Week 6 Maxwell Football Club Players of the Week

© Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Maxwell Football Club honors college football's top performers over the course of the season through weekly awards. The Maxwell Player of the Week award is given to the top offensive player, and the Bednarik Player of the Week award is given to the top defensive player.

Here are the performances that stood out across all the action in Week 6.

Maxwell Player of the Week

QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

The transfer quarterback from New Mexico State immediately elevated the Vanderbilt Commodores (3-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) offense upon his arrival this season. In an overtime win against Virginia Tech (3-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) and a narrow double-overtime loss to the No. 21 Missouri Tigers (4-1, 1-1 SEC), Pavia displayed poise under pressure and dual-threat ability that the Commodores had desperately been missing. No one could have expected what Pavia had in store in Week 6.

In Vanderbilt's 40-35 upset win over the Alabama Crimson Tide (4-1, 1-1 SEC), the senior quarterback was electric. Pavia finished the game 16-for-20 passing with 252 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding 56 yards on the ground. While the efficient stat-line may not jump off the page, it was Pavia's leadership and poise that set this performance apart as truly remarkable.

After the Commodores jumped out to a commanding lead early as a result of several miscues from the Crimson Tide, Alabama began to charge back. An early touchdown in the third quarter brought the Crimson Tide within two points, and many people began to lose hope in the possibility of a historic upset. Pavia remained steady, connecting with wide receiver Junior Sherrill for a 36-yard touchdown pass near the end of the third quarter to re-establish the Commodores' two-score lead.

Alabama continued to score and put pressure on Vanderbilt's offense, and Pavia continued to respond, leading methodical drive after methodical drive down the field late in the game. His most impressive display of leadership, though, came in the Commodores' final drive of the game. The Crimson Tide had scored a touchdown with 2:46 left on the clock to pull within five, and Vanderbilt would need to gain multiple first downs to run out the clock for the win.

On a second-and-12 with 2:38 left in the game, Pavia connected with wide receiver Sedrick Alexander for a 19-yard completion to all but ice the game. A minute later, Pavia moved the chains again on second-and-7 with an 8-yard rush to seal the win. No one in the country believed it was possible. No one had given the Commodores a fighting chance. But in the face of near impossibility, Pavia did not falter.

The win marked one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport, a win that will be permanently etched in Vanderbilt football history. But more importantly, it broke through the limits of what college football fans thought to be possible, opening the door to even greater achievements in the future.

Bednarik Player of the Week

LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

The Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-1, 3-0 Big 12 Conference) came into their game against the Arizona Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) missing several key players on defense. With four outside linebackers and starting safety Chapman Lewis out with injuries, someone would need to step up on defense to give the Red Raiders a chance. Junior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez did just that.

Rodriguez brought energy and tenacity to the Red Raiders' front seven throughout the night. He led the team with 13 tackles and a sack in a career-defining performance. His night was more delineated by his part in several key Red Raiders turnovers, though.

Late in the second quarter, Texas Tech led just 7-3 as a result of a slow start by the offense. Arizona was gaining momentum, putting together a solid drive and looking to take the lead with a touchdown. Quarterback Noah Fifita dropped back to pass and found a wide receiver open downfield, but his pass was deflected at the line by Rodriguez. The tipped pass fell into the hands of defensive lineman Quincy Ledet Jr., and he took the ball back to the opposing 30-yard line. The turnover was the spark that the Red Raiders' offense needed as they took advantage of the short field and scored a touchdown to break open a 15-3 lead.

Later in the game, with the Red Raiders up just 21-19, Rodriguez came up with the highlight of his night. Fifita completed a pass to star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan for a big gain to start the Wildcats' drive. Rodrigeuz chased McMillan down from behind and punched the ball out, forcing a pivotal turnover that ultimately swung the game's momentum to the Red Raiders.

As a result of Rodriguez's leadership, Texas Tech is off to a 3-0 start in conference play and has hopes for even more success in a wide-open Big 12 Conference.