AUSTIN (KXAN) — Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia exploded onto the national scene last year like a bolt of lightning, helping the lowly Commodores go from 2-10 in 2023 to 7-6 and bowl-eligible in 2024.
It turns out he wasn’t just a flash in the pan either.
He petitioned the NCAA for and received another year of eligibility, giving him a chance to finish what he started. Now he carries the program on his back, revitalizing the school in Nashville, Tennessee, known more for its baseball team and rigorous academic standards.
Vanderbilt was ranked the highest in 88 years at No. 9 with a 7-1 record heading into Saturday’s game, bright and early at 11 a.m. inside DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Pavia is a passer and runner who fills the stats and is one of the most competitive players Texans coach Steve Sarkisian has ever faced. He has thrown for nearly 1,700 yards and rushed for nearly 500 yards, making him one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.
How is Sarkisian preparing for this? The onion has layers, Sarkissian said.
“One, is his ability to find the big receiver, the tight end [Eli Stowers]“They are very creative getting the ball,” Sarkisian said. “Secondly, the triple-option aspect of their offense, the decision-making. Thirdly, the direct running game to the quarterback that they use. And fourthly, the plays he makes. He’s very good at those. The first touchdown he scored against us last year was a play.”
A big part of Pavia’s game is making something out of what seems like nothing. When the play breaks down, Pavia has a knack for finding the smallest wrinkles and somehow squeezing the most out of them. Part of it is athletic ability, but a bigger part of it, Sarkisian said, is his will.
“He’s the tip of the spear. He’s one of the most competitive players I’ve ever coached against,” Sarkisian said. “All the praise he receives is well-deserved. One thing about playing quarterback is that it’s not always about the passes you throw or the runs you make, it’s about instilling confidence in your teammates, the organization and the fan base, and Diego Pavia did that.”
Staying disciplined on defense will be crucial for the Longhorns to prevent Pavia from getting to the sack. Outside defenders need containment, defensive linemen need to maintain their pass rushers and secondarys need to keep their eyes up.
“You have to do a good job of setting your edges, otherwise he’s going to get to the perimeter quickly,” Sarkisian said.
The game will be a homecoming of sorts for Vanderbilt running back Cedric Alexander, the Austin LBJ product who is the all-time leading rusher in Austin Independent School District history. He has 388 rushing yards on 73 carries with six touchdowns this season.
Stowers, a former quarterback at Denton Guyer High School and a UIL high jump champion, was a Mackey Award semifinalist last season and is a problem for defenses. He’s caught 31 passes for 397 yards with a pair of scores so far.
Vanderbilt’s offensive style is one of ball control, so Sarkisian doesn’t expect his offense to possess the ball as much as it usually does. He’s not even sure who’s going to take the snaps, whether it’s Arch Manning or Matthew Caldwell, but what he does know is that they have to be efficient and treat every possession like it’s the last they’ll get.
“We’re not going to go out there and run 80 plays this week,” Sarkisian said. “It’s probably somewhere between 50 and 65, so when you think about it that way, it’s going to be an 8-10 possession game. We have to maximize possession when we get it.”