Another SEC loss should make this a crisis point for LSU and coach Brian Kelly’s underwhelming tenure.
No. 17 Vanderbilt beat the No. 10 Tigers 31-24 by controlling the clock, owning the line of scrimmage, winning in the red zone on both ends and playing cleaner, crisper, more daring football.
The Commodores are 6-1 for the first time in 75 years and in the thick of the College Football Playoff conversation. LSU can make other plans.
After months of unwarranted hype leading into the regular season, the offense is an enormous disappointment. The Tigers averaged 6.6 yards per play against Vanderbilt but couldn’t put together sustained drives, with a handful petering out in Commordores' terrirtory and resulting in four field-goal attempts.
Defensively, the program has made big gains under second-year defensive coordinator Blake Baker but still comes up short against ranked teams. LSU gave up 239 rushing yards on 5.3 yards per carry and had no answer for quarterback Diego Pavia, who had 246 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.
