BTHO lsu
One of, if not the biggest game this century for Texas A&M football on deck
I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this is the most important game at Kyle Field for Texas A&M football since… well, at least the start of this century. Definitely since 2013 when then-#1 Alabama came to town.
Regardless, the stakes are the highest they’ve been for the Aggies in so, so long. I know higher-ranked teams have been to Kyle Field before this. But when you look at what is there to play for, this easily makes it one of, if not the, most vital games at least in the last 25 (a whoop) years.
A top-15 matchup on Saturday night, under the lights at Kyle. A raucous crowd with probably over 108,000 people set to attend. Winner goes atop the SEC and controls their own destiny not just in the conference championship race, but in the playoff race as well. The lone two unbeatens in conference play set to duke it out, with the eyes of the nation watching. Hell, even new alternate uniforms and the blackout theme.
There’s been barbs traded between the two teams and fanbases already. From an old clip of LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier saying that Kyle Field was “nothing” like LSU’s Death Valley (how’d that work out for the last guy that criticized Kyle, by the way?) to Texas A&M OL Ar’Maj Reed-Adams and LSU DL Bradyn Swinson trading barbs on Twitter, the hype and tension around this game is swelling to enormous heights.
It’s #14 Texas A&M hosting #8 LSU. It’s the most important game between these two foes in series history. It all goes down Saturday night.
Need I say more?
What to Expect
The same gameplan that the Aggies always try to implement on offense: run the damn ball. This time, especially up the middle. No Chase Bisontis hurts for this one, no doubt - the star left guard is out with a leg injury suffered last week. But there is a feeling that LSU’s run defense is vulnerable up the middle, especially ever since defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the year. Look for Le’Veon Moss to try and utilize his power in a big way up the gut.
An all-out war in the trenches. We all know how elite Texas A&M’s defensive line has been this season - it’s one of the best in the country. We all know how great the Maroon Goons have been as well, showing marked improvement throughout the board. But LSU has one of the best offensive lines in the nation, headlined by star tackle duo Will Campbell and Emery Jones. Their defensive line has played well, too. That LSU o-line/A&M d-line matchup in particular is going to be cinema. If the Aggies can get after the quarterback, that’s a really good sign for this game. The saying is always true but holds firmer in this game more than most - win the trenches, win the game. And boy, will the Aggies have to get after that on Saturday night.
A key to success for Texas A&M is winning the battle in the trenches and opening up running lanes for Le’Veon Moss (8), a battle that’s headlined by guard Ar’Maj Reed-Adams (55) after his beef on Twitter. (Randy J. Williams/AP)
A lot of exotic blitz looks to try and get pressure when Texas A&M is on defense. Mike Elko’s speciality throughout his coaching career has been dialing up creative and unique packages and pre-snap alignments to confuse opposing offenses and get to the quarterback quickly, and that will have to succeed more than ever against this LSU passing attack. The Tigers’ offensive line has given up just 2 sacks in 2024, while quarterback Garrett Nussmeier gets the ball out, on average, under 3 seconds, an insanely fast time. Thus, Elko and Jay Bateman will have to likely show some looks that haven’t been seen yet, while the defensive line and linebackers are going to have to find their way to the backfield fast.
It’s gonna be a busy night for the secondary. LSU comes to College Station with the second-best passing offense in the SEC, and they’ve got plenty of talent on that side of the ball. Thankfully, it’s a much better situation for the Aggies’ secondary this season, but the back end is really going to have to hold their own tomorrow night. They lead the conference in interceptions, which is a good sign, but tightening up on the back end will be one of the main priorities on the defensive side of the ball on Saturday.
Two similar-yet-not-similar teams in a physical, tough matchup. Everyone knows the stakes for this game - they were mentioned above. These are two teams that have had somewhat similar trajectories, losing their openers before going unbeaten since and finding their identities. For the Aggies, they are marked by their shutdown defense. In LSU’s case, they have a dynamic offense. Similar paths, but two different squads. Will be a fun clash.
I think similar to Texas A&M, LSU’s defense is going to try and throw a lot of looks at this Texas A&M offensive line from a blitzing perspective. Whether it’s different stunts or packages or combinations of personnel, the Tigers’ pass rush has been effective this year, recording 24 sacks. The Aggies have been very good at protecting their quarterbacks this season, and they’ll need to be on their A-game tomorrow night.
Kyle Field to be absolutely bonkers. Sold-out game. Hype among the fanbase is at some of the highest levels I’ve seen in college. We know how it played out with Brady Cook’s pregame comments before the Missouri contest. Now, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had some old remarks about the environment re-emerge from the depths of the internet. Combine that with LSU head coach Brian Kelly and some SEC Network analysts dismissing the 12th Man’s impact, and a lot more fuel to the fire has been added. The Tigers committed something like 8 procedural penalties in Fayetteville last week - this fanbase knows the assignment after hearing the disrespect. This is by far the most daunting and hostile environment LSU will face all season. Make their lives hell.
Who to Watch - LSU
QB Garrett Nussmeier - One of the better quarterbacks in the SEC. He’s got real arm talent and gets the ball out quickly, but can falter under pressure and can be prone to throwing interceptions. Leads the SEC in passing touchdowns (18).
