Diego Pavia doubles down on accepting blame for 2024 Texas loss

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia doubled down on taking the blame for last year’s loss to Texas and promising to be better. Pavia does not shy away from expectations as far as wins, championships and more.

He returned to Vanderbilt in 2025 to make a statement, wanting to be the best version of himself and silence the doubters. Beating Texas this year, in the event of a great season, would certainly do that.

Pavia remembered his mistakes from the 2024 meeting and vowed to be better. At the very least, he was being the typical quarterback leader, shouldering the blame.

“Yeah, as a quarterback, I feel like I put the blame on myself for every loss that we have,” Pavia said at SEC Media Days. “But most importantly, in Texas, that’s where two of my interceptions came with tipped balls. And so I need to get better. I need to find those throwing lanes. And, you know, (if) we score on one of those, it flips. So I just got to be better at my craft and what I do. And you know we are going into Austin this year, so it’ll be a super exciting environment.”

Pavia threw for 143 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, ran for 67 yards and a touchdown, being responsible for all three scores in the end zone. But as he mentioned, Pavia’s interceptions could’ve been the game decider in a 27-24 loss at home to the Longhorns.

Pavia and Vanderbilt will head to Austin on November 1st to take on the Longhorns. Texas is seen as a national title favorite this year.

As previously mentioned, there’s no shortage of belief from Pavia. He believes he can and his teammates can will Vanderbilt to the SEC Championship. In that case, Vandy is likely a College Football Playoff team.

“Well, one, we have the talent to do it this year. Two, we return a lot of talent,” Pavia said. “And then, three, you want to know the real reason? It’s probably, like, the biggest reason. Eli Stowers and a few of the guys have brought everybody closer to Christ. And so, really, I feel like that’s like, he’s like shielding us to this alley to take us there.

“So, like, I’ve envisioned it. Like, I’ve had, you know, dreams about it. I wake up, I’m telling some of the guys, like, let’s go throw midnight. MK Young is a transfer from New Mexico State who lives with us now. And so, like, me and him would just be in the room, just talking about it at probably like two, three in the morning on a Saturday night, just getting some work in.”