Vanderbilt, Diego Pavia shake Tennessee football to its core | Adams

The earth didn’t shake at Neyland Stadium on Nov. 29. No tremors were reported.

But the natural order of football in the state of Tennessee shifted.

Vanderbilt put an exclamation point behind the winningest regular season in school history with a 45-24 victory over Tennessee. To put the Commodores’ 10-win season in perspective: They won only nine games total from 2020 through 2023.

They also ended a six-game losing streak to the Vols. None of those games were close. The Vols won by as few as 13 points and by as many as 56. Average margin of victory: 26.7 points.

That’s just recent history. Vanderbilt has won just seven times in the series since 1982.

Because of the Vols’ longstanding superiority, the defeat will resonate throughout the postseason with their fan base.

Forget history. This was a day for Vanderbilt and star quarterback Diego Pavia, who repeatedly befuddled a beleaguered UT defense. He had runs of 24 and 41 yards, totaled more than 400 yards running and passing, and led the Commodores to scores on their first four second-half possessions.

His busy day even included an appropriate Heisman Trophy pose. I don't know about any other voters, but he has my vote.

The Vols concluded the regular season with an 8-4 record. Not bad, but not as good as it looks.

Tennessee didn’t beat a good team. Not one. Its only victory over a team with a winning record came against FCS opponent ETSU.

Sure, it came close against Oklahoma and even closer against Georgia. And it can always point to Alabama’s interception return for a touchdown at the end of the first half as all that separated the Vols from a possible victory against the Tide.

But if you choose to play the “close-call game,” you can’t ignore that the Vols were fortunate to overcome losing teams like Mississippi State and Arkansas by the narrowest of margins.

The game unfolded as expected with more offense than defense.

The Vols’ troubled defense gave up 298 yards in the first half but thwarted Pavia with two interceptions. UT quarterback Joey Aguilar countered by passing for 156 first-half yards, including a 52-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Brazzell, who beat the Commodores’ one-on-one coverage deep for an easy score.

Vanderbilt scored on its first two possessions of the second half behind the all-around play of Pavia, who had a 41-yard run to set up a field goal and give the Commodores a 10-point lead.

That was just a warmup to Vanderbilt's dominant second-half performance.

Tennessee fans must wonder if this result were an aberration – if after a remarkable season, the Commodores will return to their football roots.

So much of Vanderbilt’s success this season and last season – when it won seven games − was achieved through its senior quarterback, who also infused the program with greater confidence and toughness. Can it continue to thrive without a Heisman candidate at quarterback?

Pavia won’t be the only departing Commodore. Ten of Vanderbilt’s 22 starters are graduate transfers. All but two of their starters are either juniors or seniors.

ESTES: Vanderbilt, Diego Pavia silence Neyland, get historic 10th win

But future success is harder than ever to predict since the usual measuring sticks no longer apply. Vanderbilt’s 2026 recruiting class currently ranks 37th in the 247Sports Composite, which doesn’t compare favorably with Tennessee’s No. 7 status. However, if the Commodores can continue to build their NIL support, they can bolster their roster via the transfer portal.

If Vanderbilt can become consistently competitive, that will impact the Vols as much as anyone.

The SEC will implement a new scheduling format in 2026, and the Commodores have been designated as one of the Vols’ permanent opponents. Given Vanderbilt’s football history, that shaped up as a favorable arrangement for Tennessee when the schedule was announced.

It didn’t seem so favorable on the last Saturday of November.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Vanderbilt, Diego Pavia shake Tennessee football to its core