Paul Finebaum says Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia paid for his trash talk vs. Alabama

Last Saturday was a much different result for Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia against Alabama. After leading the Commodores to a historic upset victory in 2024, the Crimson Tide took its revenge on Pavia with a 30-14 victory.

In the months leading up to the anticipated rematch, Pavia was no stranger to poking Alabama and its fans with a few comments and social media quips.

Trash talk has been a part of Pavia’s game even before becoming a national sensation due to his underdog status, but many analysts like ESPN’s Paul Finebaum believes he talked entirely too much before playing Alabama.

“Everyone wants to tell you their favorite Diego Pavia story, and maybe I am too old school because I really like him, but I think he talked way too much,” Finebaum said during an appearance on The Matt Barrie Show. “He’s a really good player, and he likes to play with a chip on his shoulder, but he set himself up for failure in this game by running his mouth.

“It is one thing to talk trash, another thing to be confident or cocky or even arrogant. But he was downright disrespectful and he paid for it yesterday.”

Pavia finished Saturday’s contest completing 21-of-35 passes for 198 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Vanderbilt offense was also shut out in the second half after going into halftime tied 14-14.

The Commodores did its best to channel the aura of a Johnny Manziel type of upset in Tuscaloosa, evening going as far as having him on the sideline as he mentors Pavia. But the Crimson Tide were the ones playing with a chip on its shoulder on Saturday.

“It is a good connection, but the only difference is that in 2012, in that very same stadium Manziel was hanging out in on Saturday, that Johnny Manziel delivered,” Finebaum said. “Diego Pavia did not.”