Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia has quickly become one of the SEC’s — and especially Hugh Freeze’s — worst nightmares

It’s fitting that Halloween falls during Vanderbilt-Auburn Week, because Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze is about to get his third straight visit from the nightmare that is Diego Pavia.

Across a total of four schools and two time zones, Pavia, now the Commodores’ quarterback, has haunted, hassled and harassed Freeze. This weekend, the two will meet for the third straight year as Vanderbilt travels to the Plains. It’s not a matchup anyone would have circled prior to the season, but it’s a game both teams desperately need, for very different reasons.

Vanderbilt and Auburn are, at this point, literal mirror images of one another. The Commodores are 5-3, the Tigers 3-5. Vanderbilt is a historical doormat experiencing success unprecedented in the modern era; Auburn is a past national champion that’s spent a decade flailing in search of answers. Vanderbilt beat Alabama; Auburn is on a three-game Iron Bowl losing streak. Oh, and while Auburn is still searching for answers at quarterback. Vanderbilt has found a generational one in Pavia.

“I’m sick of seeing that quarterback,” Freeze joked earlier this week. “I’ve had enough of him.”

You can understand why. In 2022, Pavia and New Mexico State pounded Freeze’s Liberty squad 49-14. All Pavia did was pass for three touchdowns and run for three more, throwing for 214 yards and rushing for 125. As jarring as that was, the next year was even more shocking.

Freeze jumped from Liberty to Auburn before the 2023 season. Late in the year, Pavia’s Aggies stormed into Auburn and proceeded to skull-drag the Tigers by a score of 31-10. Pavia threw for “only” three touchdowns and rushed for “only” 35 yards.

“Last year when we played (Pavia), the first time we touched the ball in the first quarter, I believe, was with 5:05 left,” Freeze said. “That’s…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/vanderbilt-qb-diego-pavia-has-quickly-become-one-of-the-secs–and-especially-hugh-freezes–worst-nightmares-171307630.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-31 17:13:07

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.