NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt Holds Off Auburn in Overtime
Diego Pavia connected with Cole Spence on a pivotal 4-yard pass during overtime, leading No. 15 Vanderbilt to a dramatic 45-38 victory over Auburn after overcoming a 10-point deficit on Saturday.
This triumph keeps Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2 in the Southeastern Conference, No. 16 in CFP rankings) in the mix for a potential College Football Playoff slot. After a tough 34-31 loss to Texas last week, the Commodores really needed this win.
Auburn’s Ashton Daniels threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman to bring the score to 38-all, with Coleman also successfully converting a two-point attempt with about five and a half minutes to go. Daniels’ final attempt to win the game in regulation fell short when his pass was batted away.
In overtime, requiring a touchdown to match Pavia’s score, Daniels hooked up with Coleman again, this time on a fourth-and-7 play.
Pavia’s performance was standout; he threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 112 yards and scoring once more.
Tight end Eli Stowers had a notable game with 12 receptions for 122 yards, and Tre Richardson added three catches for 124 yards. While Vanderbilt’s defense struggled, allowing a season-high points and yards before overtime, Cedric Alexander contributed as well with two rushing touchdowns.
Vanderbilt nearly wrapped things up in regulation. Instead of opting for a field goal, coach Clark Lee chose to trust Pavia on a crucial fourth-and-1, but Auburn managed to stop him for a loss of three yards with just over a minute remaining.
Auburn (4-6, 1-6) last recorded a win against a ranked team on the road back in September 2019. This game was especially significant following the dismissal of coach Hugh Freeze, marking the debut for interim coach DJ Durkin.
Daniels has stepped into the starting role and brought a spark to the Tigers’ offense, which has been lacking this season. He finished with 353 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and added 89 rushing yards with two scores.
