Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia Previews Rematch vs. Texas Longhorns

With SEC Media Days kicking off on Monday, the start of the 2025 college football season is right around the corner. But even though Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns won't take the stage until Tuesday afternoon, the team has already been a heavy topic of conversation in Atlanta.

Vanderbilt Commodores' starting quarterback Diego Pavia spoke with reporters Monday and talked in his media availability about last season's matchup between the Longhorns and Commodores along with his excitement for the upcoming rematch this season in Austin in early November.

"We had a lot of close games last year, Texas was one that we lost by three, obviously we want to get every loss back and avenge every loss," Pavia said. "We get to see them in Austin, so it'll be a fun game."

Pavia's Memorable 2024 Season

Diego Pavia came onto the college football scene last year as he guided Vanderbilt to its first season above .500 since 2013 with big wins over Alabama and Auburn and had very close one-score losses to other SEC powers like the LSU Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, and Texas Longhorns. And after winning a battle with the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility, Pavia returns to lead the Commodores in 2025.

When Texas and Vanderbilt matched up last season, the Longhorns were able to squeak out a victory on the road by a close 27-24 final score. Despite the loss, Pavia made it the game difficult for the Longhorns defense all afternoon. Pavia finished the game completing 16 of his 29 pass attempts with 143 yards and two touchdowns along side adding 67 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground.

Now this season, Pavia and the Commodores will walk into Darrell K. Royal Stadium with a tough start to their 2025 season as they face other challenging SEC opponents before they meet with the Longhorns. Vanderbilt will open SEC conference play with a road game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in September. And then in October, a tough stretch playing against Alabama on the road, followed by hosting LSU and Missouri in consecutive weeks, which leads to the game against Texas on the first of November.

The Longhorns' start to the season is no different, as with first-year starting quarterback Arch Manning, the Longhorns have a heavyweight clash on the road in Columbus, taking on the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in week one of the season.

What follows is three should-be blowout victories over nonconference opponents, which will lead into another tough road test as the Longhorns travel to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators, and the next week, the ever-challenging Red River Rivalry against the Oklahoma Sooners. Texas will stay away from home with trips to take on the Kentucky Wildcats and Mississippi State Bulldogs in consecutive weeks, which will lead the Longhorns into hosting the matchup against Vanderbilt on Nov 1.