When Diego Pavia was driven into the turf for the fourth time with 46 seconds remaining in the first half, the scene felt unfamiliar for Vanderbilt fans. Through 12 games this season, sacks had rarely defined the Commodores’ offense.
In the first half on Saturday, they did.
Pavia, usually an escape artist capable of turning broken plays into explosive gains, rarely found room to maneuver against Iowa. And while some of that can be attributed to inconsistent offensive line play or perhaps center Jordan White’s first-half injury, sacks are about more than just protection up front…