Diego Pavia might be the new boogieman for Auburn football.

The gritty Vanderbilt quarterback is now 2-0 inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, beating the Tigers with Vanderbilt and New Mexico State. Last year’s win with Vanderbilt was a 17-7 slugfest and the win made the Commodores bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.

The game was big for Vanderbilt and painful for Auburn in numerous ways. When asked what he remembers about the 2024 contest, one of the first things Pavia pointed out didn’t have to do with the result.

“I remember one of their linebackers kinda talking crazy before the game, saying we weren’t gonna be able to put up points or something like that,” Pavia said. That just added fuel to the fire, and I really enjoy that kind of stuff.”

Pavia said he didn’t remember who the specific player was, but talked more about how those situations fuel him.

“I love competition. When someone talks, maybe I talk some or something like that,” Pavia said. “It’s what fuels me and it’s always a good time to step onto that field.”

Pavia had one of his worst games of the season against Auburn last year, but a few big plays, along with a stifling defense, propelled Vanderbilt to the win. Pavia finished the contest 9-for-22 with 143 passing yards and just 26 rushing yards, but added two important touchdown passes.

Now 2-0 against Auburn, Pavia will finally get a chance to face the Tigers on his home field in 2025. The Tigers will meet the Commodores on Nov. 8 in Nashville, and the veteran quarterback is excited for the matchup.

“They run a well-ran program and they’ve got some good talent there too,” Pavia said. “It’ll be a fun game in Nashville this year.”

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m