Pavia Magic Leads Vanderbilt's OT Escape Against Auburn

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NASHVILLE, TN—In a dramatic shootout that went down to the wire and into extra time, the No. 15 Vanderbilt Commodores survived a furious upset bid from Auburn, securing a thrilling 45-38 overtime victory at FirstBank Stadium. The win, Vanderbilt’s eighth of the season (8-2, 4-2 SEC), kept their College Football Playoff aspirations alive and further cemented quarterback Diego Pavia‘s place in program history.

Against a rejuvenated Auburn team playing its first game under interim head coach D.J. Durkin, the Commodores proved they know how to win—even when their defense struggles and the game turns into a test of will.

A Tale of Two Halves and a Heisman Hope

The game started as a nightmare for Vanderbilt and a dream debut for Auburn’s new offensive identity.

A Slow Start: The Tigers’ offense, dormant in recent weeks, exploded early. Quarterback Ashton Daniels was brilliant, throwing and running for scores as Auburn jumped out to a surprising 20-10 lead at the half. The Tigers finished the game with a season-high 563 yards of total offense, a testament to Daniels’ 353 passing yards and two touchdowns, plus 89 rushing yards and two more scores.
Pavia Takes Over: Vanderbilt’s comeback was entirely fueled by the magic of Diego Pavia. The senior quarterback seemingly put the entire offense on his back, orchestrating score after score in the second half. Pavia was unstoppable, finishing with a career-best 489 yards of total offense—a program first for a player to achieve 300+ passing yards (377) and 100+ rushing yards (112) in the same game.
The Go-Ahead Scores: The Commodores clawed their way back, trading punches with the Tigers. Vanderbilt finally took the lead, 38-30, in the fourth quarter following a pair of rushing scores from Pavia and running back Sedrick Alexander.

The Clutch Moment

Just when it seemed Vanderbilt had seized control, Auburn struck back. Daniels led a crucial drive, finding wide receiver Cam Coleman for an incredible one-handed, 23-yard touchdown catch, followed by a successful two-point conversion to tie the game at 38-38 with 5:27 left in regulation.

Vanderbilt had a chance to win in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, but Coach Clark Lea elected to go for it on 4th-and-1 near the Auburn 25-yard line instead of attempting a field goal. Pavia was stuffed, giving the ball back to the Tigers. However, Auburn’s Hail Mary attempt fell harmlessly incomplete, sending the game to overtime.

Overtime Heroics

Winning the coin toss, Auburn opted to let Vanderbilt’s offense take the field first in the extra period.

Vanderbilt’s Score: After a quick first down, Pavia found tight end Cole Spence open on a brilliant 4-yard jump pass from the 4-yard line. The innovative play fake caught the Auburn defense completely off-guard, giving the Commodores the 45-38 advantage.
The Final Stop: On Auburn’s possession, the Commodores’ defense—led by linebacker Bryan Longwell (12 tackles)—bent but did not break. The Tigers drove to the 12-yard line, but on 4th-and-7, Daniels’ final pass to the end zone for Coleman was incomplete, sealing the dramatic victory for the Commodores.

“We’re finding different ways to win games,” Coach Lea remarked after the game. “In our minds, [Pavia is] the best player in the country. He found a way to win the game for us tonight.”

The victory moves Vanderbilt to a remarkable 8-2 record, its best start since 1930, and keeps the playoff conversation swirling around West End.