Field Level Media
Oct 3, 2020
Vanderbilt had no match for LSU's speed and athleticism, as the No. 20 Tigers walloped the Commodores 41-7 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday night.
After being shredded for 623 passing yards last week in a loss to Mississippi State, LSU came up with a much better defensive effort in Week 2. The Tigers held Vandy (0-2) to 3.9 yards per play and picked Commodores quarterback Ken Seals twice.
LSU safety JaCoby Stevens, who hails from nearby Murfreesboro, led the Tigers with 11 tackles (five solo).
Tigers quarterback Myles Brennan threw for 337 yards and four touchdowns -- two each to wide receivers Jontre Kirklin and Terrace Marshall Jr.
Running back John Emery added 12 carries for 103 yards and a score for the Tigers (1-1).
Tigers kicker Cade York drilled a 53-yard field goal on the first drive of the second half for a 24-7 LSU lead. After cornerback Derek Stingley's 48-yard punt return to the Vandy 20, York connected from 31 to make it 27-7 with 7:10 left in the period.
After another Vanderbilt punt, Brennan found Kirklin wide open for a 29-yard touchdown.
Emery scooted 12 yards untouched around the left side of the defense as the Tigers went up 34 and cap the scoring with 8:11 to play in the game.
LSU shredded the Commodores for 9.2 yards per play in the first half in gaining a 21-7 advantage at the break.
Kirklin took a short screen from Brennan and danced 28 yards along the sideline for a touchdown, breaking tackles as he went to open the scoring with 6:09 left in the first quarter.
On a third-and-5 from the Vandy 16, Brennan threw a dart through double coverage to Marshall with 12:28 left in the second quarter to make it 14-0.
After Vanderbilt cornerback Randall Haynie picked Brennan at the Commodores 40, Seals ended an eight-play drive with a terrific, contested throw to tight end Ben Bresnahan for an 8-yard score, with kicker Pierson Cooke's extra point cutting it to 14-7 with 5:07 left before half.
But 55 seconds later, Brennan hit Marshall inside the hash marks for a 51-yard catch-and-run score, and it was never a contest again.
--Field Level Media