LSU football bounced back from its loss to Ole Miss by taking down South Carolina 20-10 in Week 7. The offense looked the best it had all season, aside from a few costly mistakes, and the defense was its usual dominant self.
Their upcoming stretch of games will be the toughest of the year, starting with No. 17 Vanderbilt. The Commodores are no longer the punching bag of the SEC, and are looking to prove that against LSU.
Brian Kelly was asked about his thoughts on the Commodores on Tuesday, and among his responses was a consistent theme: the Tiger defense has to be prepared for Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.
“They’re the number two in the SEC in points scored,” Kelly said. “They’re a top rushing team in the country. And we know where it starts. With Pavia, an outstanding quarterback, he’s the point guard and makes it happen.”
Kelly is right to be worried about Pavia. Per PFF’s grading, he’s the fourth-best quarterback in the SEC this season, with an overall grade of 85.1. Vanderbilt has only faced one top-25 defense this season in Alabama, but Pavia still delivered an impressive performance, passing for 198 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also ran twelve times for 68 yards, with more than half of those rushing yards coming after contact, per PFF.
Here’s a prime example of that rushing ability:
BIG GAIN FROM PAVIA pic.twitter.com/lWYhDpbbEi
— #17 Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 4, 2025
Pavia’s legs are what Kelly is most concerned about, and what he and defensive coordinator Blake Baker seem to be focused on stopping during this week’s practice.
“Make [Pavia] one-dimensional. I think that those dual-threat quarterbacks, if they can do both, you’re in trouble. So we’ve got to really do a great job in the running game,” Kelly explained. “And not to say that he can’t throw the football, because he can. 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.”
LSU played an impressive game against arguably the most dangerous rushing quarterback in the country on Saturday, holding South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers to just 74 yards on the ground at 4.4 yards per attempt. They will need to maintain that level of play against Vanderbilt, as Pavia is averaging 62.2 rushing yards per game this season.
Pavia is also simply the kind of player who galvanizes a team. When he’s confident and playing with swagger, the team around him can be pushed to play above themselves, something we saw in Vanderbilt’s win over Alabama last season.
To prevent him from feeling that sort of energy and to stop the Commodores’ dangerous play-action game from getting going, the Tigers need to focus on keeping Pavia in the pocket on Saturday night. Given how elite LSU’s secondary has been so far this season, if they can force him to be a passer, the Tigers should be able to secure a victory.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU’s Kelly on Vandy QB Diego Pavia: “Make Him One-Dimensional”
