Diego Pavia says Vanderbilt still has ‘national championship’ expectations despite loss to Alabama
By Mark Kern
Published:
Vanderbilt suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday night to Alabama, falling 30-14 in Tuscaloosa.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia didn’t have a great game, as he finished 21-of-35 for 198 yards and one touchdown. He also added 58 yards rushing the ball, but he also had both an interception as well as a fumble.
Despite the loss, there is still plenty of season left, and Pavia said expectations for the team haven’t changed at all.
“We’ve got every single goal that we want out in front of us. That’s a national championship,” Pavia told reporters. “Alabama has a loss. We have a loss. A lot of people in the SEC have a loss. We just gotta win out.”
That confidence is one of his biggest strengths, and despite the loss, there are positives to take out of this game. Both Kalen DeBoer and Clark Lea said that this year’s Vanderbilt team is much better than last season’s team. The Commodores were in the game Saturday for the majority of the day, but two turnovers ended big drives.
The Commodores defense did a great job of containing the Alabama offense, as they forced three field goals in the second half to keep the team in the game.
Life in the SEC is never easy, and Pavia and his team have a week off before another huge game against LSU on Oct. 18.
