Clark Lea, Diego Pavia lobby for invite to Heisman Trophy ceremony after Tennessee win
By Mark Kern
Published:
Clark Lea and the Vanderbilt Commodores completed the greatest season in the program’s history on Saturday with a 45-24 victory against in-state rival Tennessee. The Commodores were led once again by star quarterback Diego Pavia. He threw for 268 yards and one score, while rushing for another 165 yards and one rushing touchdown.
Pavia all season long has been saying that he wants to win the Heisman Trophy, and Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea made it known after the game that his quarterback deserves to be at the ceremony in New York as a finalist.
“He needs to be in New York,” Lea said. “He’s the best player in the country.”
Pavia shared the same sentiment as his coach, as he made a plea to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy after the win over Tennessee.
“Take me to New York,” Pavia said after the game. “I feel like if you go look at the numbers, and look at what we got here. Obviously, we did something that has never been done. It is a blessing to be here on this stage, something I dreamed about since I was a kid.”
Pavia put together a season for the ages this year. He finished the regular season with 3,192 pass yards and an SEC-leading 27 passing touchdowns. He is also a major threat with his legs, as he finished with 826 rushing yards and nine more scores.
In a season that there hasn’t been one guy that has separated himself from the rest of the pack, Pavia has a great chance to be in New York at the Heisman Trophy presentation. The Commdores will also be on alert to see if they potentially have done enough to make it to the College Football Playoff, as they entered Saturday ranked No. 14.
