Overview
- No. 23 Iowa beat No. 14 Vanderbilt 34-27, with Pavia going 25-of-38 for 347 yards with two passing touchdowns plus an 11-yard rushing score.
- After the game Pavia told a reporter, “I’m going to the league,” confirming his plan to move on from college football.
- The Vanderbilt star has accepted a Senior Bowl invitation as the first major step in the pre-draft process.
- His federal lawsuit challenging the NCAA rule that counts junior-college seasons continues after a 2024 injunction, with recent filings citing the James Nnaji case.
- Despite a Heisman runner-up season and a program-record 10 wins, draft analysts largely project Pavia as a late-round pick or priority free agent, while TE Eli Stowers opted out of the bowl with coach Clark Lea’s support.