Preview and Predictions: LSU Football vs. Vanderbilt Commodores in Week 13

Brian Kelly and Co. look to get back on track on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, attempt to avoid four-game losing skid.

Courtesy of LSU Football.

The LSU Tigers (6-4, 3-3) will square off the against Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday night in Death Valley with kickoff set for 6:45 p.m. CT.

Brian Kelly and Co. will look to avoid a four-game losing streak after dropping consecutive contests to Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida.

It's must-win territory for the Bayou Bengals in order to end the season on the right foot with Diego Pavia and the Commodores looking to spoil their chances.

"Everybody is working and putting in the time and the head coach has to be part of that as well. Whether it’s a business or football coaching, you can’t sit there and say it’s the coordinators. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the success of his football team and we’re not successful these last three weeks. You got to get involved," Kelly said last Saturday in Gainesville.

"Obviously, I wasn’t good enough [in Week 12]. We’re going to go back to work and look at the things we need to get better at. We’re going to keep swinging. We’re going to have 22 guys out there that are going to fight for LSU and play hard these last two weeks at home.”

Now, LSU is inching closer to Saturday night in Death Valley with a chance to get back in the win column.

A look into the game information, three Tigers to watch and a score prediction for Week 13:

The Game Information: LSU Tigers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

• Time: 6:45 PM CT
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
• Venue: Tiger Stadium
• TV Channel: SEC Network

The Current Betting Lines: LSU Tigers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

*(All odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook)*

Spread:
- LSU: (-7.5)
- Vanderbilt: (+7.5)

Moneyline:
- LSU: (-285)
- Vanderbilt: (+230)

Over/Under: 53.5

The LSU Tigers are currently a 7.5-point favorite heading into the Week 13 clash. A line that hovered around the nine-point mark a week ago, Vegas is still leaning towards the Tigers as the favorites on Saturday night.

Three Tigers to Watch: Week 13 Edition

Kyren Lacy: Wide Receiver

LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy has proven to be one of Garrett Nussmeier's top weapons on offense this season, but inconsistency has plagued the Tigers' WR1 as of late.

In Week 12, Lacy was targeted several times, but ended the night with only three receptions for 49 yards in a loss at Florida.

Now, he'll look to flip the script and come out swinging on Saturday night against the Vanderbilt Commodores with an opportunity to bounce back.

Lacy is up to 49 receptions for 740 yards and seven touchdowns on the year, but in order for LSU to snap its three-game losing skid, he'll have to remain consistent in order for the offense to click.

Look for Lacy to have a bounce back game in Death Valley this weekend in order to propel LSU to a win over the Commodores.

Whit Weeks: Linebacker

LSU linebacker Whit Weeks is another player who has had a challenging stretch of games over the last few weeks.

Last weekend in Gainesville, Weeks ended the night as LSU's lowest-graded player with a 35.9 PFF grade. Despite leading the team in tackles this season, it's been an inconsistent stretch for Weeks.

Expect that sluggish run to end this weekend against Vanderbilt.

LSU's defense has had trouble slowing down mobile quarterbacks this season, and with Diego Pavia at the helm for the Commodores, he presents another unique challenge.

Can Weeks and Co. contain Pavia this weekend in Tiger Stadium?

All eyes will be on the sophomore linebacker who has continued holding down the second-level of the defense this season alongside Greg Penn III.

Bradyn Swinson: Defensive End

LSU defensive end Bradyn Swinson has been the Tigers' most impactful player on defense this season.

He's up to 47 total tackles on the year with eight sacks and a pair of forced fumbles to go with it.

Swinson was shot out of a cannon to start the season for LSU while being well on his way to becoming an SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but his numbers have declined during LSU's losing streak.

The veteran edge rusher was sidelined for the first quarter of last Saturday's contest against Florida due to disciplinary reasons, but his impact was felt upon taking the field in the second frame.

Swinson has proven to be effective for the Tigers when needed and his presence must be felt on Saturday night in Death Valley in order for LSU to snap the losing skid.

Look for Lacy, Weeks and Swinson to be three players who elevate the Bayou Bengals this weekend.

The Prediction: LSU Tigers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and the Tigers have struggled offensively down the stretch this season with the playcalling becoming one-dimensional.

There's been a lack of success in the rushing attack, which has made LSU fall back on Nussmeier's arm to carry significant weight in the passing game.

The Bayou Bengals averaged a whopping 36.5 points per game during their winning streak earlier this year, but over the course of the last three games, the script has been flipped.

LSU has managed only 17.3 points per game over the last three contests against Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida. It's been a flat out brutal stretch offensively.

Over the past three games, the Tigers rank 92nd in sacks per dropback (7.1%), 113th in turnover rate (3.0%), 120th in success rate (35.5%) and 122nd in percentage of plays gaining zero or negative yards (39.0%). All statistics according to ESPN.

The average air yards per completion: 3.3 (100th) - which has crushed the explosive play ability of the LSU offense.

Pair LSU's offensive struggles with Vanderbilt dual-threat quarterback Diego Pavia coming to town, and it's a recipe for disaster on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.

Pavia leads the Commodores in passing yards and rushing yards (628) on the season on his way to becoming one of the more effective mobile signal-callers in the Southeastern Conference.

Despite offensive woes and Pavia's legs looking to do damage, LSU's personnel is that much better than Vanderbilt. LSU is a 7.5-point favorite and will likely get the victory, but LSU Tigers On SI believes Vanderbilt can cover.

Score Prediction: LSU 31, Vanderbilt 27

Look for LSU to escape in a close one with the Tigers getting back on track in a 31-27 victory in Death Valley.

LSU will return to action on Saturday night against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Tiger Stadium with kickoff set for 6:45 p.m. CT.

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