How it Happened: LSU snaps losing skid with win vs. Vanderbilt
LSU delivered a win against a dangerous Vanderbilt team that had already pulled off big upsets this season.
And the win came at a time when the program needed it most.
The Tigers had not won a football game in a month, a stretch that included a bye week and losses to Alabama and at Texas A&M and Florida.
On the recruiting trail, the battle for the top class in the country took a brutal blow when longtime LSU commit and 5-star+ quarterback Bryce Underwood flipped his commitment to Michigan just 14 days from the Early Signing Period.
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This past week, the talk heated up in Baton Rouge and beyond. Brian Kelly and LSU was in a must-win spot, and the Tigers rallied on defense, made plays on offense and avoided a late-surge from a fake punt by the Commodores. The end result: kneeling out the clock to secure the 24-17 victory in a game when LSU took the lead in the first quarter and never gave it up.
Here’s how LSU put together a win over a pesky Vanderbilt team to move to 7-4 on the season with one game left in the regular season.
Click here for the Vanderbilt vs. LSU LIVE Thread
Vanderbilt needs just one play to score first.
11/23/2024 07:09:33 PMAfter Vanderbilt won the toss and deferred, the Tigers got the ball on offense and went three-and-out.
On the following play, not only was LSU flagged for a personal foul, but the Commodores scored on a 63-yard touchdown from quarterback Diego Pavia to Quincy Skinner Jr. that went completely uncovered on a busted play in the secondary
LSU drives 90 yards to answer with a TD
11/23/2024 07:13:06 PMWith Vanderbilt up 7-0, LSU’s kick return from running back Josh Williams went awry and put the Tigers at the 10-yard line to start the drive. The response: an 8-play, 90-yard drive for a touchdown. After big plays in the passing game from tight end Mason Taylor and wide receiver Kyren Lacy, Williams made up for his mishap on special teams by taking a pass 14 yards before running for the 20-yard touchdown on the next play.
LSU passes on a FG attempt … and comes away with nothing.
11/23/2024 07:35:26 PMLSU got the ball back after the defense forced a three-and-out, and the Tigers delivered some big plays by way of throws to Taylor and Lacy and runs by Williams and Durham. But after getting to first-and-goal from the 8-yard line, a sack on quarterback Garrett Nussmeier ultimately led to Brian Kelly going for it on fourth down from three yards out only to come up short after Nussmeier overthrew freshman Trey’Dez Green on his pass to the end zone. The stop by Vanderbilt led to the end of the first quarter with both teams sitting on 7 points.
Williams gives LSU the halftime lead after defense stands tall
11/23/2024 08:20:45 PMAfter the offense drove the ball near the goal line and came away without points, LSU’s defense made back-to-back stands by forcing a punt and turnover on downs after a stop on Vanderbilt’s fourth down attempt. The LSU offense punted once, but then drove the ball 80 yards on nine plays for the go-ahead score. LSU wide receiver CJ Daniels delivered two huge plays to convert third downs for the Tigers before Williams used the drive’s final three plays to run for 8 yards, take a pass for 16 yards before shaking off tacklers on a 21-yard run for his second touchdown of the game. Vanderbilt got the ball back with 51 seconds on the clock, but LSU’s defense forced a punt to close out the half with a 14-7 lead.
HALFTIME: LSU 14, Vanderbilt 7
11/23/2024 08:21:38 PMOnly one touchdown separated the Tigers and Commodores after the first 30 minutes. For LSU, the headaches remained when it came to turning long drives into points after LSU passed on a field goal and missed on a fourth down attempt near the goal line on a drive that gave the Tigers four chances to score from eight yards out. Instead of a 21-7 or 17-7 lead, it remained a one-score game at halftime.
Vandy gets a FG, but LSU answers with a long drive for a TD
11/23/2024 09:10:38 PMLSU’s defense forced three punts and a turnover on downs after the Commodores took a 7-0 lead after the team’s first snap on offense. After halftime, the LSU defense buckled in to force Vanderbilt to convert on a 47-yard field goal. The Tigers got the ball back, and with LSU needing to start the second half with points, the offense drove 77 yards in 10 plays, converted on a fourth down attempt and scored on a wide open touchdown pass from Nussmeier to Lacy. The MVP of the drive was wide receiver CJ Daniels, who converted two third downs and a fourth down in the passing game to help set up the score. After another stop by LSU’s defense, Vanderbilt punted the ball, and the Tigers -up 21-10 – drove near midfield as the third quarter came to close.
A FG for LSU extends the lead to start the fourth quarter
11/23/2024 09:33:05 PMIt was another double-digit play drive that ended with a score for LSU’s offense, this time resulting in three points from the leg of kicker Damian Ramos after the Tigers drove 74 yards on 11 plays and took more than six minutes off the clock. With 10:41 remaining, LSU took a 24-10 lead.
Vandy’s fake punt leads to a one-score game
11/23/2024 09:40:47 PMLSU’s offense got the Tigers a 14-point lead to start the fourth quarter and the defense forced another punt – or so it seemed. Just as LSU appeared to be on cruise control, the Commodores called a fake punt on 4th-and-9 – picking up exactly nine yards to move the chains and keep the football. Two plays later, Pavia hit receiver Loic Fouonji for a 39-yard pass that should have been broken up on a misplayed ball by safety Jardin Gilbert. Three plays later, Pavia punched the ball in from one yard out to cut the lead to a one-score game with LSU leading 24-17 with 5:47 left in the game.
LSU got the ball back and locked in the win
11/23/2024 09:59:04 PMLSU got the football with a 24-17 lead and 5:47 left on the clock. 5 minutes and 47 seconds later, Nussmeier kneeled out the football multiple times from inside the 10-yard line to secure victory. While LSU had the ball inside the 10-yard line once and came away with no points in the first half, coming away without points from inside the 10-yard line to ensure a win won’t have Tigers fans losing sleep.
FINAL: LSU 24, Vanderbilt 17
11/23/2024 10:01:47 PMLSU moved to 7-4 on the season with the home win over Vanderbilt. Next up: one final regular season game against an Oklahoma team that knocked off Alabama with a 24-3 win on Saturday night.
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