Game 10: RV/RV South Carolina (5-3, 3-3 SEC) vs. No. 24/25 Vanderbilt (6-3, 3-2 SEC)
When: Saturday, Nov. 9 • 3:15 p.m. CT
Where: FirstBank Stadium • Nashville, Tenn.
Watch: SEC Network (Dave Neal, Aaron Murray and Ashley ShahAmadi)
Listen: 94.94 The Fan (Andrew Allegretta, Norman Jordan and Kevin Ingram)
NEXT UP
• After earning bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018, Vanderbilt returns to Nashville to host RV/RV South Carolina as the No. 24 team in the AP Top 25 poll.
• The Commodores will look to break yet another streak Saturday as they go for their first win over South Carolina since 2008. Vandy is 4-29 all-time vs. the Gamecocks. Already this season the Dores beat Alabama first the first time since 1984 and Auburn for the first time since 2012.
• Vanderbilt is off to its best start since 1982 when the Dores also won six of their first nine games. Vandy will be looking to win its fourth SEC game for the first time since 2013.
• Saturday’s game will be Vandy’s second as a ranked team this season. The Commodores were No. 25 going into the showdown with Texas on Oct. 26. Prior to that game Vandy’s last time playing a regular season game while ranked in the AP Poll was in 2008.
LAST TIME OUT
• Vanderbilt defeated Auburn 17-7 to collect its first win at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the 10th visit all-time.
• Vanderbilt scored first and has now opened the scoring in seven of nine games this season, winning five of those contests.
• With their sixth win, the Commodores became bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.
• The Commodores have defeated both Alabama and Auburn this season for the first time since 1955.
• The Dores held the Tigers to seven points, fewest versus a Power 4 opponent since Kansas State in 2017 and fewest against an SEC opponent since Missouri in 2015.
• Jesse Mirco finished the game with eight punts for 423 yards. His average of 52.9 yards per punt was second-best by a Vandy punter (min. 5 att.) in a single game. Mirco was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
• Diego Pavia became the 13th starting quarterback since 2004 to defeat both Alabama and Auburn in the same season.
DOMINANT DIEGO
• Diego Pavia has been one of the most electric signal callers in college football this season. He ranks 26th among FBS quarterbacks in passing efficiency (151.9), third-best in the SEC.
• His 15 passing touchdowns is fourth in the SEC, 35th in FBS. Pavia is responsible for 118 points this fall, fourth-most in the SEC and 36th in FBS.
• Pavia ranks eighth in the SEC with 563 rushing yards, most among quarterbacks.
• His performance in the win over top-ranked Alabama on Oct. 5 landed him SEC Offensive Player of the Week. He was also named the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week and the Maxwell Award Player of the Week.
• In the opening win vs. Virginia Tech, Pavia completed 75 percent of his passes with a passing efficiency of 216.0.
• He was credited with eight missed tackles forced by PFF in Week 1, tied for the lead in FBS among non-running backs with Taylen Green (Arkansas) and Matthew Sluka (UNLV).
• Pavia’s 104 net rushing yards against the Hokies were the second most among non-running backs during Week 1, trailing only new New Mexico’s Devon Dampier who ran for 130 yards at Arizona.
• Diego Pavia piloted a deadly efficient offense in 2023 while leading New Mexico State to 10 wins. Pavia ranked among the top-35 in FBS in passing touchdowns, points, passing yards per attempt and passing efficiency last season. In addition, Pavia ranked fifth among FBS quarterbacks in Pro Football Focus’ Elusive Rating.
BROCKET LAUNCHER
• Brock Taylor made his 16th field goal at Auburn, a 31-yarder, to move into a tie for second-most field goals in a season by a Commodore. His 16 field goals leads the SEC and is sixth in FBS. His 77 total points scored is fourth-most in the SEC and 22nd in FBS.
• Taylor is 9-for-9 in the last five games.
• He connected on a program-record 57-yard field goal at Missouri on Sept. 21. Taylor has five makes of 50 or more yards this season, making him the first player on record to accomplish the feat at Vanderbilt.
• Taylor has been named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week twice this season.
RELIABLE
• Eli Stowers leads the SEC, is third among Power 4 and sixth among all FBS tight ends with 516 receiving yards.
• Stowers caught six passes for 113 yards in Vanderbilt’s victory over No. 1/2 Alabama, leading the team in both receptions and receiving yards.
• Stowers became the first Vandy tight end since at least 1996 to have multiple games with 100-plus receiving yards in a season. He has three such games this season after totaling 110 receiving yards vs. Georgia State and 130 vs. Ball State in addition to the Alabama game.
• Stowers became just the sixth tight end since 1996 to register 100-plus receiving yards in a game vs. Alabama.
