Pavia Leads VAnderbilt past Georgia tech In The 18th Birmingham Bowl
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - December 28, 2024
VANDERBILT 35, GEORGIA TECH 27
WHAT IT MEANS: Vanderbilt claims its first bowl victory since winning the BBVA Compass Bowl at Legion Field on Jan. 4, 2014. It also means that Clark Lea’s teams will carry much needed momentum into the offseason.
WHEN THE GAME TURNED: Georgia Tech was on the wrong end of several calls – or no-calls – during the game. One of them came with momentum firmly toward the Yellow Jackets midway as the clock ticked toward five minutes remaining in the third quarter with the Commodores clinging to a 14-13 lead. Georgia Tech punt returner Bailey Stockton settled under a Vanderbilt punt but was unable to field the ball after being hit early by Joseph McVay. It appeared to be interference by McVay, which would have moved the ball near midfield. Instead, the referees ruled that McVay was blocked into Stockton and the Yellow Jackets got the ball at their own 2-yard line. That set in a motion a dizzying set of circumstances, including contested penalties and a pair of turnovers, that turned the close ball game into a 35-13 lead for the Commodores.
WHY VANDERBILT WON: The Commodores had the best player on the field in quarterback Diego Pavia. They also played excellent defense for most of the game and found ways to win.
WHAT ARE THE KEY STATS: Vanderbilt won the turnover battle, 2-0. Ultimately, that was probably the key stat of the game.
WHO GETS THE GAME BALL: Diego Pavia became only the third player to account for at least five touchdowns in a Birmingham bowl game. The bowl game record for most touchdowns accounted for in a single game is six, set by East Carolina quarterback Hilton Ahlers in 2022. USF quarterback Quinton Flowers accounted for five touchdowns in the 2016 and 2017 games. Pavia finished with three passing touchdowns and a pair of rushing touchdowns. He was 13-of-21 passing for 160 yards and carried the ball 17 times for 84 yards.
WHAT DID THE COACHES SAY IN POSTGAME APPEARANCE ON BLAZER SPORTS NETWORK FROM LEARFIELD
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea
“Well, let me start by just paying respect, I have so much respect for Brent Key and the Georgia Tech team. It was a tough fight. I knew it wasn't gonna be easy and the weather delay, I think, added a layer that we had to overcome. Obviously, they came out ready and we probably absorbed a little more yards and points that we would have liked there to the finish, but I have a ton of respect for Brent. I said this all week, I mean, it felt like while we were preparing for this game it was a mirror image team. You saw a team with a physical run game, a team with an opportunistic defense, a tough team, a team who played hard. I thought tonight was a great battle and I'm really proud of our guys. Obviously, look, for those of you that have been with us and covered us, it's been a long year and we've come a long way in 12 months.”
“This is my school, it's my home, it's where I played. I'm proud to have the first winning season since 2013. This story wouldn't be the same without the adversity we faced. I mean, for everything that we want be judged for, in the first three years, we wouldn't be here without that. So I'm proud of the fight that this program's shown. The staff, to stay with us, to people that have stayed and believed in what we're doing. I think tonight's a first step. And I'm really interested to see where we can take this. But I'm also interested in just taking the time to celebrate this one too. So grateful to be here, grateful for my team, grateful for our staff, grateful for our leadership, and just feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key
“First off, congrats to Clark and his team on the win. In the game tonight, I thought the character of our team showed for the last of the final seven minutes of the game and how they fought through adversity that was incurred through the game and continued to play until the end of the game. Proud of these seniors and the legacy that they'll leave at Georgia Tech.”
“We made a tremendous amount of improvement over the course of the year. I'm excited where this team will continue to go. You learn lessons through every experience in your life and a football team learns and grows through the experiences. Where this team is today as opposed to where they were a year ago, I'm truly proud of where they are. I'm extremely excited about what we're going to look forward to.”