Vanderbilt got just its seventh win ever against a top-10 opponent as the No. 17 Commodores beat No. 10 LSU 31-24 on Saturday.
The Tigers (5-2) went three-and-out with 3:24 to go in their own territory and instead of going for the 8 yards his team needed on fourth down from its own 22-yard line, coach Brian Kelly punted it away with two timeouts and the two-minute warning upcoming.
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That decision backfired. Makhilyn Young broke a 43-yard run on Vanderbilt’s first play after the punt. Young’s run put the Commodores (6-1) in field goal range, and then Diego Pavia ended the game when he slid short of the goal line just ahead of the two-minute warning with LSU out of timeouts.
As it’s done all season, Vanderbilt held onto the ball as long as possible to limit LSU’s possessions. It’s a task made easier with an efficient offense and a quarterback like Pavia, who continued to make positive plays out of seemingly dead-end situations.
Vanderbilt had the ball for over 36 minutes and rushed 42 times for 242 yards. Pavia was also 14-of-22 passing for 160 yards and a TD pass to Cole Spence. After the game, coach Clark Lea called Pavia “a dog” and “a magician” for his ability to keep drives alive.
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The victory makes Vanderbilt 6-1 for the first time since 1950. It’s also the school’s first win over LSU since 1990 and is not a surprise. The Commodores were favored over the Tigers all week, and they had LSU chasing the game all day.
LSU’s offense lets it down again
The Tigers’ offensive struggles are the theme of the 2025 season. On the bright side, LSU scored the most points it has all season against an FBS opponent. On the obvious flip side, that number is just 24.
Even with a 56-10 win over FCS-level Southeastern Louisiana to buoy the average, LSU ranked 87th out of 136 teams in points per game through the first half of the season at 25.8. Despite having a preseason Heisman favorite in Garrett Nussmeier at QB and an offense that averages 5.7 yards per play, the Tigers simply haven’t looked comfortable on that side of the ball.
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Nussmeier, who has been dealing with a torso injury since the start of the season, was 19-of-28 for 225 yards and two touchdowns. His longest throw of the game came on a 62-yard catch-and-run by Zavion Thomas that came out of nowhere.
The Tigers got a 51-yard run from RB Caden Durham, but otherwise had just 49 rushing yards. LSU ran just 49 offensive plays compared to Vanderbilt’s 67.
Are both teams still alive for the playoff?
LSU still has a shot at the playoff thanks to its remaining schedule. Though the Tigers are now 2-2 in the SEC, they have games against No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 6 Alabama and No. 14 Oklahoma remaining. We’re not going to rule out LSU wins in all three of those games, but something has to change on offense for that to actually happen.
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Vanderbilt has a better path to the postseason and even a spot in the SEC title game. The Commodores have No. 16 Missouri in Nashville next week before a trip to No. 21 Texas on Nov. 1.
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