Diego Pavia's ability among lessons learned from Vanderbilt football's win over Virginia Tech

Vanderbilt football made a statement in the season opener by defeating Virginia Tech, 34-27 , in overtime Saturday.

The Commodores ' offseason overhaul, which included Clark Lea taking over as defensive coordinator and bringing on Jerry Kill and Tim Beck from New Mexico State to run the offense, has already shown fruits. Diego Pavia , the former Aggies quarterback, provided a bulldog mentality and veteran presence that Vanderbilt has been missing.

For the Commodores, the next two games are against easier opponents in Alcorn State and Georgia State. But against an SEC schedule, there are still many questions Vanderbilt will have to answer. Here are three things we learned from Saturday that could carry over against better teams:

Vanderbilt's special teams made a difference

The missed field goal by Brock Taylor at the end of regulation will likely be the most remembered special teams moment from the game. But despite that, the Commodores outplayed the Hokies on special teams overall.

Vanderbilt did not once get pinned inside the 20. Virginia Tech started inside the 20 twice, once at the 17 and once at the 3-yard line. The Commodores ran 58% of plays from the Hokies' side of the field, while for Virginia Tech that number was 39%.

A Hokies penalty on a punt also made a big difference for the Commodores, as it prompted Vanderbilt to try a 53-yard field goal instead. Taylor made that field goal, and that was a big swing in a game that ended up tied in regulation.

If the kicking game can get more consistent, the Commodores' ability to flip the field on special teams could make a difference in upcoming games.

Vanderbilt won with efficiency, not big plays

Virginia Tech was the more explosive team. The Hokies made eight plays of more than 20 yards (Vanderbilt had four) and had two plays longer than the Commodores' longest.

According to Game on Paper , five of the 10 biggest plays of the game, as measured by Win Probability Added, were Hokies offensive plays. Three were Vanderbilt defensive plays, one was a Vanderbilt offensive play and one was the missed Taylor field goal.

Virginia Tech was getting the type of plays that swing games, but the Commodores were able to move the ball when they needed to.

This worked against the Hokies. It may not against some of the SEC's better passing offenses, teams that can score touchdowns on a single play. But a strong special teams like Vanderbilt showed will elevate this strategy even more.

ESTES Diego Pavia gives Vanderbilt football an edge that Clark Lea’s team hasn’t had | Estes

Vanderbilt picked its spots in the passing game

Pavia attempted just 16 passes, but the throws he did make were largely successful. Adjusted for sacks, Vanderbilt averaged 9.7 yards per passing attempt, while Virginia Tech averaged 7.8. This is despite the Hokies having seven passing plays over 20 yards.

This indicates that while Pavia didn't usually air it out, he made smart decisions about when to throw and only attempted throws he could make. While Virginia Tech hit on some deep balls, the Hokies also had more passing plays that didn't gain yardage.

With the Commodores' slow-paced offense eating up lots of clock, the Commodores can succeed while picking their spots. But Pavia will need to continue to make smart decisions to ensure that Vanderbilt isn't often behind the chains. This offense is designed to give opponents little time for a comeback if the Commodores grab an early lead. But if they're behind early, Vanderbilt may be forced to throw more often. It remains to be seen how well Pavia and the Commodores can do that.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson .

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Diego Pavia's ability among lessons learned from Vanderbilt football's win over Virginia Tech