KNOXVILLE — One week after throwing for a career-best 484 yards in Vanderbilt’s 45-17 dismantling of Kentucky last weekend at FirstBank Stadium, versatile Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia rushed for a career-high 165 yards in Saturday’s 45-24 whipping of Tennessee inside Neyland Stadium.
Pavia, who also threw for 268 yards against the Volunteers, amassed his ground total on 20 carries, averaging 8.2 yards per rush.
“Up front, they wanted to run the ball,” Pavia said afterward. “They literally kept saying, ‘Run the f-ing ball.’ I was like, ‘All right,’ so I started making checks.”
Pavia came into Saturday averaging 5.0 yards per carry and ranked third among Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in passing efficiency. He was a nuisance for the Vols on both fronts.
Vanderbilt amassed 582 yards overall, with the Pavia-led attack getting a more-than-desired 314 on the ground.
“On a couple of them, he makes a good play,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “We can’t get off a block on the interior on a couple of their scramble plays. We misfit a couple of things to the boundary.
“It was the combination of a lot of things that ultimately led him to having the game that he does with his feet.”
Saturday marked the end of Pavia’s second regular season with the Commodores, though it feels like he packed five years into the program. Following his first win over the Vols as either a player or a coach, Vanderbilt fifth-year mentor Clark Lea was able to offer a brief reflection with a bowl game likely in Florida looming.
“Our paths crossed for a reason. There are no mistakes,” Lea said. “The way he has transformed our locker room. The way he’s transformed our play on the field, and he hasn’t lost his personality. He hasn’t lost the things that have made him so special.
“It’s been a meaningful run for us, and we don’t want it to end.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lea and Pavia at the Heisman Trophy ceremony in a couple of weeks.
When asked Saturday about his Heisman chances, Pavia said, “I just hope everyone looks at the stats. They speak for themselves.”
As does Vanderbilt’s 10-2 record.
Defensive changes?
Moments after his Vols had allowed a season-high 582 yards, Heupel was asked whether some personnel and scheme changes would be forthcoming in the offseason.
“Ultimately the performance we had tonight wasn’t anywhere near the standard of what Tennessee football is,” Heupel said. “There have been a lot of things we’ve had to deal with in the beginning and middle parts of our season. I felt like we had taken some steps the last couple of weeks, but this one just wrapped up a few seconds ago.
“It’s my job to evaluate everything inside of our program. I’ve told our players that we’ve had some disappointing results, but this second half was extremely disappointing for coaches and players.”
‘Meaningful week’
Lea’s first win over Tennessee came one day after Vanderbilt announced he would be receiving a contract extension, which multiple media outlets reported as being for six years.
“Obviously this was a big week for me personally, getting the extension to the finish line and knowing that we’re going to continue on this build,” Lea said. “With Candice (Storey Lee), I’ve got the best AD in the country. She’s tough. She’s resilient. Every time we’ve needed her to step up, she’s stepped up.
“It was a meaningful week for me and a meaningful week for this program.”
As a private university, Vanderbilt does not have to disclose the financial details of Lea’s new deal.
Odds and ends
Redshirt junior receiver Chris Brazzell II went through Tennessee’s senior day festivities before tallying six catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, giving him 1,017 yards for the season. … The Vols have nine pass plays this season of 50-plus yards. … Redshirt freshman receiver Braylon Staley had six catches for 35 yards and now has 64 receptions this season, tying Kelley Washington (2001) for the most by a freshman — true or redshirt — in program history.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.