For the first time since 1990, the LSU Tigers have lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores. LSU fell to Vanderbilt by a score of 31-24 on Saturday afternoon, handing the Tigers their second loss in Week 8. The Tigers fall to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play, while the Commodores improve to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC games.
It was a frustrating game to watch unfold for Tiger fans, as Brian Kelly's team failed to play complimentary football once again. Kelly has preached the importance of complimentary football all season long, but it failed to materialize yet again. The offense was playing behind the sticks in the biggest moments, the defense couldn't get off the field in key situations, and special teams errors all contributed to LSU's underwhelming performance.
The Vandy offense was able to do whatever it wanted all game long, and the ultimate decider in the game was LSU's inability limit Diego Pavia in the run game. Pavia ran wild against the Tigers, racking up a team-high 86 yards to go along with a pair of touchdowns on the ground. LSU simply had no answer.
Whit Weeks' absence loomed large, as LSU wasn't able to make the necessary plays in the middle of the field. Harold Perkins Jr struggled all game long to keep Pavia contained, and the Tiger defense as a whole was burned by allowing 240 rushing yards and 5.5 yards per carry to the Commodores. In the 3rd quarter alone, Vandy ran for 116 yards. You're not going to win that many games giving up rushing production like that. It didn't help that Bernard Gooden and Gabe Reliford were also unavailable.
Garrett Nussmeier put together a gutsy performance, standing tall in the pocket behind a poor performance from his offensive line. Nussmeier was under duress early and often, and while he hung in there, he didn't have much time to operate which put the LSU offense in tough spots. The offense also committed several untimely penalties, which killed momentum and took points off the board.
Brian Kelly and his staff were out-coached and out-matched from the start. Vandy did whatever it wanted on offense, and LSU was playing catchup all afternoon. It was a rough afternoon, and the Tigers have a lot of soul searching to do for the rest of the season. LSU is back in action next week with a home game against No. 4 Texas A&M.