Vanderbilt Football’s promising season hit a sobering roadblock last week, suffering a convincing defeat at the hands of the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Commodores struggled in every facet of the game, having no answers to South Carolina’s rushing attack while being stifled offensively by the Gamecocks’ dominant front seven. Postgame, head coach Clark Lea called the game a “three-phase ass-kicking” before today saying the team was “uncharacteristically without energy and spirit” on Nov. 9. Now with the bye week behind his team, Lea is focused on moving it forward to next week’s showdown against LSU.
“We’ve moved on from it and learned from it and we’re better for it,” Lea said. “[This LSU game] is a great identity game for us and we need to be strong in all three phases.”
The timing of Vanderbilt’s bye week couldn’t have been better. It offered the team a chance to address its struggles and recuperate from the wave of injuries plaguing the roster. Lea prioritized this physical rest and recovery last week and feels it benefitted the team overall.
“The team feels refreshed after the bye,” Lea said.
Quarterback Diego Pavia benefited most from the bye week, as he has dealt with knee and shoulder ailments throughout the season. Pavia left the game in the fourth quarter against South Carolina and took the bye week to recover physically, but his health still remains in question going into Saturday’s game.
“He’s still banged up. It’s probably going to be a few weeks removed from the game before he feels back to 100%,” Lea said. “He’s also tough as nails.”
Injuries will continue to test Vanderbilt’s depth as Lea announced that receiver Dariyan Wiley would be out this week after injuring himself in practice during the bye. Lea also mentioned some lingering ankle and shoulder injuries, but he did not sound overly concerned about game statuses for LSU.
The Commodores will now face a skidding LSU team desperate to snap its three-game losing streak. While acknowledging that playing a night game in LSU’s Death Valley is no easy feat, Lea remains confident and focused on his team’s preparations.
“We have a ton of respect for LSU, for their stadium, their fan base and their environment,” Lea said. “It’s just about how you play. The more I can get this team to focus on us, the better we play.”
Lea also emphasized his respect for LSU head coach Brian Kelly, whom he served under at Notre Dame as linebackers coach and defensive coordinator from 2017-2020.
“[Kelly] left an incredible mark on me, just in terms of this constant learning, constant growth,” Lea said. “Part of his evolution while I was at Notre Dame was just his demonstration of how he cares about you, how he takes care of you.”
Vanderbilt’s defense will need to rise to the occasion against LSU’s explosive passing offense led by the dynamic duo of Garrett Nussmeier and Kyren Lacy. The Tigers rank second in the SEC with 316.3 passing yards per game, making Vanderbilt’s secondary critical in slowing down their air attack.
“[Nussmeier] will get [the ball] anywhere,” Lea said. “It’s different than some of the quarterbacks we’ve played [that] were more traditional dual threats, he finds routes late. Keeping the ball inside [and] in front us is going to be really important to the outcome.”
On par with the usual offensive game plan for Tim Beck and Co., Vanderbilt will look to exploit LSU’s run defense, which allows the third-most rushing YPG in the SEC. However, Pavia’s unclear health status leaves his mobility in question going into Saturday, potentially hindering the two-dimensional rushing attack that’s been a cornerstone of the offense all season.
“If he’s limited, we have to facilitate performance around other players that can run the ball,” Lea said. “Nate [Johnson]’s prepared to play too. There comes a point where with limited mobility, [Pavia] is ineffective.”
Despite these concerns, Lea expressed full confidence in his signal caller.
“There’s nothing that says he won’t be ready to go,” Lea said. “He’s as intense a competitor as I’ve ever been around.”
Vanderbilt will head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to face off with LSU at 6:45 p.m. CST on Nov. 23 at Tiger Stadium.
