Vanderbilt hasn’t witnessed a quarterback-driven resurgence in decades. Diego Pavia’s rise from JUCO challenges to SEC stardom nears its final chapter. As for Clark Lea, he wants the FirstBank stadium to bounce around for his last dance. He wants them to honor the player for rewriting their history as a potential playoff beckons.

The quarterback behind Vanderbilt’s win against Alabama after a 40-year drought last season, Diego Pavia, and his band of brothers hold a 14th spot in the playoffs. So, now that Vandy is going to have its last game of the regular season against Kentucky at home, Clark Lea wants the stadium to be packed to the rafters. You could probably see Pavia playing next year, but with college football, you never know.

“These seniors deserve to have a stadium filled with Vanderbilt fans. It’s not totally eliminated that we could play a home playoff game, but this could be the last chance you get to see Diego Pavia at FirstBank Stadium,” Lea said.

So, until it’s a home playoff game for Vanderbilt, Kentucky’s game is Pavia’s last match at home. This player turned Vandy’s fortunes around, leading them to an 8-2 record, throwing for 2,440 yards with a 70% completion rate and adding 613 rushing yards with 28 touchdowns, all while leading one of the best offenses in college football. They are ranked No. 1 in points per drive and No. 2 in red zone touchdown percentage. 3 in success rate, no. 4 in yards per play, and no. 5 in third down conversion percentage. Those stats speak volumes about his devastating impact.

Alabama and Missouri are the only teams in the league that have held Vanderbilt to 30 points this season. It’s not rocket science; it’s all because of Pavia’s explosive gameplay. His ability to run the offense by spreading the ball to different players, such as running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, has helped Vanderbilt create various formations that confuse defenses.

It’s not just Lea but also Kentucky HC Mark Stoops who swears by his excellence. “You can’t say enough good things about that young man,” Stoops said. “He is one heck of a ballplayer. He’s tough as nails.”

With that, Clark Lea’s urge makes sense, as there’s a high chance that Vanderbilt won’t make the playoffs at all. To crash the 12-team playoff bracket, they need to win their last two games and finish with a 10-2 record. Additionally, they must surpass both Oklahoma and Utah in rankings. That’s only possible if they lose in their remaining games.

Regardless, that might not be the case, as both teams have relatively easy opponents. BYU plays Cincinnati and UCF, and Utah plays Kansas State and Kansas. But to make sure they get a playoff game, Diego Pavia reloads his guns.

Diego Pavia gets real on their game against Kentucky

Ever since losing to Texas and Alabama this season, Vanderbilt’s playoff path looks anything but straight. With a championship target on their back, Diego Pavia and his team have zero room for error. Now, having a home game, Vanderbilt already holds an upper hand against Kentucky. But Pavia is keeping his guard up. “We just got to win out,” Pavia said. “So keep that in mind. Tomorrow we have practice, so we’ll bring the energy and be ready to go.”

Both teams are entering the game coming off massive wins from last week. Diego Pavia threw for 377 passing yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions and rushed for 112 yards with a score against Auburn. Then RB Sedrick Alexander recorded two rushing touchdowns.

Talking about Kentucky, they handed Tennessee Tech its first loss of the season. Notably, QB Cutter Boley threw for 236 yards with two combined touchdowns, and RB Dante Dowdell rushed for 87 yards with one touchdown.

Now, the Vanderbilt-Kentucky rivalry is one of the oldest and most evenly matched in the SEC, with Kentucky holding a narrow 48-44-4 lead over Vanderbilt in their 97 meetings. But this time, that might not be the case, as ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Vanderbilt a 76.5% chance to win. So, let’s wait and see if they can double down on the momentum or not.