Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia hits the Heisman against LSU

Joe Bombo

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Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia hits the Heisman against LSU image

The games between elite quarterbacks aren’t always head-to-head showdowns. But when you compare them side-by-side, the story often tells itself. And this weekend, there was no debate about who stood taller. The better quarterback was Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia.

If you’d looked ahead to this season and studied the preseason Heisman projections, you would’ve seen LSU's Garrett Nussmeier leading the conversation. The veteran pocket passer was supposed to be the polished, pro-ready name to watch. But if we’re still entertaining that argument now, it’s time to move on.

This year has ushered in a new wave of stars—Alabama’s Ty Simpson, Ole Miss Trinidad Chambliss, and Pavia are among them. Once considered more personality than production, Pavia has spent the fall proving that the swagger was backed by real football substance. His faith also helped along the way. 

Pavia improved in nearly every facet of his game, emerging as one of the nation’s most efficient quarterbacks on third down and making a legitimate case for Heisman attention.

Against LSU on Saturday, that case only strengthened. After his second rushing touchdown, Pavia motioned to the crowd and struck the iconic Heisman pose. And if you actually watched how he got there, the confidence made sense.

It wasn’t just the three total touchdowns or the 240-plus yards of offense—it was how he did it. When Vanderbilt needed a spark, Pavia delivered. When the game demanded composure, he stayed poised.

The defining moment came late in the fourth quarter: third down, inside LSU’s 15-yard line, Pavia broke free toward the end zone but chose to slide just short to secure the win. That wasn’t showmanship, but rather leadership.

Meanwhile, Nussmeier played fine. He avoided turnovers and made a few clean throws, but “fine” won’t cut it in Baton Rouge. His reads were slow, his timing was off, and the offense never found rhythm. For a unit led by a coach once hailed as an offensive guru, LSU looks like it’s running on fumes.

On a day the Tigers desperately needed a pulse, Pavia gave college football something better—a statement 31-24 win. And if you didn’t know his name before Saturday, you do now. Because in a season full of overhyped trailers and unfinished scripts, Pavia is quietly delivering the kind of performance worth staying the entire game to watch. 

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Joe Bombo

Joe Bombo is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has covered college and professional sports over the past decade. He's the founder and on-air talent of iHeartSEC Radio.