Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia disregards Auburn with eye-catching remark: "I just wanted to make them pay"

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has taken a cheeky dig at Auburn after the Commodores recorded a 17-7 win over the Tigers in Week 10 of the 2024 season on Saturday. The signal-caller had some strong words for Auburn, who did not take a chance on him in the transfer portal.

“A lot of people didn’t take a chance on me,” Pavia said in his post-game press conference. “[Auburn’s] just another team that didn’t and I just wanted to make them pay."

Pavia didn't have a flamboyant outing against Auburn on Saturday, but he was effective in getting his team the win. The signal-caller completed 9-of-22 passes for 143 yards and threw two touchdowns which was enough to get Vandy its sixth win of the season.

The win also meant that the Commodores would play in a bowl game this season, their first since 2018.

Diego Pavia has a history with Auburn

NCAA Football: Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia - Source: Imagn

Per reports, Auburn was among the few teams that passed on Diego Pavia when he entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season when he looked to transfer away from New Mexico State.

Pavia had led the offense for the Aggies in a game when Auburn visited Jordan-Hare Stadium last year. He threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-10 win for New Mexico State.

Just two hours before Vanderbilt's clash against Auburn on Saturday, Pavia posted a message on his Instagram story that appeared to be directed at the Tigers. He shared a screenshot of lyrics from the song “Heyy” by Lil Baby, with the phrase, “They thought I got lucky last time” that was highlighted.

Pavia got another win over Auburn under his belt on Saturday and made sure that he let the Tigers know what they passed up on in the transfer portal. He also mentioned the reference in his postgame interview:

"They thought I got lucky. You heard what they were saying in the interviews, they thought I got lucky last time I was here (with New Mexico State). Just to prove it twice, I'm that type of guy to give it all I got on Saturdays. Today was an ugly win, but we found a way to win."

This season, Pavia has completed 127 of 205 passes for 1,677 yards and thrown 15 touchdowns, with three interceptions. He has also rushed for 563 yards and four rushing touchdowns.