GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
On a wild day and night throughout the Southeastern Conference, there was a calming return to normalcy at last in Tiger Stadium on Saturday.
And LSU actually contained a running quarterback.
The downtrodden Tigers finally changed the narrative of their lost season by ending a three-game losing streak with a 24-17 win over Vanderbilt Saturday night. The Tigers (7-4, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) had not won since Oct. 19 at Arkansas and fell out of the College Football Playoff and all rankings in the process.
“It feels good,” LSU senior defensive end Bradyn Swinson said. “It’s going to change the whole vibe in the facility. Going in there tomorrow is going to be fun just seeing everybody smiling. There have been some real quiet meetings the last few weeks, so that will be better, too.”
LSU ends the regular season next Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN) at home against Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC), which shocked No. 7 and 14-point favorite Alabama, 24-3, on Saturday night at home. Later Saturday, Auburn upset No. 15 and 2-point favorite Texas A&M, 43-41, in four overtimes.
And Florida, the then sub-.500 team LSU lost to last week, upset No. 9 and 11.-5-point favorite Ole Miss, 24-17, Saturday afternoon. Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC), Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2 SEC) and Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3) now all find their hopes of reaching the new 12-team playoff in danger. And Florida (6-5, 4-4 SEC) has a chance for its first winning season since 2020. Auburn improved to 5-6 and 2-5.
The Tigers, meanwhile, can finish 9-4 with a win over Oklahoma and a bowl victory. The win was much needed for a fan base still reeling from losing the nation’s No. 1 high school quarterback to Michigan on Thursday night when Bryce Underwood of Belleville High in the Detroit area flipped his Jan. 6 commitment to LSU and pledged to the Wolverines.
LSU won, refreshingly, without a lot of drama by just painstakingly dominating the Commodores (6-5, 3-4 SEC) with the running game and efficient passing by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who did not throw an interception for the second straight week after tossing five in losses at Texas A&M and to Alabama.
LSU outgained Vanderbilt, 471 yards to 308, outrushed it 139 yards to 122 and had 27 first downs to 14. Josh Williams gained 90 yards on 14 carries for the Tigers with two touchdowns, and Caden Durham gained 58 on 14 carries. Nussmeier completed 28 of 37 passes for 332 yards and a touchdown.
After Vanderbilt cut LSU’s lead to 24-17 with 5:47 to play, the Tigers systematically put the game away by driving 66 yards in 11 plays to the Commodores’ 8-yard line, eating up all 5:47.
“We finished taking a knee at the 10-yard line,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “That’s how you do it.”
The Tigers’ defense also kept big plays to a minimum after another broken coverage to start the game.
Vanderbilt took a 7-0 lead on its first play of scrimmage as quarterback Diego Pavia unleashed a 63-yard touchdown bomb to wide receiver Quinton Skinner Jr., who was running all alone for his first TD pass since the opener on Aug. 31. And there was a collective groan from the 85,000 or so in the 102,321-seat stadium.
Pavia, a native Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the ultra-successful TV series “Breaking Bad” was set and filmed, was basically quiet the rest of the game, however, as LSU’s defense clamped down at last. Pavia finished just 13-of-24 passing for 186 yards and the touchdown and rushed for only 43 yards on six carries and a TD.
The Tigers came right back after Pavia’s TD pass to tie it 7-7 on the ensuing possession with a 20-yard touchdown run by Williams to finish a 90-yard drive in eight plays. LSU went up 14-7 at the half on a 21-yard TD run by Williams with 51 seconds to go before halftime after an 80-yard drive in nine plays.
LSU outgained the Commodores 157 yards to 115 in the first half with 97 on the ground on 17 carries. Williams led the way with 62 yards on six rushes, while Durham gained 42 on nine rushes.
After Vanderbilt cut it to 14-10 on a 47-yard field goal midway in the third quarter by Brock Taylor, LSU reestablished control on a 77-yard drive in 10 plays for a 21-10 lead. Nussmeier hit wide receiver Kyren Lacy on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 3:32 left in the third quarter.
LSU extended its lead to 24-10 with 10:41 to play in the game on a 28-yard field goal by Damian Ramos after a 74-yard drive in 13 plays. Vanderbilt drew within 24-17 with 5:47 to go on a 1-yard TD run by Pavia to climax a 75-yard drive in 10 plays.
But it was too late for Vanderbilt. LSU was not going to lose four straight for the first time since 1999.
“This is great,” Swinson said. “I don’t like losing.”
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