TAMPA, Fla. — No. 14 Vanderbilt has had a tremendous football season, yet history is still on the line. The Commodores are slated to face No. 23 Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Wednesday, and a win would mark their first ever 11-win season.
Vanderbilt is riding a three-game winning streak, grabbing victories over Auburn, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Still, getting this win in Florida won’t be easy, as Iowa is a worthy foe.
Vanderbilt boasts a 10-2 record, while the Hawkeyes have won eight games. Both teams have kept it competitive against talented opponents — Vanderbilt’s two losses were to No. 9 Alabama and No. 13 Texas, while Iowa’s four losses came to Iowa State, No. 1 Indiana, No. 5 Oregon, and No. 16 USC.
A huge strength of Iowa’s is its offensive line. The Hawkeyes won the Joe Moore Award, an honor that is given to the best offensive line in college football. Iowa finds success by playing with a sense of physicality and allowing its run game to wreak havoc, which could give Vanderbilt problems.
On top of that, the Commodores will be without All-American tight end Eli Stowers. Stowers opted out of the game in light of preparing to enter the NFL Draft, a decision that Vanderbilt supports but will feel.
Stowers leads the Commodores in receiving yards with 769, tagging on four touchdowns. The offense will certainly miss him against the Hawkeyes, instead leaning on reliable quarterback Diego Pavia.
Pavia has thrown for a whopping 3,192 yards this season, adding 27 touchdowns. He may be playing with some added emotion after falling short of winning the Heisman on Dec. 13. Pavia finished as the runner-up to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Even though he didn’t take home the hardware, Pavia has led his team to a season to remember. His impact on the Commodores is too grand to put into words, as he has elevated the programs to new heights.
Now, he has one final chance to take the field in a Vanderbilt uniform, and it goes without saying that he is ready to make the most of it. A win would not only allow the Commodores to make aforementioned history, but it would send Pavia off in the way he arguably deserves- as a winner.
The Commodores and Hawkeyes square off at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, with kickoff slated for noon eastern time.
Follow the live blog here for live updates from today’s Vanderbilt-Iowa game.
Live Blog
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Pregame
Future Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis is also in attendance today. The five-star recruit flipped his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt four weeks ago. The Commodore fanbase is hoping for a bright future when Curtis joins the team.
Vanderbilt and Iowa are warming up on the field as quarterback Diego Pavia gears up for his final game in the black and gold.
Weather Report
It is a crisp 52 degrees in Tampa as Vanderbilt and Iowa are set to kickoff at 12 p.m. CT. It is a sunny day as well, perfect for the final day of 2025. The forecast says the temperature will rise into the upper 50s by the end of the game.
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