Initial Thoughts: LSU

There are times when I think the concept of momentum in football is complete nonsense, but there are also times when I think it’s a very real thing.

Such a time was the end of the first half of Vanderbilt’s 41-7 loss to LSU on Saturday night. After LSU scored to go up 21-7, Vanderbilt’s Donovan Kaufman took the ensuing kickoff 58 yards to set Vanderbilt up in good position to cut into the lead. And then, after driving the ball down inside the 10, Pierson Cooke missed a 22-yard field goal on fourth down and goal.

Obviously we’ll never know how the second half would have played out had Vanderbilt gone into the half down 21-14, but as it actually happened, Vanderbilt fell apart in the second half as LSU rolled to what became an easy win over the Commodores. Ken Seals, 10-of-15 for 96 yards and a touchdown in the first half, finished the game 11-of-25 for 113 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

There isn’t really a whole lot else to say about a complete second-half collapse like that. I’ll have more thoughts on this in the morning, but I would have enjoyed a root canal more than the second half of that game.