Diego Pavia will take the field tomorrow for what will likely be his final collegiate game, and he will do so in the aftermath of making a national embarrassment of himself and the entire Vanderbilt program.
After coming in second place in the Heisman voting behind Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, Pavia posted on social media, “F- all the voters”.
His comments drew strong backlash from around the sports world, with even his own head coach expressing disappointment. “I regretted the fact that he put that out there, and I appreciated his apology," Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea said. “... He used words that sent the wrong message, that don't align with our program and don't align with who he is.”
Pavia issued an apology after, stating that “Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor.”... Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award.”
With all that drama in the rear-view mirror, the Commodores will now take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Game Notes:
#23 Iowa (8-4) vs #14 Vanderbilt (10-2)
Date, time, and channel: December 31, 12:00, ESPN
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
What’s at stake: Iowa has not defeated a ranked opponent since beating Penn State in 2021, and Vanderbilt will look to pick up their 11th win of the season. Their victory in their regular season finale against Tennessee gave them 10 on the year, a new program record.
Analysis: These two teams really couldn’t be much more different. The Hawkeyes are a no-nonsense, old-school team that tries to establish the run and dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The Commodores have a high-powered, flashy offense. This matchup brings a huge contrast of styles together.
Vanderbilt will be without their star tight end Eli Stowers, who opted out of the game to prepare for the NFL Draft. He was this year's Mackey Award winner, given annually to the best tight end in college football. He led the team in receptions as well as receiving yards; not having him is obviously a huge loss. Between that and how busy Pavia has been making an embarrassment out of himself and their entire program, it could be a long day for their offense.
In fairness, the Hawkeyes' offense was far from prolific this season, ranking third-to-last in the Big 10 in total offense. Fifth-year senior QB Mark Gronowski isn’t much of a threat through the air, throwing for 8 TDs and 6 INTs this season, along with a 62.5 completion percentage. He has however, rushed for 15 touchdowns this season, which is tied for fourth among FBS QBs.
Prediction: Six of Iowa’s twelve games this year were decided by one score or less. They will run the ball, control the line of scrimmage, and impose their will. The impact of Pavia not having Stowers, his top target all season long, can't be diminished. The Hawkeyes win this game 27-20 and get that elusive ranked win.