LSU vs Vanderbilt Week 13 Preview

Erik Trosclair • November 22, 2024

Let's get into it!

Date and Time: Saturday, November 23rd, 2024 6:45 PM


Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA


Spread: LSU -7.5


O/U: 53.5


TV: SEC Network


LSU and Vanderbilt will be playing for the 33rd time Saturday night. LSU leads the all time series 24-7-1. The 1st meeting between these schools took place in 1902, and Vanderbilt walked away with a 27-5 victory.


Vanderbilt, 6-4, 3-3, will be playing a 7th SEC game this season. The Commodore offense is 15th in the SEC in total yards per game (331.3), 14th in the SEC in passing yards per game (187.2), and 13th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (144.1). Vanderbilt is led by quarterback Diego Pavia. The former New Mexico State Aggie currently ranks 6th in the SEC in QBR, 9th in the SEC in passing yards (1843), and 6th in the SEC in passing TDs (15). Diego has the most rushing yards by a quarterback in the SEC this season (628) and 5 rushing TDs. The leader in the running back room is Sedrick Alexander. Alexander has 125 carries, 470 rushing yards, and 5 rushing TDs. The leading passing catchers for Vanderbilt are tight end Eli Stowers and wide receiver Junior Sherrill. Stowers has 42 receptions, 557 receiving yards, and 4 receiving TDs, and Sherrill has 21 receptions, 331 receiving yards, and 3 receiving TDs. The Vanderbilt defense ranks 12th in the SEC in total yards given up per game (349.1), 12th in the SEC in passing yards given up per game (227.1), and 8th in rushing yards given up per game (122.0). Linebackers Bryan Longwell and Randon Fontenette are the leaders on this defense. Longwell has 63 tackles on the season, and Fontenette has 53 tackles and 6 PBUs this season. The leader on the defensive line is Khordae Sydnor. Sydnor has 4 sacks on the season. The leader in the defensive back room is Martel Hight. Hight has 4 PBUs and 1 INT this season.


LSU, 6-4, 3-3, is heading into a 7th SEC contest. The Tiger offense comes into this game ranked 6th in the SEC in total yards per game (431.9), 2nd in the SEC in passing yards per game (316.3), and 16th (LAST) in the SEC in rushing yards per game (115.6). This offense goes as quarterback Garrett Nussmeier goes. Nuss ranks 5th in the SEC in QBR, 2nd in the SEC in passing yards (3126), 1st in the SEC in completions (262), and tied for 1st in the SEC in passing TDs (22). The Tigers continue to have a two running back approach with Caden Durham and Josh Williams. Durham has 101 carries, 551 rushing yards, 6 rushing TDs, 21 receptions, 219 receiving yards, and 2 receiving TDs on the season. Williams has 81 carries, 319 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs, 20 receptions, and 172 receiving yards on the season. Both have made big plays this season for the Tigers. The leading pass catchers for LSU are wide receivers Kyren Lacy, Aaron Anderson, and tight end Mason Taylor. Lacy has 49 receptions, 740 receiving yards, and 7 receiving TDs this season. Anderson has 46 receptions, 713 receiving yards, and 5 receiving TDs this season. Taylor has 49 receptions, 478 receiving yards, and 2 receiving TDs. Lacy, Anderson, and Taylor all rank in the top 8 in the SEC in receptions this season. Lacy and Anderson rank in the top 7 in the SEC in receiving yards and in the top 8 in the SEC in receiving TDs. The Tiger defense comes into this game ranking 13th in the SEC in total yards given up per game (364.5), 10th in the SEC in passing yards given up per game (217.5), and 14th in the SEC in rushing yards given up per game (147.0). The leaders on this defense are linebackers Whit Weeks and Greg Penn III. Weeks is tied for the 3rd most tackles in the SEC this season (93), and GP3 has the 10th most tackles in the SEC this season (70). The leaders on the defensive line are Sai'vion Jones and Bradyn Swinson. Jones has 4.5 sacks this season. Swinson has the 4th most sacks in the SEC this season (8). The leaders in the defensive back room are Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander. Alexander has 2 INTs this season. Stamps is tied for the 3rd most PBUs in the SEC (9).


KEYS TO THE GAME


- SELF PRIDE - If you are LSU, all you have left to play for is self pride, and nothing is wrong with that. Can you come out Saturday and play LSU football?

- GO DIEGO GO - LSU struggles with a mobile QB. Can they contain Diego Pavia in this one?

- DEATH VALLEY - Tiger Stadium will probably not be packed, but can this team and coaching staff give these fans a worthy performance? Give these fans something to cheer about Saturday night.


