The school of grit and the school of strategy are squaring off on Saturday night in a game many fans didn’t think twice of until this point.
Historically, the Tigers have owned the Commodores, leading the all-time series 24-7, but Vanderbilt has been a fierce competitor so far in the 2025 season. Nothing is off the table for this riveting Game 7 for LSU, especially with Vanderbilt being the favorite to win.
Tigers head coach Brian Kelly said in the midweek press conference that he knows that the Commodores are using strategy to their advantage, while LSU is going to be back at the drawing board to improve on possibilities of playoff contention.
“[Vanderbilt is a] disciplined, well coached, fundamentally sound football team, and do a great job in the running game,” Kelly said. “So we’re going to have to be better, quite frankly, in all the areas [LSU has struggled in], but the foundational principles are exciting for me that I’m seeing and now we’ve got to build off of those.”
In the past, LSU has taken games versus Vanderbilt in big ways. Most recently, the Tigers downed the Commodores 66-38 during the iconic 2019 football season. In other games, the largest win differentials were 34-6 and 27-3, all going in LSU’s favor.
The 2019 matchup was the most points Vanderbilt has ever scored versus LSU.
With the season the 2025 Commodores have put together being a high point in school history, it might be time for an upset win over LSU. Kelly says that in addition to the strategy the Commodores boast in their games, head coach Clark Lea is process driven, and it shows on the field.
“We know the foundational principles of [Vanderbilt’s team] are based upon a strong process and believing in what they do, and they do it,” Kelly said.” “So, it’ll be a great challenge for our football team.”
While there might have been some errors in previous games, LSU is known for its fight. It might not always be pretty, but the Tigers will always find a way to come out on top.
Kelly mentioned in the press conference that this team is gritty and handles adversity well, saying that some mistakes were made versus South Carolina, but the guys adapted and overcame.
He also said that in the past, the Bayou Bandits have played physically and extremely scrappy, but now it’s time to pay attention to detail. Detail might be the very thing that decides the game in the end.
“Some of the real foundational principles of being successful are in place,” Kelly said. “Some of the things that allow you to extend games, get away from your opponent, they’re not in place. 73-yard run, yet we bottle up the run the whole game, but we’re not in the right place when we should be and we know that. So that’s attention to detail.”
The Tigers are 6-1 entering this game, and with the hot streak the Commodores have found themselves on this season, it might not be the easy win everyone thought it was going to be this season.
If LSU doesn’t play to the strategic and detailed abilities Vanderbilt has shown so far this season, it might be another scratch on LSU’s record in costly fashion.
Only time will tell as the Tigers and the Commodores square off in Nashville on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ABC.
