this group orchestrated a meteoric rise as he played his way into a spot as a Heisman Trophy finalist and Vanderbilt worked its way into the College Football Playoff conversation, it felt like fate that this would end in some sort of glamorous ceremony. Sometimes sports are about more then destiny and storylines, though.
Wednesday was.
“We kind of fell short of some stuff that we were trying to accomplish,” Vanderbilt receiver Junior Sherrill told Vandy on SI, “Like the playoffs for example, Diego’s Heisman, that’s definitely gonna sting for some time, but everything happens for a reason.”
What happened at Raymond James Stadium had plenty to do with Iowa’s dominance on the line of scrimmage, Pavia’s slow first half, Vanderbilt’s defense’s inability to get off the field and Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski going for a season-high in passing yards. It had very little to do with feel or what appeared to be right.
Instead of the season-ending celebration that this group appeared to deserve, this thing ended with Pavia fading into the tunnel for the final time in a Vanderbilt uniform, Richie Hoskins bear hugging Vanderbilt offensive consultant Jerry Kill prior to each of them entering the tunnel. Vanderbilt defensive lineman Josh Singh was perhaps the most demonstrative as anyone in the vicinity and shed tears that seemingly nobody in sight could miss.
For all the good that this Vanderbilt team has accomplished, its final memory of this season will relate to tears and what ifs.
“It’s the end,” Lea said. “The first 10-win season in program history…I want to make sure that these guys are proud of that, despite how we feel. It will resolve, we will get past it and when we’re past it we’ll be left with something we can be really proud of.”
That doesn’t change Wednesday, though. The day at Raymond James Stadium was supposed to be the peaceful ending of this program’s greatest ever era in which it picked up its 11th win for the first time in program history, sent out Pavia and the remainder of Vanderbilt’s seniors the right way and figuratively passed the torch to five-star quarterback Jared Curtis.
There was no such result for Vanderbilt as it showed an on-brand level of resilience as it avoided what appeared to be heading in the direction of a blowout, but ultimately couldn’t overcome a 21-3 deficit and the five times Pavia was sacked. The biggest culprit was perhaps Vanderbilt’s defense, but assigning blame appears to be a moot point at this stage. The point is that Vanderbilt's best season in program history didn't end with confetti or an ESPN interview. It didn't end in euphoria. It didn't even end while it was playing for a championship.
That will leave a final sour taste to its golden era.
“It stings,” Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson told Vandy on SI. “It hurts, but the relationships I have and the brothers I have, that’s my family for life and nothing will ever change that. Even though it hurts, all good things come to an end.”
Nobody can take away the win over No. 1 Alabama. Nobody can take the 10-win season, the win in Knoxville and the way this group of misfits made a consistent bottom feeder into a contender. Nobody can take away the sting and the eerie image of Lea fighting back tears while standing at the podium in the basement of Raymond James Stadium.
Lea says that despite the emotions he felt at the end of this thing, he would do it all over again with this group. Perhaps the hurt won’t leave for awhile, but he doesn’t want that to define this group.
“I think part of remembering this team first is the work we do to ensure that they’re remembered as starting something that has deep roots and truly lasts,” Lea said. “This group has set such a high bar for us. I mean, that’s the best football team in Vanderbilt history.”
_(1)-b3e453dfe426b2dd4b83a12540ebdb37.jpeg "Joey Dwyer")
Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Southeastern 16 and Mainstreet Nashville.
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