It was late November in Death Valley, the kind of night where the humidity actually takes a break and the air gets that sharp, expectant bite. Everyone figured the LSU vs Vanderbilt football 2024 matchup would be a formality. A "get-right" game for Brian Kelly’s Tigers before the postseason grind. But if you actually sat in those metal bleachers or watched the tape, you know it was anything but a layup.
LSU walked away with a 24-17 win. On paper? A boring, grind-it-out SEC victory. In reality? It was a high-wire act that exposed every lingering nerve in the Tigers' roster while proving that Clark Lea’s Vanderbilt wasn't the "easy win" they used to be.
The Josh Williams Show and a Sluggish Start
Vanderbilt didn’t come to Baton Rouge to roll over. They struck first, and they struck fast. Diego Pavia—the guy who basically became a folk hero in Nashville this season—hit Quincy Skinner Jr. for a massive 63-yard touchdown just minutes into the game.
The stadium went quiet. Not "we’re worried" quiet, but more like "did that really just happen?" quiet.
LSU’s response was predictable but necessary. They leaned on the veterans. Josh Williams, a guy who has seen everything in this program, basically carried the offense on his back during the first half. He punched in two touchdowns—one for 20 yards and another for 21. He finished the night with 102 yards on just 12 carries. It wasn’t flashy. It was just violent, downhill SEC football.
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Breaking down the Garrett Nussmeier factor
Garrett Nussmeier’s 2024 has been a rollercoaster. Against Vandy, he was... fine. Honestly, just fine. He went 20-of-29 for 176 yards and a touchdown.
- The Good: He didn't turn the ball over. In a season where interceptions have haunted him at times, he played "winning football."
- The Bad: The explosive plays were missing. LSU fans are used to the 40-yard bombs to Kyren Lacy. We didn't see much of that.
- The Reality: Vanderbilt’s secondary played soft shells and dared LSU to run. LSU accepted the dare.
The Diego Pavia Problem
You cannot talk about LSU vs Vanderbilt football 2024 without talking about Diego Pavia. The man is a pest, and I mean that as a total compliment. He’s the kind of quarterback who makes defensive coordinators want to retire. He finished with 166 passing yards and 46 rushing yards, but stats don't capture the three times he escaped a sure sack on third down to throw the ball out of bounds or scramble for four yards.
He kept the Commodores in it until the final whistle. When he snuck into the end zone for a 1-yard TD in the fourth quarter to make it 24-17, there was a genuine "uh oh" feeling rippling through Tiger Stadium.
"We knew he was a gamer. We didn't realize he'd be that hard to pin down in the pocket," one LSU staffer mentioned off-handedly after the game.
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It was a stark reminder that the talent gap in the SEC has shrunk. The bottom of the conference isn't a basement anymore; it's a trap door.
Why the LSU Defense deserves some (muted) credit
Look, the LSU defense has been the punching bag of the sports media for two years. But under Blake Baker, things started to shift in 2024. They held Vandy to 17 points. That’s a win.
Whit Weeks was everywhere. If there’s a ball carrier, Whit Weeks is usually within three feet of them. The Tigers’ pass rush didn't get home as much as they wanted because of Pavia’s mobility, but they stayed disciplined. They didn't give up the "back-breaker" play in the second half.
The game ended with Vanderbilt trying to mount one last drive, but the LSU front seven finally flexed. A couple of stuffed runs and a pressured throw later, the clock hit zeroes.
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Key Stats That Mattered
- Time of Possession: LSU held the ball for 34 minutes. They squeezed the life out of the game.
- Third Down Conversions: Vandy went 4-of-12. You can't win in Death Valley like that.
- Total Yards: LSU 345, Vanderbilt 306. It was as close as the score looked.
What this game meant for the SEC landscape
This wasn't just a random November game. For LSU, it secured a winning record in the SEC and kept them in the conversation for a decent bowl. For Vanderbilt, it was another "close but no cigar" moment that proved they are a legitimate bowl-caliber team now.
Most people get it wrong—they think LSU "underperformed." I disagree. I think they played a team that was specifically designed to stop their strengths. Vanderbilt's defense is built to limit big plays, and they did. LSU showed maturity by not forcing the issue and just taking the small chunks of yardage available.
Actionable Insights for the 2025 Season
If you're looking ahead based on what we saw in the LSU vs Vanderbilt football 2024 clash, keep these points in your back pocket for your next betting slip or water cooler debate:
- Watch the LSU Run Game Evolution: This game proved LSU can win without Nussmeier throwing for 400 yards. Expect them to recruit even heavier at guard and tackle to lean into this identity.
- Vanderbilt is a Cover Team: If Pavia is under center, Vandy is going to cover the spread more often than not. Their style of play keeps games short and scores low.
- The Death Valley Factor: It still matters. Even on an "off" night, the crowd noise in the fourth quarter clearly rattled Vandy’s young offensive line during those final crucial snaps.
Don't just look at the 24-17 score and move on. This was a chess match where the grandmaster almost got put in check by a rising star. LSU survived, but the blueprints for how to frustrate them are now all over the SEC game film.
To fully understand where these teams go from here, you'll want to track the offseason transfer portal moves, specifically looking at Vanderbilt’s ability to add more weapons around Pavia and LSU’s search for a truly dominant interior defensive lineman.