This game features 2 exciting returners: Zaivon Thomas leads the SEC in kickoff return yards (443), and Martel Hight leads the SEC in punt return yards (260).


Fun Fact: LSU Co-OC Cortez Hankton was the WR coach at Vanderbilt from 2015-2017. LSU QB AJ Swann played at Vanderbilt the past 2 seasons.


Thank you for reading my article.


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Football player in red kicks as teammate kneels on field during game, crowd blurred in background

Transfer Portal Spotlight: Jackson Courville

By Patrick Harkness • August 20, 2026
K 
Jackson Courville- Ohio State 
He committed on January 12, 2026 (after entering the portal January 2) and is now on Tulane’s 2026 roster as a redshirt junior (#96, 5’10”, 185 lbs) from Centerville, OH (Centerville HS). 
Here’s why Courville aligns so well with the Green Wave program: 
• Proven Leg Strength and Clutch MAC Production
: In two seasons as Ball State’s starting kicker (2023-24), he went 26-of-34 on field goals (76.5%) and 54-of-56 on extra points. Highlights include a game-winning 52-yard FG as time expired vs. Northern Illinois (2024), his career long, plus multiple makes from 50+ yards. He was automatic inside 40 yards and showed the power and accuracy Tulane needs after the departure of standout Patrick Durkin. 
• P4 Experience and Fresh Start
: After battling for the job at Ohio State in 2025 (limited to just 4 XPs in one appearance), he brings valuable Big Ten reps and camp competition experience. Now at Tulane, he’s locked in a competitive spring battle with Cooper Helmke and Zach Marini. 
• Immediate Depth and Competition in a Reloading Unit
: Tulane aggressively addressed special teams via the portal after losing Durkin. Courville arrives as a high-upside veteran with two years of eligibility left, ready to compete for the starting job and provide reliable kicking depth right away. 
In short, Jackson Courville is a smart, high-character portal pickup who brings proven production, big-leg power, and built-in chemistry with the offense to a position group that needed reinforcements. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
Dagan Bruno football player in teal helmet, number 14, during action pose with name and stats graphic.

PWO Spotlight: Dagan Bruno

By Patrick Harkness • August 20, 2026
Dagan Bruno: The Local Walk-On Made Some Noise in Tulane’s Quarterback Room during Spring Camp Dagan Bruno is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt sophomore quarterback wearing No. 14 for the Tulane Green Wave. A Preferred Walk-On from New Orleans and John Curtis Christian School, the hometown product has steadily transformed from scout-team specialist into a legitimate competitor in the quarterback room under head coach Will Hall. Bruno arrived at Tulane as a late addition to the 2024 class after a standout multi-sport career at John Curtis. As a junior in 2022, he helped lead the Patriots to a Division I Select state championship and was named the most outstanding player in the title game. In his senior season he completed over 72 percent of his passes for 1,504 yards with 13 touchdowns and just one interception while adding 527 rushing yards and eight scores. A true three-sport athlete who also excelled in basketball and baseball, Bruno maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. At Tulane he redshirted in 2024 and spent the bulk of his first two seasons running the scout-team offense, particularly the triple-option looks used by Army and Navy. His experience in John Curtis’s split-back veer made him uniquely valuable in preparing the defense. Playing time was limited, and the lack of consistent reps tested his confidence. Everything changed in spring 2026. Bruno forced his way into the conversation with accurate, decisive play. In the final spring scrimmage he went 5-of-5 for 69 yards, capping the day with a perfect 40-yard touchdown strike down the sideline to Antwaun Parham. Coach Will Hall was emphatic in his praise: “You can win with Dagan Bruno. This is not some feel-good story anymore… Dagan can play. I love his competitive spirit. He’s a tough guy, a winner and a leader.” Bruno has made it clear he wants to shed the “option quarterback” label. “A lot of people tried to push me into being the option quarterback guy,” he said. “I’m trying to break away from that a little bit and become a real quarterback that can go out there and throw the ball around, make the right checks and just do everything right.” Heading into fall camp and the 2026 season, Bruno sits in a competitive four-man race alongside Zeon Chriss-Gremillion, Kadin Semonza, and true freshman Trace Johnson. While the early days of camp have been a mixed bag for him after his strong spring, his accuracy, athleticism, toughness, and local knowledge continue to make him a valuable piece of the room. Whether he earns the starting job, serves as a key backup, or provides package plays, the John Curtis product has already proven he belongs. For a preferred walk-on who stayed home and kept working when the spotlight was elsewhere, Dagan Bruno’s rise is a classic New Orleans football story, one that Green Wave fans should watch closely. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
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