Vanderbilt football victories change reaction to Diego Pavia loss at Texas

For a few weeks, Vanderbilt football could legitimately talk about itself as a contender for the SEC title and the College Football Playoff.

While the Commodores are not out of contention for the SEC title and the playoffs are still a possibility, Vanderbilt (5-3, 2-2 SEC) already has three losses, one of which came to Georgia State, which is a Total supply made it pretty unlikely.

For most people, even Saturday's 27-24 loss to No. 6 Texas would be a success. But not for the Commodores.

“I have a disappointed team,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. “I think it's important that … we take our time making it hurt because my team expected to win this game and it's unfortunate to come up short.”

There are no more moral victories for the Commodores. Not after Virginia Tech and Alabama have already been beaten. Not after putting themselves in a position to secure bowl eligibility sooner than ever before. A program accustomed to viewing 6-6 as a successful season isn't content with a loss stemming from an unsuccessful onside kick, even for a team like the Longhorns (7-1, 3- 1).

There were a few uncharacteristic errors in the game. Vanderbilt had three turnovers, doubling its total all season. This included two interceptions by Diego Pavia and a fumble by Sedrick Alexander. The defense allowed six passes of 20 yards or more.

Pavia is an exceptional competitor, and he showed it when he led Vanderbilt down the field on a touchdown drive with less than two minutes left with 10 minutes remaining. He gave the Commodores a chance to reduce the game to an onside kick.

“It sucks, I hate losing more than winning and it's a bad feeling,” Pavia said. “Everyone wants more in the locker room, that’s a positive thing.”

This mindset is largely why Vanderbilt is a legitimate threat to any team he plays. Even though the College Football Playoff is likely canceled, a win could still give the Commodores their first 10-win season. They will have a blockbuster matchup against Tennessee at the end of the regular season with a chance to end their rival's playoff hopes.

“Same old Vandy” is a common refrain among fans, referring to the team’s historical tendency to shoot itself in the foot. The same old Vandy would celebrate a loss like this against Texas and the fact that it came so close to a second big win. This version of Vanderbilt won’t do that.

“We have a good team that has to play a certain way to win and we are interested in winning, so we have no interest in narrowly failing,” Lea said. “…I have no doubt about their competitive spirit. I have a lot of affection for this team. They are in a good position in these moments because there are so many things we can do to find an edge in this game.

If Vanderbilt had actually gone 2-10 one year and advanced to the College Football Playoff, that would have been an unprecedented result. It would have been unrealistic to expect that of the Commodores, even if they continue to expect it of themselves. But with their new “no moral victories” mentality, those victories should come more often than not.

PAVIA FAMILY Diego Pavia's family shares QB's exciting Vanderbilt football season with him

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.

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