Diego Paviathought he should have won the Heisman Trophy. Vanderbiltfelt like it deserved a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Commodores have enjoyed the best season in their program's history.
An Iowa team desperate for its first win over a ranked opponent since 2021 spoiled the ending of that season and the ending of Pavia's college career.
After being sacked four times in the first half, Pavia resuscitated the SEC's second-ranked scoring offense with his latest comeback bid.
Despite an array of downfield completions, including a 75-yard touchdown heave, and a litany of crafty scrambles, notably an 11-yard scoring run, Pavia and the Commodores fell short in Wednesday's ReliaQuest Bowl.
No. 23 Iowa (9-4, 6-3 Big Ten) prevailed 34-27 against No. 14 Vanderbilt (10-3, 6-2 SEC) in the New Year's Eve sunshine of Tampa, Florida.
Pavia finished 25-of-38 passing with 347 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air, along with 36 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He was up against another wily veteran, though. Iowa's Mark Gronowski, a graduate transfer from South Dakota State starting his 68th career college football game, also totaled 3 touchdowns, throwing for 212 yards and 2 scores and running for 54 yards and another score.
The Hawkeyes lost 16-13 to a 16th-ranked Iowa State squad and then dropped two games to a pair of CFP teams by a combined seven points earlier this season: first to Indiana and then to Oregon. Then they let a 21-7 lead slip to then-No. 17 USC inside a rain-soaked Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Iowa exorcised its demons against ranked opponents with a resilient second half versus Vanderbilt.
In the first half, the Hawkeyes piled up 65 more yards than the Commodores, in large part because of a first quarter that saw Iowa average 9.8 yards per play and take a 7-0 lead.
A 44-yard run from Gronowski put the wheels in motion, and running back Kamari Moulton found paydirt from four yards out. The Hawkeyes nearly scored again on their next series, but a drop from running back Xavier Williams ultimately turned into a deflection that Vanderbilt's Martel Hight intercepted in the end zone.
That said, a Commodores gaffe in the second quarter effectively negated that goal-line takeaway.
Perhaps in attempt to avoid a big return from two-time Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year Kaden Wetjen, Vanderbilt punter Nick Haberer approached the line of scrimmage while his coverage team made its way downfield. But Haberer took one too many steps and punted the ball after he passed the line.
That drew a flag and resulted in a loss of down on fourth-and-27. In other words, his punt didn't count, and the illegal forward kick gave Iowa possession at the Vanderbilt 10-yard line.
Immediately, Gronowski teed up a 10-yard back-shoulder throw to wideout Reece Vander Zee that put the Hawkeyes ahead 14-3.
Iowa built on its advantage at the beginning of the third quarter with a reverse flea-flicker. Wetjen pitched the ball back to Gronowski, who connected with tight end DJ Vonnahme for a 21-yard score.
IOWA FLEA FLICKER TD! WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?!?pic.twitter.com/aFNPWiG9Jj
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX)December 31, 2025
Vonnahme ended the year with a bang. The redshirt freshman entered the day with 22 receptions for a team-leading 288 receiving yards. He caught 7 passes for 146 yards and 1 touchdown versus Vandy.
Pavia began authoring the Commodores' turnaround midway through the third quarter. While it proved too little, too late, it was full of fireworks, including a 75-yard explosion.
With Vanderbilt on the ropes, Diego Pavia makes one of the best throws of his career in the ReliaQuest Bowl.Absolute bucket drop to Tre Richardson. Some sick deep ball placementpic.twitter.com/jrghs0Paog
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul)December 31, 2025
The Heisman runner-up uncorked a deep-ball touchdown that speedy wideout Tre Richardson scored on. Then, later in the quarter after some creative runs, Pavia whipped a 16-yard strike to the end zone for wideout Joseph McVay to make it a 24-17 game.
In the fourth quarter, Pavia answered a Gronowski tush-push touchdown with an 11-yard scoring scamper after dropping a beauty of a 46-yard throw into the basket of receiver Junior Sherrill.
But Vanderbilt never fully caught up.
The teams traded field goals in the final five minutes, with Vandy opting for a second-down kick in order to have more time for a defensive stop and a potential game-tying or game-winning drive.
The Commodores didn't get that stop.
And Pavia didn't get the storybook ending to a storybook college career.
He did, however, deliver excitement, which he's been synonymous with over the course of his winding college career — from his JUCO days to New Mexico State to Vanderbilt.
