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LSU snapped its 3-game losing streak on Saturday with a 24-17 win over Vanderbilt at home.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier played one of his best games in weeks. The defense stymied the Vanderbilt run game for much of the night.
Here are 3 takeaways from the game
LSU frustrates, but Pavia looks unsettled
On its first offensive play from scrimmage, Diego Pavia hit Quincy Skinner Jr. for a 63-yard touchdown. Vanderbilt stunned LSU with its first shot and eventually had the home crowd calling for LSU coach Brian Kelly’s head.
Vandy’s next 6 drives produced just 160 yards and 3 points. Vandy ran 38 plays, averaging 4.2 yards per. The Commodores turned it over on downs in the red zone and kicked a field goal. The other 4 possessions ended in punts from outside scoring territory.
Pavia didn’t look healthy. He had 43 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. He had 186 passing yards and a touchdown through the air. But he didn’t have any sense of burst.
Vanderbilt spelled Pavia with a number of Nate Johnson snaps, though he wasn’t productive, producing just 20 rushing yards without a pass attempt.
LSU got after him. The Tigers officially finished with just 1 sack — Bradyn Swinson and Shone Washington combined for it — but the official scorers credited Tiger defenders with 8 quarterback hurries. LSU even got pressure from 4-man rushes.
The throw to Skinner was a double-move. That was about the only time all game Vanderbilt had enough time in the pocket.
With time, Nussmeier finishes
On the other side, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier enjoyed the exact opposite day. LSU’s offensive line gave up 1 sack and no hurries just a week after allowing 7 sacks to the Gators.
Nussmeier diced up the Vanderbilt secondary. He completed 28 of his 37 passes for 332 yards and a touchdown. The ground game gave him something, which hasn’t always been the case this year. Josh Williams ran for 90 yards and 2 scores. Caden Durham added 58 yards. With balance, time to operate, and a renewed confidence, Nussmeier once again flashed that NFL arm we saw earlier this season.
And one of his best throws of the night didn’t even count.
An absurd throw from Nussmeier to Anderson in the corner while under pressure, but AA drops it.
Nuss had two TD throws dropped in back to back plays pic.twitter.com/UtUaiqU03F
— Matthew Brune (@MatthewBrune_) November 24, 2024
Kelly steadies the ship
The last few weeks have been rocky for LSU’s leading man.
On the heels of a 34-10 win over Arkansas, LSU found itself inside the AP top 10 with a legitimate path to the College Football Playoff. Three weeks later, the Tigers were out of the AP poll altogether, out of the SEC Championship hunt, and completely out of the CFP discussion.
Bryce Underwood made things even more dire this week when he flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan.
Fans were talking about Kelly’s buyout. Pundits were asking if the Tigers needed to pull the trigger.
Saturday’s win over Vanderbilt won’t push LSU back into the CFP conversation. That door has closed. The SEC title game is out of the question as well. But it will calm the waters. LSU gets to close its season out at home with a chance to reach 8 wins.
In a year where LSU had to replace a Heisman-winning quarterback and both coordinators, 8 wins with the chance to get to 9 can be spun in a positive light. Things would have felt much different had LSU gone into its final game with the prospect of a 5-game losing streak to end the year.
Brian Kelly needed something positive to build some momentum again. It looks like he got it.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
