No. 17 Vanderbilt looks to bounce back against 10th-ranked LSU after Alabama loss

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The 17th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores aren’t happy with themselves, feeling they let a big opportunity get away in their first loss this season.

An open date let them stew even longer.

“That Alabama loss made us even hungrier,” Vanderbilt running back Sedrick Alexander said. “We knew that we didn’t play up to the standard of Vanderbilt football.”

The best way to wash that loss away comes Saturday when the Commodores (5-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) host No. 10 LSU. The Tigers have won 10 straight in this sporadic SEC series, but this will be only the fourth time these programs both have been ranked at the same time — the first since 1947.

This is the first season Vanderbilt has been ranked more than five weeks with the Commodores already having a road win over then-No. 11 South Carolina on the resume. LSU is coming off a 20-10 win over South Carolina last week.

LSU coach Brian Kelly said his Tigers (5-1, 2-1) respect Vanderbilt because of what they see on film. LSU only beat Vanderbilt 24-17 in Baton Rouge last season.

“And their record now has spoken for themselves,” Kelly said. “So, you don’t have to go in and (say), ‘Hey, this is what you’ve got to be worried about at Vanderbilt.’ No, they know what Vanderbilt’s about. … They have a resume. It’s not a long resume, but it’s a real resume with the same players.”

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier likes playing on the road and is looking forward to his first game at Vanderbilt.

“There’s nothing like going and taking the life out of a stadium, making a big play and you hear the place go silent,” Nussmeier said. “Big road games are a lot of fun.”

Pavia factor

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who had only four interceptions last season, already has matched that. He had two turnovers to end scoring threats at Alabama.

Pavia ranks fourth in the SEC averaging 293.5 yards of total offense per game and is right behind Nussmeier in passing yards per game. Pavia also has 14 touchdown passes and has run for two more. Kelly called Pavia Vanderbilt’s point guard. LSU will focus first on keeping Pavia from running.

“Not to say that he can’t throw the ball, because he can,” Kelly said. “They average over 200 yards throwing the football, and he’s capable. But I think if you’re trying to choose one or the other, he’s going to kill you if he runs.”

Ground Gains

LSU, which entered this week last in the SEC in yards rushing per game (115), is coming off its best performance in the running game all season in its victory over South Carolina last week.

The Tigers briefly eclipsed the 170-yard mark before taking a couple knees to run out the clock and seeing their final total dip to 166. Vanderbilt ranks 16th defending the run, giving up only 90.8 yards a game.

Seeing Green

After LSU tight end and 6-foot-7 former college basketball player Trey’Dez Green caught eight passes for 119 yards and a touchdown last week, Kelly said Green is an obvious mismatch that the Tigers need to exploit regularly. He’s sticking to that as LSU prepares for Vanderbilt.

“If one guy gets more attention than the other, maybe he doesn’t get nine catches, but maybe somebody else opens up the field for him,” Kelly said, “and that’s what a dynamic tight end does for you.”

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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel contributed to this report.

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