Opportunity Awaits: No. 10 LSU Comes to Town
Is this the most important game for Vanderbilt football in the modern era? It is hard to say no to that question. The eyes of the nation were on Vanderbilt as they took on the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa during week 6. College gameday was on campus, Vanderbilt had the opportunity to start 6-0 and elevate themselves to a top 10 team. Vanderbilt-Alabama drew the most eyes of any game during week 6, registering 6.4 million viewers. The game did not go how Vanderbilt hoped as 2 red zone turnovers ultimately doomed the Commodores. But after the initial sting of the loss, my number 1 takeaway from the game was simple: all of this team’s goals are still in front of them. This LSU game is exactly what I was talking about.
Vanderbilt heads into another top 20 matchup, this time at home against the #10 LSU Tigers. I can’t believe I am typing this, but Vegas has Vanderbilt favored over top 10 LSU. The line opened with Vanderbilt being a 1.5 point favorite and has now moved to Vanderbilt -2.5. According to ‘ESPN’s Matchup Predictor’, Vanderbilt has a 60.8% chance of victory, for whatever that is worth. LSU is coming off a 20-10 victory at home over South Carolina, who Vanderbilt defeated 31-7 earlier this season. Both teams come into this game at 5-1, LSU’s loss coming two weeks ago against Ole Miss.
For the second straight game, the Commodores will be on ABC, once again with the eyes of the nation on them. This game certainly does not lack star power. Even with his early season struggles and possible injury issues, Garrett Nussmeier is an incredibly talented NFL prospect and LB Whit Weeks has plenty of national name recognition. However, the biggest star of this game is wearing black and gold – Diego Pavia. This is an opportunity for Pavia to exorcise some demons after a less than stellar performance against Alabama that resulted in a 30-14 loss. Pavia had a couple key turnovers in the red zone and overall looked like he was pressing more than allowing the magic of his game to organically take over. Pavia went 21/35 for 198 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, and also ran the ball 12 times for 58 yards with 1 fumble. Vanderbilt needs Pavia to perform at a high level against a talented LSU defense.
This is the opportunity Vanderbilt fans have been dreaming about. A top 10 opponent coming to town, the opponent has not looked up to the level of preseason expectations (at least the LSU offense), and the Commodores are favored. While this is not a “must win” game for Vanderbilt to have a good season, in order for Vanderbilt to have a magical season and be a serious CFP contender heading down the home stretch – this is a make or break game. I personally think this is the most important game for Vanderbilt football in modern history. Win this game and respect from the nation will not just be demanded, it will be deserved, and I think it will undoubtably be granted. An undeniably huge opportunity for Clark Lea and this football team – let’s see if they capitalize.
Subscribe to The Dore Report for more content including previews, predictions, and much more leading up to Saturday’s matchup and all season long.
