After going 3-10 against Kentucky, Auburn finally pulled the trigger on Hugh Freeze and parted ways with him. Now, under interim coach D.J. Durkin, they were hoping to finally put a pause on Diego Pavia’s Vanderbilt winning streak. And after leading them with a 20-10 score in the first half, it seemed like a done deal. But then came the third quarter’s rookie mistake that gave Vandy a last hope to survive, dragging the Tigers down in the game.

Well, after leading against Vanderbilt with a 23-17 score in the third quarter, Durkin’s Auburn made a costly blunder. With just 7:44 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 1st-and-10 play, Diego Pavia threw a 57-yard touchdown to Tre Richardson, who was left alone within the 15-yard mark. This gave them a 24-23 lead.

Crazy, right? That became the turning point of the game as Richardson dashed straight to the end zone, giving Vanderbilt the lead over Auburn. And why wouldn’t he? Auburn’s defensive backs were nowhere to be seen in the backfield. Auburn messed up big time. Despite entering the game as the no. 9 rush defense in the country, allowing just 83.6 rush yards per game, DC and now interim HC Durkin couldn’t double down against Vanderbilt.

This moment didn’t just turn the entire game for Vanderbilt, but also turned as a big moment for a guy who’s been doubted his entire life. “I’ve been doubted everywhere,” Richardson said. “Every school I go to, they’d be like, ‘Oh, you came from a trash high school, you came from JUCO, you came from a D-II.’ So, I’m just showing anybody you can play from anywhere.” This was his another 30+ yard long reception after the Missouri game. Richardson recorded a season-long 37-yard catch in the first half.

But despite Vanderbilt’s game-changing touchdown, Auburn’s Ashton Daniels quickly acted, rushing for another touchdown, which put the Tigers back in the lead with a 30-24 score. But then Diego Pavia made a 28-yard scramble and penalty, which helped Vanderbilt to regain the lead before entering the fourth quarter. This is when the game turned into a back-and-forth battle.

As Deigo Pavia ran for a touchdown to give Vanderbilt a 31-30 lead, they extended the lead to 38-30 with a 9-yard touchdown run by Sedrick Alexander. Even Auburn didn’t hold back as they responded with a 75-yard drive with a 23-yard touchdown to Cam Coleman, followed by a two-point conversion, which tied the game at 38 all. But that’s when Vanderbilt made a bold decision, which ended their only chance to seal the win.

Diego Pavia’s Vanderbilt’s game-changing decision

Vanderbilt had their big chance to win the game against Auburn. With just 1:06 left on the clock and the score tied 38:38, Vandy reached its 25-yard line. It was 4th and 1, which means they only needed one yard for a first down. Vanderbilt was already in field goal range, but that’s when things turned. Despite going for a safe field goal, Vanderbilt decided to go for it on fourth down.

That’s when Diego Pavia tried running for the first down, but Auburn’s defense stopped him for a 3-yard loss, turning the ball over. This ended Vandy’s only chance to take a lead. So why did Vanderbilt do it? Well, the answer is simple: clock management. If Vandy had kicked a field goal right away, the Tigers would have still had around a minute left to drive down the field and score again.

But if Diego Pavia had gotten that one yard, Vanderbilt could have run down the clock and made their game-winning field goal, giving no time to Auburn to respond. Well, the move was sure risky, and that’s what happened; failing to gain that single yard cost them a chance to win, but eventually the game went overtime. Even with that mistake, Vanderbilt owned the game and won with a 45-38 mark.