Louisiana State @ Vanderbilt preview
Vanderbilt Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 12, 2009 ) Vanderbilt 9, Louisiana State 23
Louisiana State would like to avoid the kind of drama it faced last week against an opponent that was thought to be outmatched.
The Tigers (1-0) survived a scare from North Carolina, which was missing several key players because of an NCAA inquiry, nearly blowing a 20-point lead before hanging on for a 30-24 win at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
No. 16 LSU will visit Vanderbilt (0-1) on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
The Commodores have even more motivation to avoid a repeat of their opening week. Vandy barely missed a chance to begin coach Robbie Caldwell’s tenure with a victory, losing a heartbreaker to Northwestern 23-21 at home. A bad snap cost Vandy a chance to tie with a two-point conversion.
Though heavily favored on Vandy’s home field, LSU has reason for concern, considering last week’s pitiful second-half performance, when the Tigers were held scoreless. They finished with just 313 total yards and lost four fumbles and an interception.
But there were some LSU high points. Among them were a run defense that held the Tar Heels to 24 yards on 33 carries, a pass rush that produced four sacks and, most notably, the play of cornerback Patrick Peterson, who set a school record with 257 return yards, including an 87-yard touchdown.
LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson completed 15-of-21 passes for 151 yards and hit Reuben Randle for a 51-yard score that gave LSU a 30-10 lead. But Carolina’s halftime adjustments swung all the momentum the other way.
Vandy quarterback Larry Smith will be looking to exploit an LSU pass defense that gave up 412 yards to North Carolina without an interception. Against Northwestern, Smith was 19-of-33 for 240 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed for 48 yards in a balanced attack that produced 192 yards on the ground.
LSU shut down Smith (11-of-24, 88 yards, 3 sacks, 1 interception) in a 23-9 victory last season.
The Commodores showed a solid defensive effort against Northwestern, which gained just 365 total yards. But some of the short routes that Northwestern ran for its 222 yards on 19 completions could turn into big gainers for LSU.
The Tigers are 18-9 since their national championship in 2007, but they have a six-game winning streak against Vandy. The Commodores are 0-9 since beating Rice last September.