NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Diego Pavia played the role of Tiger King on Saturday afternoon at a sold-out FirstBank Stadium, as the quarterback collected three total touchdowns to lift the No. 17/18-ranked Vanderbilt football team past No. 10/10 LSU, 31-24, for the first time since 1990.
The No. 17/18 Commodores controlled the line of scrimmage throughout on Saturday, as Vandy held the ball for 36:33 of game time. That allowed the Dores to amass 399 total yards of offense, 239 of which came on the ground. It is the fourth game this season that Vanderbilt has posted 200-plus rushing yards.
Vanderbilt posts its first win over a team ranked inside the top 10 of the Associated Press poll since the Dores knocked off No. 1-ranked Alabama at FirstBank Stadium last season. Coupled with its victory over No. 11-ranked South Carolina earlier this season, Vandy has now defeated two AP top-15 teams in the same season for the first time in program history. Additionally, it is the first time since the 1990 season that Vanderbilt has defeated LSU, when the Dores posted a 24-21 victory in Nashville.
The Commodores move to 6-1 for the first time since 1950. The six wins make Vanderbilt postseason eligible for the second-straight season. It is the first time that the Dores have been postseason eligible in consecutive seasons since going to three-straight bowls from 2011-13.
Pavia tallied three scores in a game for the third time this season, as the Albuquerque, New Mexico, native ran in for a pair of touchdowns to go along with a touchdown through the air. The Vanderbilt quarterback registered 246 total yards of offense, as Pavia threw for 160 yards and rushed for an additional 86 yards, which led the Commodores against LSU. It is the sixth game this season that Pavia has had 200-plus offensive yards.
After LSU opened the scoring with a 48-yard field goal, the Dores responded with a 9-play, 57-yard drive on its opening possession that resulted in a 1-yard rushing score from Pavia. The Tigers reclaimed a 10-7 advantage on their next drive. Vanderbilt once again drove down the field, going 75 yards in 14 plays, as running back Sedrick Alexander punched it in from a yard out to take a 14-10 lead late in the second quarter.
The two teams traded a pair of 40-plus yard field goals in the final minute of the second quarter, with Brock Taylor’s 46-yard kick giving Vanderbilt a 17-13 edge going into the locker room.
Vanderbilt expanded its lead coming out of halftime, as yet another elongated possession by the Dores resulted in a 1-yard touchdown, this time with Pavia finding tight end Cole Spence in the end zone that capped off a 10-play, 75-yard drive to take a 24-13 lead.
LSU responded with a quick score and converted a two-point conversion to make it 24-21 at the 6:52 mark in the third. Vanderbilt dragged out another possession after the Tigers made it a three-point game, as the Commodores put together a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ended in a 21-yard rushing touchdown from Pavia to give Vanderbilt a 31-21 edge.
The Vanderbilt defense rose to the occasion on LSU’s final three possessions. After LSU drilled a 23-yard field goal to make it 31-24, the Commodores forced back-to-back three-and-outs to regain possession with 3:12 remaining in the game. Makhilyn Young’s 43-yard dash on the first play after the Tiger punt put Vanderbilt at the LSU 15-yard line, and the Dores were able to run the clock out from there to secure the seven-point victory.
No. 17-ranked Vanderbilt returns to action on Saturday, as the Commodores host No. 16/16 Missouri. Kickoff and television designations will be set this Sunday. Check back with VUCommodores.com during the week for a full game preview.
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