NASHVILLE, TN.– Quarterback Diego Pavia threw for 160 yards and ran for 86 to lift No. 18 Vanderbilt over No. 10 LSU on Saturday afternoon at LifeBank Stadium, 31-24.
Vandy – who possessed the ball for 36:33 to LSU’s 23:27 – controlled most of the game, rushing for 239 yards via Pavia and running backs Makhilyn Young and Sedrick Alexander. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Trey’Dez Green finished as the Tigers’ leading receiver with five catches for 74 yards and a score. LSU’s rushing attack posted its best outing yet with 100 yards (59 from Durham, 54 from Berry) on the ground.
With the loss, LSU falls to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the SEC. The Tigers return to Death Valley next Saturday for a 6:30 p.m. kick against Texas A&M.
Game Recap
On LSU’s opening possession, Nussmeier and the offense were able to move the ball and go quick tempo. On 3rd-and-7 from the Tiger 29, Nussmeier found Kyle Parker for an 11-yard connection, moving the chains and bringing the ball to the Vandy 40. Nussmeier then found Barion Brown for a 12-yard pickup, advancing the ball to the Vandy 46. On 3rd-and-1 from the Vandy 37, freshman Harlem Berry ran for 9 yards.
Placekicker Damian Ramos – who has been reliable all year long – got the Tigers on the board with a 48-yard field goal, giving LSU an early 3-0 lead with 9:32 to play in the first quarter.
Vanderbilt and Diego Pavia responded with a nine-play, 57-yard touchdown drive. Pavia got the Commodores in business with a 20-yard rush, bringing the ball from the 21 to the LSU 1. He would sneak it in to give Vandy the 7-3 advantage with 3:38 in the first quarter. Pavia completed passes of 14 and 19 yards on the drive too.
On the opening play of the second quarter, Nussmeier found tight end Trey’Dez Green open over the middle of the field for a 24-yard touchdown pass with 14:50 on the clock. LSU retook the lead, 10-7. Running back Harlem Berry posted a nice drive, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
Vanderbilt would respond with a methodical 14-play drive spanning 75 yards. On 4th-and-1 from the goal line, Sedrick Alexander would punch it in for the Commodores, giving them the lead back, 14-10, with 5:52 to play in the first half. Pavia used his legs to extend drives and move the chains. The drive lasted 8:58.
With a chance to tie the game, Ramos’ 52-yard field goal fell just short, giving the ball back to Vandy on a turnover on downs at the 35. The Commodores still led, 14-10, with 2:33 to play in the first half.
LSU’s defense picked up a massive stop behind a 4th down sack from West Weeks, giving the Tigers the ball with prime field position after a turnover on downs. The Tigers took over at the Commodore 36, but couldn’t turn it into six points. Instead, Ramos cut the deficit to 14-13 with 45 seconds remaining after converting on a 42-yard attempt.
The Tigers trailed 17-13 heading into the locker room after Vandy placekicker Brock Taylor booted a 46-yard field goal with six seconds left in the half.
Pavia and the Vanderbilt offense opened the second half like they finished the first – with Pavia and Alexander running all over the field. The Commodores put together a 10-play drive, spanning 75 yards, to take a 24-13 advantage with 9:03 to play in the third quarter after Pavia found Cole Spence for a 1-yard TD catch.
On 2nd-and-10 from the LSU 38, Nussmeier avoided pressure and found Zavion Thomas, who broke three tackles and took it 62 yards to the house for the touchdown. LSU went for the two-point conversion and converted. Nuss found Trey’Dez Green in the end zone to make it 24-21 with 6:52 to play in the third quarter.
Vandy extended its lead with a 21-yard touchdown rush from Pavia, giving the Commodores a 31-21 lead with 27 seconds to play in the third quarter. It capped off another 10-play drive spanning 75 yards, their second of the day.
The Tigers continued to get positive plays from their rushing attack, this time from Caden Durham. On 3rd-and-6 from the LSU 47, Durham found a hole and busted open a 51-yard rush over the middle of the field, bringing the ball down to the Vandy 1. The run pushed LSU over the 100-yard mark (103) for the game. The Tigers were unable to cash in at the goal line after a penalty moved them back five yards. Ramos kicked a 23-yard field goal with 11:39 left to make it 31-24.
LSU was unable to put together a scoring drive the rest of the contest. Pavia and the Commodores ran out the clock on offense to win, 31-24.
