Vanderbilt had come out of halftime with a lot of work to do.
The Commodores did it, though, and with 1:06 left, they were set up for a field goal to win the game.
It was fourth-and-1 at the Auburn 25. The game was tied 38-38.
All Vandy needed to do was kick, take a lead, and get a stop.
The Commodores instead went for it, and out of the shotgun, Diego Pavia was stopped for a three-yard loss and turnover on downs.
The game ended up going to overtime, tied 38-38.
DIEGO PAVIA TRIPPED ON A CRUCIAL 4TH-AND-1 CONVERSION ATTEMPT FOR VANDY 😱 pic.twitter.com/pe2EOG93dh
— ESPN (@espn) November 9, 2025
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Why did Vanderbilt go for it on 4th down?
Vandy's thinking likely had to do with the clock.
With 1:06 left, the field goal doesn't guarantee a win. Auburn would get about a minute to drive the field and try to tie or win it.
If Pavia gets the single yard, Vandy could run the clock all the way down. Even if they still are kicking at the end of it, they're doing it at the buzzer to win and not give Auburn a chance.
They obviously risked not getting it, which is what happened, and Auburn could've taken advantage and won the game themselves on a field goal (rather than tying it if Vandy kicked and made it).
The game going to OT at least temporarily mitigated the error, but it's still an odd one.
Vanderbilt's thinking made sense, and it's fair to expect Pavia to get a yard.
But it also had some risk, and Vandy found that risk by not converting.
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