Diego Pavia Isn’t Done With Bama — And He’s Got Receipts
It’s been over eight months since Vanderbilt shocked the college football world by toppling Alabama, and people still aren’t over it — especially not in Tuscaloosa.
The Commodores came into that October 2024 game as massive underdogs. Alabama was a 23.5-point favorite. Everyone expected a blowout — but not like this. Diego Pavia, Vandy’s fearless QB, lit up the Tide with 308 yards and two touchdown passes, leading the Dores to a wild 40-35 win. It was their first win over Alabama since 1984 — seriously.
The loss didn’t just sting Bama — it burned. It got so heated that one of their safeties, Malachi Moore, slammed Pavia’s head into the turf as time ran out. That moment? Pure frustration. Alabama lost four games that year, and this one clearly still haunts them.
Fast forward to now: Alabama’s already eyeing the rematch this fall. Sophomore wide receiver Ryan Williams recently said, “We’re going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer this year.” (Not exactly subtle.)
Pavia heard the noise — and he’s not backing down.
He clapped back earlier this month, but doubled down hard during a new appearance on the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast. And let’s just say, he’s not short on confidence.
“I have no doubt we have the guys to go do it,” Pavia said. “We’ve got the firepower, the depth, the defense, the offense… we’d be selling ourselves short if we didn’t believe we could win a national championship.”
Let’s be real: Vanderbilt has never won a national title. They haven’t even hit double-digit wins in a season — ever — since starting football in 1890. But after leading Vandy to a Bowl win and their first winning season in over a decade, Pavia’s clearly feeling himself. And why shouldn’t he?
He knows what it took to bring down Alabama once — and now he’s hunting for a repeat. The rematch goes down October 4 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Get your popcorn ready.
