Since last Saturday, the Vanderbilt Commodores have been making headlines after their surprising victory over the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. The excitement from this win is still palpable among Commodores players and fans alike. After a strong start to the season with back-to-back wins, Alabama’s new head coach, Kalen DeBoer, faced disappointment with this loss to an unranked team, leaving Tide fans disappointed. Vanderbilt’s victory was unexpected, especially considering Alabama’s recent dominance in college football. After winning two games, the Commodores fell, struggled on offense, and lost two back-to-back games. After the setback, they bounced back strongly against one of the major football programs and gave their fans a solid reason to celebrate. However, after being in headlines for an impressive performance, head coach Clark Lea’s quarterback, Diego Pavia, is now the center of attention, but for the wrong reasons, as he faces verbal attacks from fans over strong allegations against Tide.

A few hours ago, the CBS Sports College Football Instagram account shared a short post-game interview of the quarterback. When he was questioned about some chirping going back and forth by Alabama, Pavia highlighted a sense of underestimation he and his team felt from their opponents and stated, “They were talking crazy. They thought they were gonna come in here and shoot us, like, we’re an FCS team and we’re like, what you must not know. You know what I mean. Like, alright, we’re gonna see.”

He further highlighted the statements he felt disrespected, which captured the intense emotions and competitive spirit of the quarterback. “That’s why I kept telling like, Alright, we’re gonna see, we’re gonna see, we’re gonna see. And, you know, they’re they’re laughing, talking, I can’t say on the show because I can’t curse, but, yeah, they’re talking crazy. We when, when they say, you know, we’re taking the ball, they’re kicking off. We need to shake their hands after we just took off to the sideline.”

Fans react to Diego Pavia going after Alabama in the press

Many college football fans and analysts believe that Pavia’s comments reflect a broader sentiment within the sport. And the loyal Crimson Tide fans strongly believe that one defeat does not diminish Alabama’s historical prowess. Prior to facing Vanderbilt, Alabama had been dominating opponents and was viewed as a powerhouse under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. One of the fans commented on Vanderbilt’s strategy to be more physical, saying, “If you watched the game, Vandy was way more physical too. Bama players were like divas, getting injured over the smallest things on the field.”

Another frustrated fan took a dig at Vanderbilt Commodores’s popularity and compared Lea and his team with the big program, which has one of the biggest fanbases. “Great win, but remember, nobody will even know you guys have a program in a few weeks. Hmmm you can’t say what? You were cussing up a storm after the game.” Although the Commodores dominated Crimson Tide in the first two quarters, Tide tried their best to bounce back. But, the game requires effectiveness from all three areas- defense, offense and special teams. One aspect, in particular, just didn’t show up, and Vanderbilt offense made sure that they continued to pierce through Bama defense all night.

Having said that, we live in a world where if a thing reaches the top, people make sure that it gets brought down. Pavia has seen that rise to the top in just one game, which is reflected especially in his appearances across popular TV programs. How do people bring him down to mother earth? Well, they are pointing towards some unpleasant things that Pavia did in the past. A frustrated fan commented on Pavia’s past incident and wrote, “That’s the dude who peed on the New Mexico logo on their practice field when he was a New Mexico State player, lol.” Well, that is not really a happy memory associated with the Vanderbilt QB.

Although fans are criticizing the QB, in a highly anticipated game, Vanderbilt’s quarterback Diego Pavia delivered an outstanding performance, completing 16 of 20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 20 times for 56 yards, showcasing his versatility and playmaking ability.

Vanderbilt has often been viewed as an underdog in the SEC, with a reputation for inconsistency and a lack of competitiveness against elite teams. This sentiment is echoed in discussions about their past performances, where they have frequently finished seasons with losing records and have rarely been contenders for conference titles. Considering their past, one of the fans commented, “Why wouldn’t they think that? Kudos to winning, but let’s not act like Vandy isn’t an absolute trash heap 99% of the time.”

As Vanderbilt aims to build on their recent victory, it’s essential for them to show that this win is not just a one-time event but a sign of real improvement and promise for the future.