No. 17 Vanderbilt defeated No. 10 LSU 31-24 on Saturday, Oct. 18, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. One of the most anticipated games on West End in years, the Commodores showed they belonged on center stage.  

The offense was dominant all game against a stout LSU defense, scoring on every one of its possessions through three quarters. Quarterback Diego Pavia finished the day with 160 yards through the air and a passing touchdown, with an additional 86 yards and two scores on the ground. MK Young averaged 16.4 yards on five carries, including the game-clincher at the end of the 4th quarter.  

“If we’re the tougher team then we’re going to be able to separate [ourselves],” Lea said. “Today was a reminder that this is a team game and it takes all three phases to win games like this.”

The defense too stepped up when it mattered most, forcing four field goal attempts and allowing just 11 second-half points. Vanderbilt won the time-of-possession battle by more than 13 minutes and ended the game without turning the ball over a single time. The Commodores are now bowl eligible and 6-1 for the first time since 1950.

“Internally we expect to win,” Lea said. “That’s just a part of our DNA.”

First half 

After Vanderbilt won the toss and deferred, the LSU offense took the field first led by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier looked methodical on the opening drive, completing five consecutive passes and standing in the pocket on the first third down of the game to find Kyle Parker to move the chains. A Keanu Koht coverage sack and Zavion Thomas drop left the Tigers in a third and long situation, and a blitz from defensive coordinator Steve Gregory forced an incompletion and an LSU field goal attempt, which kicker Damian Ramos banged through the uprights.  

Tre Richardson broke free for a big return on the ensuing kickoff, giving Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt the ball in good field position at its own 43-yard line. After a screen pass to Eli Stowers, Cole Spence came up with a big grab on third-and-4 for 19 yards, pushing the ball into Tigers’ territory. Pavia stepped up in the pocket once again, finding Eli Stowers for a first down along the LSU sideline. With the ball inside the red zone, Pavia saw an opening in the middle of the field, scrambling ahead for 20 yards to the 1-yard line. After an offsides penalty on first down, a quarterback sneak gave Vanderbilt an opening drive touchdown and a 7-3 lead.  

Looking to fire back on offense, Nussmeier once again stood in the pocket and found Barion Brown in a tight window for a first-down conversion. Kolbey Taylor was then flagged for defensive pass interference on a deep ball intended for Brown, and a Harlem Berry 10-yard run set LSU up close deep in Commodore territory. Facing heavy pressure, Nussmeier found Trey’dez Green on a wide-open drag route for a 24-yard touchdown that put the Tigers back in front.  

Back on offense, Sedrick Alexander popped his first big run of the game for a 12-yard first down conversion. On third-and-6, Pavia scrambled to his left for a first down, followed by another completion to Stowers which left the Commodores in LSU territory. Moving methodically down the field, Pavia found Spence for his second big play of the game — this time a 21-yard completion to the LSU 4-yard line. With Lea electing to go for it on fourth down inside the 1-yard line, Alexander just snuck into the end zone to cap off another strong drive for the Vanderbilt offense.  

Taking over at its own 35-yard line after kicker Justin Dewers’ kickoff rolled out of bounds, LSU’s offense converted on 19-yard pitch-and-catch from Nussmeier to Green to push the ball into Commodore territory. The Vanderbilt defense came up with its first big third-down stop of the game thanks to heavy pressure from Zaylin Wood and Miles Capers, which forced an incomplete pass. Ramos’ field goal from 52 yards fell short and to the right, giving Vanderbilt the ball back with 2:33 left in the first half.  

A Kayleb Barnett drop and a tackle-for-loss from LSU linebacker West Weeks left Pavia in a third-and-long out of the two-minute warning. Scrambling in the pocket, Pavia found Alexander for 12 yards to set up a fourth-and-1 at the Vanderbilt 44-yard line. Looking downfield on fourth down, Pavia was sacked from behind by Weeks, giving the Tigers the ball in Commodore territory with 1:30 on the clock.  

