NASHVILLE — Diego Pavia threw five touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead 18th-ranked Vanderbilt to a 55-35 nonconference victory over Utah State on Saturday.
Pavia completed 26 of 34 passes for 321 yards and rushed for 79 yards on nine carries with a long run of 33. He became the second Vanderbilt quarterback since 1996 to play a role in six or more touchdowns in a game, and he tied the Commodores’ single-game record for touchdown passes, joining Johnny McCrary (2014), Jay Cutler (2005) and Bill Wade (1950).
“He’s a really good football player, and today was his day,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said of the sixth-year college player who’s in his second season with the Commodores. “I’m happy for him.”
The Commodores, who are off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2008, will return to Southeastern Conference play when they visit No. 17 Alabama (3-1, 1-0) next Saturday. Vanderbilt opened its league schedule with a 31-7 win at South Carolina on Sept. 13.
Junior Sherrill had 91 yards on six receptions, catching half of Pavia’s touchdown passes. It was the first time the junior from Nashville has scored more than one touchdown in a game.
“When you’ve got really talented people between the ears, you’re a dangerous team, and you guys saw it here today,” Pavia said of Vanderbilt’s offense. “We’ve got to keep building on it.”
Richie Hoskins and Eli Stowers each had a touchdown catch, Makhilyn Young ran for a score, and Brock Taylor added two field goals for the Commodores.
Vanderbilt has scored 30-plus points in each of its first five games for the first time since 1915, one of the best starts in SEC history when it comes to scoring. Their 245 points scored through five weeks are the most for the program since the SEC began play in 1933, and it ranks as the ninth-most points scored by an SEC team in its first five contests in conference history.
Vanderbilt’s defense pressured Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes throughout the game, sacking him three times and getting credited with seven hurries. The Commodores limited the Aggies (3-2) to 15 yards of total offense in the third quarter.
The visitors from the Mountain West Conference kept pace with Vanderbilt in the first half, though, finding the end zone three times and holding the lead twice. Their success was powered by the play of Barnes, who finished the game 15-of-22 passing for 161 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
“My preparation of our team didn’t allow us to play as consistently and cleanly enough to take it right to the end,” Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “Vanderbilt earned the win.”
While the Commodores were able to pull away in the second half, nearly 200 yards of total offense allowed in the first half could have been costly, and they were also penalized six times for a total loss of 65 yards.
“We’ll address the ones that we need to play better through,” Lea said of the penalties. “Obviously today it didn’t hurt us, but it will moving forward. We need to clean our game up a little bit.”