LSU FALL TO VANDERBILT FOR THE 1ST TIME SINCE 1990, LOSE 2ND GAME OF 2025

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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

It was a crossroads game for QB Garrett Nussmeier, Head Coach Brian Kelly and his offensive staff...

This was a pinnacle moment against a beatable opponent (#17 Vanderbilt), in a winnable game, albeit on the road & without LSU's best defender (Whit Weeks)....and Brian Kelly's Tigers failed to seize the moment:

On a day when the Tigers really needed strong, complimentary play from both offense & defense, they didn't get it from their exhausted, injury-ravaged defense who played their worst game of the season, while LSU's offense started hot, failed to maintain any of their early momentum, and lost their 2nd game of the year, left to look on as hapless spectators as Vanderbilt kneeled the ball in victory formation, winning 31-24....beating LSU for the first time since 1990....

Once again, you didn't get enough across the 2nd half from your offense or your quarterback, but Garrett Nussmeier's undercooked performance was far from the reason LSU lost....

Brian Kelly's Tigers weren't just outplayed, this team was outclassed and outcoached all around, making the same brand of bonehead errors we've seen for years under Brian Kelly at the worst moment:

Taking advantage of possibly the worst outing we've ever witnessed from Harold Perkins, alongside the absence of Whit Weeks, dual threat QB Diego Pavia took over the game early and never let go, as his Vanderbilt offense reeled off the most explosive plays all year on a Baker defense (including many backbreaking Pavia runs out of the backfield directly vs Harold Perkins, totaling 86 rushing yards, 17 carries, and 2 rushing scores, as well as surrendering a 43 yard burst by Makhilyn Young who also recorded 82 of Vanderbilt's 239 rushing yards for 5.3 yards per carry).

Additionally, Blake Baker's linebackers and safeties couldn't handle Vandy's duo of tight ends, getting repeatedly caught with their pants down in coverage time after time underneath: Vanderbilt TEs Cole Spence & Eli Stowers each converted key 3rd downs (including Spence catching a touchdown on a 3rd down) as they combined for 88 yards & 8 grabs.

Because of these big play busts alongside 2nd half offensive ineptitude, the Tigers' defense played their worst game of 2025, allowing season highs of 31 points, 239 rushing yards, and the 2nd most total yards (399) given up over 7 games, Vanderbilt was able to gradually suffocate the Tigers over 4 quarters, utterly & completely controlling proceedings (garnering 13 more minutes in time of possession, as well as finishing 8/16 on critical down tries)....

LSU only embarked on 4 drives during the entirety of the 1st half, just 1 single drive throughout all 15 minutes of the 3rd quarter, and a trio of drives in the 4th...

LSU only possessed the ball once over 5 minutes, kicking 4 field goal opportunities (Damian Ramos making 3), and for the 6th game out of 7 thus far, Joe Sloan's offense couldn't score more than 2 touchdowns; Meanwhile, Brad Davis' softcore O-line ruined a promising, gutty outing from Garrett Nussmeier, allowing hit after hit against their struggling quarterback.

Sloan also abandoned the running game early and often, despite strong plays from Harlem Berry and some good contributions by a hobbled Caden Durham, only 21 total carries (compared to 28 passing plays).

However, many of those factors could've been masked if the Tigers weren't wasteful today inside the red zone...

On their first drive of the game, LSU maintained possession inside the 30 yard line....only to suffer a sack, back to back incomplete passes, and suddenly, you're kicking a field goal...

Later, Nussmeier and Co marched up to the 37 yard line only to commit a penalty, call a 1 yard run, another incomplete pass, and a missed field goal....

During LSU's crucial 4th quarter drive, in a must-score situation following a long Caden Durham run, LSU started at the 2 yard line and proceeded to piss the game away:

On 1st down, Nuss gave it to Durham for 1 yard.

Now on 2nd & goal from the 1, Sloan and the offense looked confused, had no idea what play they were about to run, and called the first of 3 precious timeouts.

Coming out of the timeout, guess what happens???

LSU's offense commits a penalty, now forced to back up to the 6 yard line......inexcusable isn't even the right word....right now, LSU is so bad from a structural and player discipline standpoint.

From the 6, Joe Sloan calls a direct snap to Ju’Juan Johnson, who eeks out half a yard, if that and somehow, once again, LSU ultimately turn 2 feet away from a touchdown into a timeout, a killer penalty, and of course, another field goal attempt when you desperately needed touchdowns.

Just as much as their lackluster defensive performance flipped the script, LSU's 2nd half deluge of untimely offensive errors broke the Tigers (one example: Nussmeier completes a Houdini-esque pass to Barion Brown on 3rd and 16 for a wondrous, pull it outta the fire moment...possibly giving LSU a chance to tie this game......only for Weston Davis' holding penalty negating everything).

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Aside from another standout day for Trey'Dez Green (74 yards, 5 catches from 6 targets & 1 TD), the continued high caliber play of Zaivion Thomas (75 yards, most stemming from an unbelievable 62 yard touchdown catch and scamper), AJ Haulcy's team-leading 13 tackles (9 solo) & 1 pass breakup, or West Weeks' 6 tackles, 2 TFLs & 1 sack, LSU didn't collectively generate anything positive outside of these scattered individual efforts....a tackle for loss by Jacobian Guillory, a good pressure on the QB by Ahmad Breaux, a beautiful swat by Mansoor Delane, smacking down a pass by Pavia with 1st Round incision, none of these moments mattered in the finality of a cold blooded 2nd loss....

....your defense still made plays & finally started to get stops late in this game (the Tigers had 3 drives during the 4th quarter)...and LSU's offense failed to execute at an even average level as the game wore on, couldn't take advantage of these moments under the spotlight...

And for all of it, there's nobody else to blame but Brian Kelly.......for the first time in his 4 year tenure, there's truly nowhere for him to hide and possibly, at least for this season, nowhere for him to turn....

LIVE POSTGAME ANALYSIS SHOW COMING SOON, CLICK HERE FOR NOTIFICATIONS.

By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

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