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Vanderbilt plays Callin' Baton Rouge after upset win over LSU

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax10/18/25BarkleyTruax
Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia vs. LSU
© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

No. 17 Vanderbilt trolled LSU following its 31-24 win over the Tigers in Nashville. Over the speakers inside FirstBank Stadium, the Commodores played Garth Brooks’ Callin’ Baton Rouge to send LSU back home.

That song plays before every LSU home game, and the Commodores blared it over the loudspeakers as soon as the game ended. Unfortunately fort the Tigers, the 1993 hit didn’t sound as sweet in Music City.

The win improved Vanderbilt to 6-1 for the first time since 1950. After the victory, Commodores head coach Clark Lea revealed how much this win means for this program.

“It’s special. I worry, first, about the team. I like the team to have moments like this, and we’ll bring the crowd along with us,” Lea said. “But this community deserves this. The school. The players deserve it. They earned it today. Today was our day, and I can’t wait to celebrate with them.”

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia led the Commodores with three total touchdowns and nearly 250 yards of total offense during the upset win. Pavia led the team in rushing yards with 17 carries for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Makhilyn Young and Sedrick Alexander combined for 127 yards on the ground as well.

“(Pavia) is a dog. I mean, I don’t know what to say,” Lea said of his team’s leader. “He was a magician out here, and he gave us opportunities when it didn’t look like there was anything there. So, I can’t say enough about the fourth down conversion that they had. I mean, there were so many plays in there, but that was a team win. Diego will be the first to say that.”

The fourth down conversion featured Pavia spinning around the backfield before throwing across his body to a wide open receiver in the flats. The play converted the first down, keeping the drive alive late in the third quarter to help keep the Commodores’ drive going. Vanderbilt led LSU 24-21 at the time.

LSU drops to 5-2 with the loss, including a 2-2 record against SEC competition. Vanderbilt improved to 2-1 against its conference foes following the Week 8 win.

The Commodores will move forward to take on a ranked Missouri team next week at home. A win there would give Vanderbilt a third win over a ranked opponent this season — not to mention a potential 7-1 start to the season.