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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
It's not often LSU lose 3 straight games, and it's been nearly 30 years (since the hellish 1999 season) when our Tigers last dropped 4 straight....
In 2024, after winning 6 consecutive games and riding high, ranked #11, LSU lost to A&M, Alabama and then-under .500 Florida all by double digits.....then came one of the worst weeks for the Brian Kelly era with the program losing their highest rated committed player & QB of the future (after 300 days pledged & only a matter of weeks until signing day)....
Facing Vanderbilt on Saturday night, a squad capable of beating anyone on their day (taking down the #1 ranked team in America earlier this season), Brian Kelly's gold-clad LSU Tigers fought & grit through 4 tough quarters in order to finally stop the bleeding, winning 24-17 on the back of an inspired passing showcase & gutsy response by QB Garrett Nussmeier.
Outside of Kelly's squad getting on the same page & showing the fighting spirit that was missing vs A&M, Alabama & Florida, we didn't learn too much about this 2024 LSU squad tonight....but following a week where a shocking twist shook up the future of LSU's quarterback room, Garrett Nussmeier took the reins, regained his bearings, made one NFL throw after another, and controlled the ball for much of the 2nd half as he helped deliver a much needed victory for the Tigers.
Tossing 332 yards, completing 28 of 37 attempts for 1 TD pass and 0 turnovers for the first time in 4 weeks, Nussmeier displayed the poise & necessary moxy he'll need going forward, however, his success was bolstered by LSU finally running the football with violence, intensity & efficiency, cobbling 98 yards on the ground after the 1st half alone (139 total).
And yet it is without a doubt Josh Williams who deserves the MVP honors of the night, leading the way as a rusher (90 yards on 14 carries, and 2 TDs) next to 61 receiving yards on 4 grabs.
Like a #18 should, Josh Williams took the game over & put the team on his back during the 1st half, catching 2 passes for 30 yards while adding 62 on the ground over the first 2 quarters, making multiple defenders miss on nearly each touch as he punched in a pair of critical early touchdowns.
Finding renewed space & time due to Williams' tone-setting rushing attack (aided by some strong blocking by LSU's offensive line) Nussmeier hit 4 different receivers for 4+ receptions, each WR tacking on over 56 yards, Kyren Lacy leading the way with 85 & his 8th TD of the campaign, Aaron Anderson 65 yards & 6 catches (just barely dropped a 2nd half TD from a 10/10 Nussmeier pass), and CJ Daniels bringing down 56 tough yards.
On the other side of the ball, Blake Baker's defense brought the hitting tonight, playing a strong, focused, professional 4 quarters where the Tigers' defense denied & suffocated rising star QB Diego Pavia.
Apart from the opening 63 yard TD bomb & a 36 yard tuck and run up the left channel of LSU's secondary, Whit Weeks, Bradyn Swinson, Saivion Jones, Sage Ryan, Davhon Keys and the LSU front put the clampdown on Pavia and Vanderbilt.
Giving up 186 through the air and 122 on the ground (only 2/10 on 3rd down attempts), Baker's defense made the necessary stops, while Joe Sloan's offense played keep away throughout the 2nd half, keeping Clark Lea's possession control game plan at bay as LSU ran 21 more plays than Vanderbilt & controlled the game for 9 1/2 more minutes.
The defensive numbers don't look sexy on paper, but on film, there was plenty of excellent solo and group tackling by Baker's defense, covering every blade of grass against Vandy's spread attack, creating negative plays with one low gain stop after another (15 stops, 17 QB pressures, 2.5 TFLs, and 1 sack).
Brothers Whit & West Weeks combined for 11 tackles on the night, Bradyn Swinson piled up 5 pressures & shared a sack alongside DT Shone Washington, while Saivion Jones supplied 6 pressures alongside a barnstorming, rampaging show of ruthless intent when he chucked Pavia into the backfield for a 1st quarter TFL....
This was the energy LSU needed over the past 4 weeks....
Complimentary play from all phases....
Early touchdowns.....
Savage hits that inflict fear, second guessing & send a message....
A defense that responds & keeps their heads after a few big gains....
This was the clock control, possession style LSU offense we expected all season, but due to the Tigers' inability to run the football, we haven't seen much of the patient, ball dominating, offensive line-led attack like we witnessed tonight.
At a time where the entire LSU fanbase was waiting on baited breath for another great collapse against a beatable opponent, without much fuss or dramatics, Nuss and Co ran out the clock with each passing play, wore down the Vanderbilt defensive front until they were barely a participant, and finished the game off...despite a last gasp touchdown from Vandy to make it a closer-appearing affair.
On a low key night where some players' lack of effort may have gone unnoticed, in every phase Tiger fans received the aggresssion, attention to detail, and attacking mindset their players have sorely lacked.
For all their deficiencies, despite the pockets of empty seats, strands of fan apathy & disillusionment over the events of the past few weeks, 2024 LSU are still fighting....they're still in the foxhole together....many are wounded, yet still battling, finding some semblance of progress in the shadows of the periphery....but they're still winning games....and they're still capable of finishing the season off in the right way vs Oklahoma next week.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2024 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
The point you make about fighting together was so refreshing. I was beginning to wonder if there was a growing apathy, but that was not evident this night.