Moments before kickoff against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night, the Vanderbilt Commodores’ star quarterback, Diego Pavia, spoke to ESPN’s Marty Smith.
When asked about the clash between two programs, Pavia painted an interesting parallel between the two sides, insinuating that Vanderbilt is are underdog going into this game but was super confident in his team’s chances ahead of the fixture.
“This is two opposite sides of the playing field, you know what I mean? This is like the Louis Vuitton versus some underground yard sale,” Pavia said (0:51).
“We know we’ve been slept on. 7-1, people still don’t give us credit. We’re coming out here. We’ve got to make a point tonight”, he further elaborated (1:07).
“This is the Louis Vuitton vs. some underground yard sale.”
Diego Pavia tells @MartySmithESPN that people need to stop sleeping on @VandyFootball 😤 pic.twitter.com/DCWokK5GXx
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 1, 2025
Despite being super competitive, Pavia also showed remarkable class when discussing his Texas counterpart, Arch Manning.
He stated that Arch Manning’s relative youth also highlights that the critics have been harsh on his performances, but he urged people to understand that it’s Manning’s first time playing college football.
Pavia also praised him and wished him the best of luck for his college football career.
“The sky’s the limit for that kid. I wish nothing but success. A lot of people want to hate each other, but there’s enough success to go around for everyone”, Pavia added (1:28)
Meanwhile, Pavia’s performances so far this season have helped Vanderbilt sit at 7-1, their first time since 1941.
Texas Takes Early Lead in Matchup Against Commodores
After 8 games, Pavia has completed nearly 69% of his passes for 1,698 yards and thrown 15 touchdowns, with only 5 interceptions. He has also added almost 458 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns while averaging 269.5 total yards per game.
This has all contributed to winning games against ranked teams such as Missouri and very good performances against SEC powerhouses Alabama and LSU. The Vanderbilt offense has been explosive with Pavia leading, averaging over 38.4 points per game, and a passer rating of 159.0.
Meanwhile, the Texas Longhorns are off to a great start against the Commodores, leading the game 17-0 with less than 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
Read More:
- Fans React as Diego Pavia’s Mom Steals Spotlight During Vanderbilt’s Win vs LSU: “A Little Ridiculous”
- ‘This Isn’t Some Cocky Kid Coming In’ – Analyst Defends Diego Pavia’s SEC Confidence Amid Recent Bold Vandy Claim
- Alabama Legend Nick Saban Shows Unrelented Support To Diego Pavia’s Vanderbilt Ahead Of Missouri Clash
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