Nussmeier found Thomas for an 11-yard pickup which put the Tigers on the edge of the red zone. Looking to make things difficult for Nussmeier, Gregory once again dialed up a third-down blitz, and pressure from Nick Rinaldi forced an incompletion. This time Ramos drilled his 42-yarder to pull the Tigers to within one with 0:45 left in the half.  

Vanderbilt’s otherwise quiet wide receiver room came to life for the two-minute drill, with Junior Sherrill and Richie Hoskins recording 25-yard and 16-yard catches, respectively. With the offense stalling with six seconds left in the half, kicker Brock Taylor nailed a 46-yard field goal to make the score 17-13 Vanderbilt at half.  

Second half 

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s unit got the ball to start the half and promptly picked up a first down after a jet pass went to Tre Richardson, the transfer’s first catch of the day. Pulling deep from his bag of tricks, Beck called a shovel pass to MK Young on third down which broke free for 28 yards. Another jet sweep to Richardson and handoff to Alexander gave the Commodores a first-and-goal opportunity from the LSU 8-yard line. On third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Pavia found Spence on a play-action boot leg for the touchdown. Spencer has been Pavia’s top target today, with the big tight end leading the team in receptions and yards with 9:03 to go in the third quarter.  

Taking over deep in his own territory after a holding penalty on the kickoff, Nussmeier converted a quick first down to Green. Under intense pressure, the quarterback found Thomas in the flat, who broke free after a missed tackle and ran for a 62-yard touchdown. Trying to make it a three-point game with a 2-point conversion, Nussmeier found Green on a slant route in the end zone.  

Looking to flip back momentum, Vanderbilt’s offensive line came out creating some holes for Alexander, who rushed for 12 yards on the first two plays. On fourth-and-inches from its own 47-yard line, Lea kept his offense on the field, and Pavia found Young on the far side after the play broke down to move the chains. Continuing to push the ball through the air, Pavia took a shot to Richie Hoskins, which drew a defensive pass interference call to the LSU 32-yard line. Focused on Vanderbilt’s receivers, the LSU defense once again forgot about Pavia’s legs, and he scrambled forwards for a 21-yard score, the quarterback’s second rushing touchdown of the game.  

With LSU desperately needing a score, Tiger running back Caden Durham broke free on third-and-6 for a 51-yard pickup that put the ball on the Commodores’ two-yard line. A false start on second down backed LSU up, and the defense stood strong from there to force a chip-shot field goal which Ramos banged through. 

With a seven-point lead and 11 minutes left to play, the Commodore offense took back over, looking to make it a two-score game again. However, a holding penalty by tackle Bryce Henderson put them behind the sticks, and Vanderbilt was forced to punt it away for the first time in the game. 

With 8:30 left to play, Zaylin Wood came up with a big first-down sack to push the Tigers back into second-and-long. An offensive holding penalty on third-and-16 was followed by a draw play, forcing LSU to punt the ball back to Vanderbilt. 

After its defense forced a three-and-out, the Vanderbilt offense also stalled despite a great running throw from Pavia to Spence on second down. Richardson had a shot at a deep ball on third but couldn’t haul it in over his shoulder.  

Nussmeier took back over with 4:40 left in the game, but Mark Davis came up with a big tackle for loss on first down. After a short completion on second down, Brown dropped a Nussmeier pass that would’ve gone for a first down, and LSU head coach Brian Kelly elected to trust his defense and punt the ball back to Vanderbilt with 3:12 on the clock.  

With a chance to put the game out of reach, Young broke free for a 43-yard run that put the Commodores deep in enemy territory. Wanting to keep the clock moving, Vanderbilt went to Pavia’s legs and the quarterback scrambled for a first down to the LSU one-yard line. With LSU having no timeouts left, the Commodores went into victory formation and escaped with a statement 31-24 victory.  

Vanderbilt will be back at FirstBank Stadium on Oct. 25 to take on the Missouri Tigers in another high-stakes showdown in Nashville.