Diego Pavia threw for a career-high 484 yards and five touchdowns and No. 12 Vanderbilt beat Kentucky 45-17 Saturday as the Commodores kept their hopes for a College Football Playoff berth alive going into the regular-season finale.

Pavia, who struck yet another Heisman Trophy poise celebrating with teammates, set the program record, topping the 464 yards Whit Taylor had at Tennessee in 1981. Pavia also ran for 48 more yards and a sixth score.

“He’s the best player in the country and deserves to be in the Heisman conversation,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said of Pavia.

The Vanderbilt quarterback has been at his best for three straight games. He has 1,226 yards passing with 11 TDs and only one interception in this stretch. He also has run for 203 yards with three more scores.

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