Diego Pavia: “I want to be the best version of me for those kids that only go to one game”
No. 20 Vanderbilt put on a show against Georgia State last night in a rematch game, winning 70-21. It’s the most points the Commodores have scored in a game since 1918. With the victory, Vanderbilt is 4-0 for the 1st time since 2008. Star quarterback Diego Pavia led the way for an explosive offensive attack, completing 18 of 24 of his passes for 245 yards and one touchdown through the air, while leading the team in rushing with 86 yards on the ground and one touchdown. He discussed the motivation behind his performance and why he gives his all, regardless of the opponent, during his post-game press conference.
“I always think that no matter who you play, there’s always going to be one kid last time seeing you. I don’t come from a lot of money, so I remember going to one game, and that was my only impression. I want to be the best version of me for those kids that only go to one game”. (Via: Vanderbilt Athletics)
FIU Beats FAU For 1st Time Since 2016
Under 1st-year head coach Willie Simmons, the FIU Panthers are setting new standards early in this 2025 season. For the 1st time since 2016, Florida International defeated rival Florida Atlantic in the Shula Bowl, 38-28 in front of the Panther faithful at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Florida. FAU led 21-17 at halftime, before FIU turned up the intensity in the third quarter. Coach Simmons’ squad scored 21 points unanswered in the third quarter, which put the game out of reach. FIU was led by the QB & RB duo of Keyone Jenkins and Kejon Owens in the victory. Jenkins completed 18 of 24 of his passes for 184 yards and 1 touchdown through the air, while rushing for 43 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. Owens rushed for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries, averaging 9.1 yards per carry. The Panthers improved to 2-1 on the season and will start conference play next week against Delaware at home on September 20.
Delaware State Picks Up 1st Win Of DeSean Jackson Era
Delayed but not denied was the theme of Delaware State's 37-32 victory over UAlbany last night. In his home opener in Dover, Delaware, Hornets head coach DeSean Jackson experienced a weather delay just like his former team, Philadelphia faced on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys; similar to the Eagles, DSU ultimately emerged victorious. Sacramento State transfer quarterback Kaiden Bennett led the way for Delaware State with a gutsy performance. He completed 17 of 27 of his passes for 171 yards, and rushed for 96 yards and 3 touchdowns; including the go-ahead score with 34 seconds remaining in the game. The Hornets improved to 1-1, following the 1st victory of the Coach DeSean Jackson era.
Prairie View Wins Thriller Over TSU In Tremaine Jackson’s Debut
The Labor Day Classic took place last night in Houston, Texas, at the home of the Texas Southern Tigers, a city and school Prairie View A&M head coach Tremaine Jackson is extremely familiar with. Jackson is a native of H-Town and played for Texas Southern as a defensive tackle during the 2002-03 seasons. A lot has changed since his playing days. He’s coming off a 2024 season where he led Valdosta State to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game as the school’s head coach. His success at the D2 level caught the attention of TSU’s rival, Prairie View A&M, which decided to hire him as its head coach this past December. On August 30, 2025, Coach Jackson returned to his hometown to face off against his former school in the Labor Day Classic, for his debut game on his birthday. His homecoming was one to remember as the Prairie View A&M Panthers won a thriller on the final play of the game. With two seconds remaining in the game, PV trailed TSU 21-16 before Panthers quarterback Cameron Peters found Rodny Ojo in the end zone for a walk-off touchdown. Coach Jackson won his 1st game as a Division 1 head coach with a final score of 22-21.
Alabama State’s Andrew Body Shines In Loss At UAB
Earlier this week during Alabama State’s weekly media presser, quarterback Andrew Body stated, “it's time to put the show on display," in response to a question about his return to the field, following a season-ending shoulder injury he suffered in 2024. On Thursday night in Birmingham, Alabama, Body kept his word and more, by putting on an absolute clinic in the Hornets’ 52-42 loss against UAB. He completed 75% of his passes (18/24), throwing for 312 yards, and totaling 5 touchdowns (4 passing and 1 rushing). At one point in the game, Alabama State had a 28-17 lead early in the 3rd quarter. His performance was one of the best individual efforts in recent history, from an HBCU player facing off against an FBS team.
About Body
The redshirt junior is a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, where he left an unforgettable mark in high school. Body’s name is in the record books, ranking 3rd all-time in Texas High School passing yards with an impressive 13,000 yards, according to his bio on Alabama State’s team website. He started his college career at Texas Southern as a class of 2021 signee, where he played for 3 seasons. During his time at TSU, he threw for 2,839 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 887 yards and 6 touchdowns. Body transferred to Alabama State in 2024, but only played in one game last season due to injury. After his performance against UAB, Alabama State fans are excited about Body leading the way in 2025.
Photo Credit: Alabama State Athletics
NCCU’s Chris Mosley Named 2025 MEAC/SWAC Challenge MVP
The North Carolina Central Eagles ran the ball effectively in their dominant 31-14 MEAC/SWAC Challenge win over the Southern Jaguars last night. It all started with the exceptional performance of NCCU running back Chris Mosley, who was named the MVP of the game. He rushed for a career-high 174 yards and 1 touchdown, on just 15 carries, averaging 11.4 yards per carry. The Fort Worth, Texas, native started his college career on the JUCO level at Cisco College in Cisco, Texas, before transferring to NCCU in 2022. Before the 2025 season, Mosley had a reserve role in the Eagles' running back room, accumulating 502 rushing yards and 9 total touchdowns across the past three seasons. The redshirt senior let the entire world know during the Eagles’ national televised game on ABC yesterday that he’s ready to lead the charge, after exploding for a 49-yard touchdown run to retake the lead in the second quarter, which ignited a fire on NCCU’s sideline, and they never looked back. During the Eagles’ post-game conference, Mosley stated, “My main focus in that running back room was just being electric, giving those guys energy, showing them that we here, we came to play, and I think I did that”.
Photo by: Doug Burt/NCCU Athletics