Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia dropped back and scanned the field on the Commodores’ very first play on offense. He waited a few seconds, hoping one of his receivers would get open.
Well, way down the field, wide receiver Quincy Skinner Jr. was sprinting, separating himself from any LSU defenders. He caught Pavia’s deep ball and took it to the end zone for a 63-yard play. The Tiger’s were already down 7-0, and the student section chanted “fire Kelly.”
After being let down for three weeks in a row with losses to Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida, the fans were tired of seeing their team disappoint. To dig themselves out of this hole, the Tigers were going to have to build an effective game plan on offense – one that would make the Commodores’ defense struggle.
LSU created balance on offense, relying on its running game to defeat Vanderbilt 24-17.
From feeling discouraged in the opening minutes after Pavia’s touchdown to finally breaking the losing streak, LSU showed improvement.
“Our preparation was outstanding,” head coach Brian Kelly said. “Our guys really stood up and said, ‘look, we’ve got to play better.’ As coaches, we took our responsibility and said, ‘listen, let’s keep putting our kids in position to make plays.’”
For weeks quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was pressured to carry this offense, trying to find opportunities when there was little to work with. So LSU tried a new style. The Tigers utilized their running backs first and relied on Nussmeier second.
Running back Josh Williams had a career-high two touchdowns in this game. He ran the ball for 90 yards on 14 carries and averaged 6.4 yards per carry. Williams is a sixth-year senior and a captain; he’s taken it upon himself to lead this team and set an example for the younger players.
“I was the starting back tonight, so it was a great chance for me to show what I had… It’s my last two games at LSU, and I want to finish it out strong,” Williams said.
In the first quarter, Williams tied the game with a run up the middle into the end zone, breaking tackles left and right. He was a powerful force for four quarters against Vanderbilt, finding gaps and shoving down Commodores.
His second touchdown of the night came when he ran for 21 yards and fell into the end zone while fighting off a Vanderbilt defender.
“He ran through the face of a number of defenders,” Kelly said. “It was physicality. It was desire. It was all those things in one. It was just a guy that was committed to no matter what the first guy’s not going to bring me down. He set a tone for our entire team – a toughness on offense and a resolve.”
Williams also became a solid target for Nussmeier in the pass game. He had 61 receiving yards and added an extra option for his quarterback.
With a more balanced offense, Nussmeier was relaxed in the pocket. He played a clean game after struggling for the past three games. Nussmeier threw for 332 yards and one touchdown.
In the third quarter, LSU was barely holding onto its lead and needed a touchdown to change the momentum of the very close game.
Nussmeier found receiver Kyren Lacy in the corner of the end zone to put the Tigers up 21-10. But this red zone play for a touchdown was only possible because of LSU’s dominant 70-yard drive down the field, which was highlighted by its running game.
Running back Caden Durham was also heavily utilized, carrying the ball for 58 yards. Together, he and Williams dismantled Vanderbilt’s defense.
Commodore head coach Clark Lea knew LSU’s running game would aim to stump his team. In a press conference prior to the game, he said Vanderbilt would need to slow down the Tigers on offense. However, LSU didn’t let this happen, and the running game kept the Commodores on its toes for four quarters.
The Tigers have struggled to close out games this season, but that wasn’t the case on Saturday. With a well-rounded offense, LSU came out on top and ceased its losing streak.
“I just appreciate our players and the way they came together this week and took full accountability for what they wanted to do, and they went out and did it,” Kelly said.
While the night started with an enraged student section, it ended with a small victory in a season full of tough losses.
