Tennessee football’s game against Vanderbilt this Saturday will be a reunion for the 2023 New Mexico State team. On the Vols, UT boasts running back Star Thomas. For the Commodores, they’re led by quarterback Diego Pavia and tight end Eli Stowers.
In preparation for the game, Pavia gave Thomas a call to try to get in his head. Thomas wasn’t having it, though. He shut down the mind games and told the media he’ll wait until after the game in Neyland Stadium to talk with Pavia.
“He called me yesterday, but I didn’t want to talk to be honest…” Thomas said. “I had answered. It was all games. All jokes and stuff. I just had to let him know we’re here to quiet him. Let him know that we hear the outside noise, too. We’re just keeping the main thing the main thing and that’s football at the end of the day.”
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Before Pavia exploded onto the scene as the passionate signal caller of the Commodores, he helped NMSU go 7-6, then 10-5 under Jerry Kill. After two years with the Aggies, Thomas and Pavia went their separate ways. Pavia went to Vandy while Thomas went to Duke for a year before finding his way to UT.
Thomas enjoyed his time playing with Pavia and thinks there are some similarities to his new quarterback, Joey Aguilar. The confidence both emit can be contagious.
“Yeah, (Pavia) was great, man,” Thomas said earlier in the season. “He was funny. He was a dog. He came in every day ready to work. He got that mindset, can’t nobody mess with him. Whatever it is, he’s going to win. It kind of fell back on me a little, too. I picked up on some of the things that he had. When you got a quarterback like that, it’s good, man, to have that kind of mindset that he has. Joey has that same mindset. There ain’t nobody that I feel is better than me when I touch this field. Who wouldn’t want to go out there and play with a quarterback like that?”
Kickoff between Tennessee and Vanderbilt is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN.
One Response
Their both great quarterbacks that’s for sure. I’m pulling for Pavia, though. He has all the traits of a champion.