Diego Pavia has a long history with the Auburn football program.

In 2023, Hugh Freeze’s first season with the Tigers, visiting New Mexico State pulled off a 31-10 upset victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The quarterback? Diego Pavia, who threw for 3 touchdowns and 201 yards while running for 35 yards on 8 carries.

Fast forward to Saturday, as Pavia got the better of the Tigers on The Plains for a second straight year, this time as Vanderbilt’s quarterback. He didn’t have his best day — recording just 143 yards on 9-of-22 passing despite 2 touchdowns — but it was enough to lead the Commodores to a 17-7 win and bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018.

Pavia’s role with a resurgent Commodores team is an obvious talking point when discussing Auburn’s struggles at quarterback, although Payton Thorne outplayed his counterpart in a losing cause. Still, the always-outspoken Pavia made his feelings known about being passed over by the Tigers when he entered the transfer portal following the 2023 season.

“A lot of people didn’t take a chance on me,” he said, according to The Next Round. “[Auburn’s] just another team that didn’t and I just wanted to make them pay.”

We’ll never know what would have happened if Diego Pavia had suited up for Auburn, but he has Vandy going bowling.

As for the Tigers, they’re teetering on the brink of missing a bowl for the second time in 3 seasons with Saturday’s loss.