BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia accounted for five total touchdowns to lead the Commodores to a 35-27 win in the 2024 Birmingham Bowl over Georgia Tech.
Vanderbilt’s victory in the Birmingham Bowl marks the school’s first postseason win since the BBVA Compass Bowl at the conclusion of the 2013 season. The Birmingham Bowl victory gives Vanderbilt a 7-6 record to conclude the 2024 campaign. It is the first winning season for the Commodores since 2013.
The Commodores are now 5-4-1 all-time in bowl games, as Vanderbilt played in its first postseason game since the 2018 Texas Bowl. The Dores posted their first win over Georgia Tech since Oct. 18, 1941. The victory over the Yellow Jackets also brings the Gold Cowbell back to Vanderbilt’s campus for the first time in over 83 years.
Pavia’s five scores set a school record for most touchdowns collected by a Commodore in a bowl game. The quarterback found the end zone three times through the air and twice on the ground against the Yellow Jackets. He collected 244 total yards in the win, throwing for 160 yards and rushing for 84 yards.
Vanderbilt collected 306 total yards of offense, with the Commodores gaining 146 yards on the ground. The Dores cashed in all on five of their visits to the red zone. The Vandy defense collected two turnovers, as safety CJ Taylor picked off his second pass of the season and defensive lineman Aeneas DiCosmo recovered his first fumble. Linebacker Nick Rinaldi posted a career-high 10 tackles and had two of Vanderbilt’s three sacks. In total, the Commodores tallied seven tackles for loss against the Yellow Jackets, led by Rinaldi’s 2.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage.
The Commodores opened the scoring late in the first quarter, as Pavia found tight end Cole Spence for a 7-yard touchdown to cap off an 8-play, 87-yard drive. Georgia Tech pulled even on the ensuing possession, as the Yellow Jackets went 75 yards downfield in 15 plays.
Vandy reclaimed a 14-7 advantage with 1:55 remaining before halftime after another extended drive that melted 8:06 off the clock. The Dores drove 81 yards in 14 plays, as Pavia hit paydirt with a 2-yard rush that put Vanderbilt up by a touchdown. Georgia Tech drilled a 43-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half to make it a 14-10 contest going into halftime.
A 33-yard field goal by the Yellow Jackets cut the Vandy lead to 14-13 midway through the third quarter. Vanderbilt extended its lead to…