Diego Pavia, “If We Play Our Game, It Won’t be Close”

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia expressed a heightened confidence in his team's ability to not only take down Alabama on Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium, but to handle the Crimson Tide on their home field on Saturday.

Get our free mobile app

In an interview with On3 Sports, Pavia was asked about Alabama circling the game after the Crimson Tide was upset by Vanderbilt last season.

"I don't know what they're doing. I just focus on us, but I know we've got to bring it. That's for sure," Pavia said. "The crowd, I think, is going to be a big factor in the game. But we just gotta play within the white lines. If we do that, if we play our game, it won't be close."

Alabama opened as an 11.5-point favorite over Vanderbilt, but that line has dropped to 10.5 points, and for the first time since 1937, both teams are ranked coming into the matchup.

Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, a good friend of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, announced earlier in the week that he would be in attendance on Saturday. Manziel plans to roam the Commodores sideline, wearing a Pavia jersey. According to Mike Rodak of 247 Sports, Pavia told the SEC Network's Cole Cubelic that he's watched Manziel's upset of Alabama from 2012 "over 100 times," including just before last year's 40-35 upset for Vanderbilt over Alabama.

Alabama and Vanderbilt will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT inside Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, October 4.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.