Diego Pavia Adds to Heisman Hype, Praised by Fans After Vanderbilt's OT Win vs. Auburn

No. 16 Vanderbilt avoided a late scare against Auburn on Saturday, winning in overtime by the final score of 45-38 at FirstBank Stadium.

The Commodores pulled ahead to start overtime with a four-yard touchdown pass from Diego Pavia to Cole Spence before their defense stopped the Tigers on their ensuing drive to seal the victory.

Pavia finished 25-of-33 for 377 yards and three touchdowns without getting picked off. He also rushed for a team-high 112 yards on 18 attempts, finding the end zone for a fourth time on the ground.

Fans were amazed with Pavia's performance, calling for him to earn more Heisman Trophy consideration.

The Commodores fell behind early in Saturday's contest, trailing 7-0 through the first quarter before facing a 20-10 deficit at halftime.

Vanderbilt eventually pulled in front due to a 20-yard touchdown connection between Pavia and Junior Sherrill as well as a 57-yard touchdown pass to Tre Richardson in the third quarter.

Auburn eventually stormed back to take the lead again with a 16-yard rushing touchdown by Ashton Daniels.

Both teams traded scores before Vanderbilt took an eight-point lead in middle of the fourth quarter. The Tigers came back to tie the game with an impressive leaping touchdown grab by Cam Coleman, leading to a two-point conversion.

The Commodores drove into Auburn's territory on their final drive of regulation, attempting to pick up a fourth-down conversion and run out the clock before a potential game-winning field goal.

A run play called for Pavia resulted in a turnover on downs, though.

The Tigers still couldn't drive down the field afterwards and were stopped on their lone overtime possession.

Vanderbilt's offense was stellar in the win, amassing 30 first downs and 544 total yards. It was also called for just three penalties totaling 31 yards.

With the win, the Commodores now sit at 8-2 on the season and boast a 4-2 record against SEC foes.