Sportsvival watched a full slate of games and had a tough time choosing a single standout this week. Several players delivered eye-popping box scores and game-altering plays, forcing our panel to weigh explosive individual outputs against true, team-tilting performances. In the end we landed on a player whose all-around control of tempo, scoring, and late-game management separated him from a deep field of worthy candidates.
Player of the Week:
Vanderbilt’s electrifying signal-caller Diego Pavia earns the Impact HVAC Player of the Week after a virtuoso performance that lifted the Commodores to a signature win. Pavia completed 25 of 33 passes for 377 yards and three passing touchdowns while adding 112 yards and a rushing touchdown on the ground. His dual-threat day was the engine behind Vanderbilt’s balanced attack and late-game control, and this marks the second time Pavia has taken home the Impact HVAC honor.
Diego Pavia- QB, Vanderbilt Line: 25-33; 377 passing yards; 3 passing TD; 112 rushing yards; 1 rushing TD.
Pavia’s efficiency and explosiveness forced the opponent to defend the entire field. He consistently hit rhythm throws between the hashes, stretched the defense with power reads on the ground, and converted multiple third downs to keep drives alive. His combination of accuracy, timing, and gait running created mismatches at both the intermediate and goal-line levels, turning pivotal possessions into points and momentum swings.
This is Pavia’s second Impact HVAC Player of the Week award, underscoring his growing consistency and capacity to dominate big games. With performances like this, he belongs on a short Heisman watch list of roughly three to five names. He combines the counting stats, volume passing yards and touchdowns—with the highlight-reel plays and win-impact voters covet. To stay in the conversation he’ll need to keep piling up efficient, high-output box-score lines while lifting Vanderbilt to marquee wins against ranked opponents.
Scouting takeaway
Pavia projects as a modern dual-threat prototype: a polished passer with twitch and power as a runner. He reads coverages quickly, manipulates leverage with subtle pre-snap adjustments, and pairs those processing chops with legitimate scramble speed and contact-finishing ability. Defenses that try to defend his primary targets will risk giving him lanes to run; schemes that spy him often surrender chunk completions over the top.
Finalists who just missed the award
Jacob De Jesus — WR, California: 16 receptions; 158 yards; 1 TD.
Emmett Johnson — RB, Nebraska: 22 carries; 129 yards; 1 rushing TD; 3 receptions; 103 receiving yards; 1 receiving TD.
Isaiah Smith — DE, SMU: 9 tackles; 3.5 sacks.
Jacob Rodriguez — LB, Texas Tech: 14 tackles; 1 interception.
Phillip Dunnam — S, UCF: 3 interceptions; 1 interception return TD.
Eli Stowers — TE, Vanderbilt: 12 receptions; 122 yards.
Makai Lemon — WR, USC: 11 receptions; 161 yards; 1 receiving TD; 1 rushing TD.
Jeremiah Smith — WR, Ohio State: 10 receptions; 137 yards; 1 TD.
Each of these performances carried high-impact credentials, monster receiving workloads, game-changing turnovers, dominant pass-rush nights, and explosive all-purpose rushing attacks, but Pavia’s two-way control of tempo, scoring, and late-game clock management gave him the edge for this week’s award.
Diego Pavia’s second Impact HVAC trophy cements him as one of college football’s most compelling playmakers this season and a legitimate Heisman storyline if he continues to deliver games like this.
(photo courtesy of the Tennessean)