Diego Pavia dove into the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:52 left to give No. 10 Vanderbilt a 17-10 victory over No. 15 Missouri, Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.

On a day when Heisman Trophy candidate Pavia struggled, Vanderbilt (7-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) survived thanks to a key defensive play by CJ Heard.

Coming free on a safety blitz, Heard stole a handoff exchange from Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers to Jamal Roberts, giving the Commodores the ball at the Tigers' 44 with 7:02 left.

Nine plays later, Pavia scored on a second-down run as the Commodores enhanced their College Football Playoff credentials and damaged those of the Tigers (6-2, 2-2).

It was a defensive struggle until Vanderbilt's Makhilyn Young scored on an 80-yard sprint on a misdirection play late in t

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