Diego Pavia just got his money ALL the way up and Kentucky wants a refund

Diego Pavia is a good quarterback. We knew that. He’s cocky, talented, and works hard. He’s also fun to watch.

But on Saturday, Kentucky made him look like prime Patrick Mahomes.

A few weeks ago, Kentucky quarterback Zach Calzada made headlines for all the wrong reasons, telling a fan on social media to "get his money up" while counting stacks of cash.

On Saturday in Nashville, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia showed him what a wealthy performance actually looks like.

While Calzada was busy throwing an interception in his brief cameo, Pavia was busy cashing checks against the Kentucky defense all afternoon. The contrast between the "flash" of Kentucky's culture and the "grit" of Vanderbilt's reality was on full display, and Pavia walked away with the biggest bag of them all.

In one of the most embarrassing defensive performances of the Mark Stoops era, the Wildcats allowed Pavia to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. The final stat line is so absurd it looks fake. He broke the record for the most passing yards for a Vanderbilt QB, and lead an offense that put up the 3rd most yards against Mark Stoops in his career as a head coach.

Cashing receipts: The Vanderbilt QBs insane numbers

We knew Pavia was a gamer, but nobody expected him to go viideo game mode quite like this. He didn't just beat the Wildcats; he bankrupted their defensive reputation.

Pavia finished the game completing 33 of 39 passes (84.6%) for 484 yards and 5 touchdowns.

He averaged 12.4 yards per attempt. That means almost every time he let go of the ball, he was guaranteeing Vanderbilt a first down. Calzada doesn't have that many passing yards all year.

The irony isn't lost on the Big Blue Nation.

On one sideline, you had Calzada, the guy who flexed his NIL money on Instagram, coming off the bench to go 3-for-5 with a pick. On the other sideline, you had Pavia, the guy who transferred from New Mexico State and has simply outworked everyone in the SEC, dismantling a Brad White defense that was supposed to be surging.

"He is, um, something else, that's for sure," Stoops said, shaking his head. "Super good football player... when that plan breaks down, he makes plays."

A historic collapse

Vanderbilt as a team racked up 604 total yards of offense. Let that sink in. Vanderbilt. Six hundred yards.

Kentucky's secondary, which has been dealing with injuries, looked completely lost. Pavia found receivers wide open all afternoon. Tre Richardson caught 6 passes for 159 yards and 3 touchdowns. Junior Sherrill added 115 yards on 8 catches.

Stoops admitted that his defense had no answer.

"We were in the three-deep coverage essentially on a corner... threw it over the top of us," Stoops explained. "Just across the board not very good."

A reality check for Brad White's defense

For weeks, we were told this Kentucky defense had found its groove. They shut down Auburn. They suffocated Florida.

Turns out, those offenses were just bad, which most of us thought. When faced with a creative quarterback and a competent scheme, Kentucky’s defense shattered.

If getting "your money up" means performing when the lights are brightest, Diego Pavia is the richest man in Nashville tonight. Kentucky, meanwhile, is looking for a refund.

Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion