Questioning the Vanderbilt Commodores fans’ loyalty and dedication? This time, last year, Vanderbilt upset No. 1 Alabama, 40-35. Fans at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville celebrated the Commodores’ first-ever win over a top-five team. They tore down goal posts to put things into perspective. Clark Lea wants his fans to tap into the same energy, minus the damage caused, as the Commodores face the LSU Tigers on Saturday, October 18. 

The Commodores are recovering after tasting their first season loss, 30-14 against Alabama. During the pre-game presser, Lea made his expectations clear to the fans.

He started with, “At the end of the day, whether you’re playing in front of a hundred thousand plus crowd or you’re playing in front of your own crowd, the games are between the lines. So we don’t want to allow the environment to impact how we play, but we hope to inspire people to show up for us the way we play.” 

The First Bank Stadium will again open its gates for the face-off between Lea’s squad and Brian Kelly’s boys. What’s the USP of the game? According to CBS Sports Research, this is the first time the Commodores have been favored vs. LSU since 1948. Not just this. This is the first time Lea’s Vanderbilt tipped to win vs. a ranked opponent since at least 1978. The streak goes 176 straight games playing as an underdog against ranked opponents. 

But Lea thinks the Vanderbilt is nothing without the Commodores’ extended family. “When you can compete in front of your own crowd and when you’ve won games, big games in our stadium, it’s been fun to celebrate that with our students, our band, our fans, our community. All of that’s really important to us. I’m excited to see what the stadium looks like on Saturday. We’ve had these games in the past where it feels like a road game here at home,” the Vanderbilt head coach came up with a heartfelt plea. Now, will the fans be disappointed?

Well, the LSU Tigers are now playing on the back foot. LSU’s 20-10 win over South Carolina saw Garrett Nussmeier flash his arm and flaws, 254 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. However, the Tigers quarterback has yet to hit the 300-yard milestone. He’s hot and cold in most games; inconsistency could be an issue. Besides, Vanderbilt will face off against a quarterback who is 2-4 vs. ranked teams with a slim 10–9 TD-to-pick ratio. 

Cut to Vanderbilt. Lea’s Commodores are coming off a bye week and are eager to rebound from their Week 6 loss to Alabama. A raging fire to prove themselves is burning bright among the Vanderbilt players, after being held to just 14 points in Tuscaloosa. It was a steep drop from their 43.2-point average over the first five games. However, all eyes will be on the Commodores quarterback, Diego Pavia, as this could be his last shot in the NCAA.

Vanderbilt Commodores’ postseason hopes are on the line against LSU

As Kelly’s squad walks into the Week 8 clash, FanDuel gives the Tigers +205 odds to make the College Football Playoffs and -260 to miss the 12-team field. Talking about the odds percentage? 31.2% chance that the Tigers will play meaningful football after the regular season. The Tigers’ only loss this season was against the Ole Miss Rebels. Now, what’s in store for the Vanderbilt Commodores?

They are coming off a much-needed win over South Carolina. If LSU can go 10-2, it’s a lock for the playoff. So, they will not let go of any opportunity to throttle Vanderbilt and push them to the corner. Already, the Vanderbilt quarterback embarrassed himself by taking the Alabama face-off for granted.

Before hitting the gridiron for the SEC matchup, Pavia sounded overconfident when he said, “Tuscaloosa will be a good, fun time. You know, I’ve never played there. I think a few of the guys have been there. This is what you come to the SEC for, you know, big games like this. So we’ll be really excited to go down there and check them out.” But Kalen DeBoer’s boys came off as an assignment, out of the syllabus, handing them a big L while leaving. 

All eyes are on Clark Lea’s boys as they look to beat LSU and keep the Commodores’ postseason hopes afloat.