TE Mason Taylor - Three-year starter for the Tigers has evolved into one of their leading receiving threats this year. Is tied for the team lead in receptions (36) alongside WR Kyren Lacy, but he’s athletic and is a nice safety blanket.
OT Will Campbell - Arguably the best offensive tackle in the country. Protects Nussmeier’s blind side and is the anchor up front for LSU’s stout o-line - will likely get the Nic Scourton matchup.
EDGE Bradyn Swinson - The former Oregon Duck has emerged as the Tigers’ best defensive lineman and has recorded 7 sacks since SEC play started. Goes against his toughest test of the year, though, in the Maroon Goons.
LB Whit Weeks - Ever since star linebacker Harold Perkins went down for the year due to injury, Weeks has been playing out of his mind for LSU’s defense. His last two games - 27 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception, and 2 pass deflections.
CB Zy Alexander - Best cornerback on that team by far. Former transfer from Southeastern Louisiana as only given up 6 receptions on 18 targets with 2 interceptions on the year.
Who to Watch - Texas A&M
WR Terry Bussey - The five-star freshman didn’t play last week as he was recovering from an injury suffered during practice, but he should be ready to go for this one. The A&M coaching staff has been trying to find him more diverse ways to get him the football, and his last healthy game was his best, recording the most receiving yards of any Aggie wideout against Missouri. Ready to see how Collin Klein will find ways to get him touches.
WR Jabre Barber - The transfer from Troy had his big breakout game last week, putting up 92 yards on 6 receptions to lead the Ags in the receiving department, and it was his coming-out party after slowly working his way back from an injury suffered in the spring to the big role he had last Saturday. His dynamism will be big against an LSU secondary that has not been particularly great this season.
OT Trey Zuhn - The offensive captain continues to rack up A&M Offensive Lineman of the Week awards from the coaching staff and has more than earned them. The best o-lineman on this team didn’t allow a pressure last week against Mississippi State (and has only allowed 7 on 213 pass-blocking snaps without having given up a sack this year), but now faces a tough task in Bradyn Swinson, LSU’s best edge-rusher.
Offensive tackle Trey Zuhn (60) has been the main anchor up front for Texas A&M’s offensive line all season, and they’ll need him at his best against a good LSU pass rush. (Texas A&M Football) DL Shemar Turner - The senior defensive tackle has had a nice year on the inside, culminating in a season-best performance versus the Bulldogs a week prior. His versatility and explosiveness will be key in cracking an LSU interior o-line that, while they don’t get as much publicity as the tackles, is still a very capable and competent trio.
LB Taurean York - It took a little bit for him to fully break out this season, but the sophomore captain looked a lot like his 2023 self in his career-best effort against Mississippi State last week, where he posted a personal-best 12 tackles. He’s now tasked with slowing one of the better offenses in the SEC, and maybe even the nation. York’s role on run defense will also be big in stopping freshman Caden Durham.
CB Will Lee - Texas A&M’s best cornerback all season will now be tasked with maybe their toughest assignment yet, leading the Aggie secondary against an LSU passing game that ranks inside the top 10 nationally. The man affectionately known as “The Blanket” is probably going to match up with receiver Kyren Lacy, the Tigers’ number one wideout, and he’ll have to set the tone at the back end for the A&M defensive backs.
What to Watch For
I think the X-factor/main question in this ball game is: What Conner Weigman are we going to get? Obviously, we all know about the good #15 can provide for this offense, as he’s surgically gashed opposing secondaries in the past, like against Missouri and in plenty of games in his first two years. However, he didn’t put together a stellar game against Mississippi State last week and versus Notre Dame in the opener. We’ve seen a lot more good than bad throughout Weigman’s career at A&M, but he’ll have to play better than he did last week for me to feel better about the Aggies’ chances. If he can be the cool-under-pressure, accurate, poised signal-caller that he’s been in the past, I’ll feel fine. He’s also got a favorable matchup - LSU’s pass defense is 104th in the nation.
The redzone battle. It’s truly a “something’s gotta give” battle - the Aggie offense is #1 in the SEC in redzone touchdown percentage throughout conference play, with 78.5% of possessions ending in touchdowns. Meanwhile, LSU’s defense has been bend-but-don’t-break inside the 20 since SEC play has started, as the Tigers only allow touchdowns on 33% of redzone trips allowed. Continuing to capitalize when the offense gets deep down the field will be absolutely massive in how this game swings. Collin Klein has historically been a master of getting redzone touchdowns from his offenses, and he’ll have to be in his bag once again to break through a tough LSU defense in that part of the field.
Can the A&M secondary prevent the big plays? Despite the secondary being miles better than last year’s, one area where the Ags have had some problems has been allowing chunk plays through the air, which LSU has been good at finding - they have 30 pass plays of 20 yards or more. Meanwhile, the Aggies have given up 14 passing plays of 20+ yards, with 7 of those being for at least 30. Texas A&M’s secondary hasn't allowed a 300-yard passer this season, but Garrett Nussmeier has exceeded that mark five times. A big way to slow down the LSU offense is to limit those over-the-top plays, so that back end of Will Lee, Dalton Brooks, Marcus Ratcliffe, and everyone else is going to have to keep everything in front of them. Big area to keep track of.
Conner Weigman will have to play a cleaner game to get the win tomorrow, but the LSU secondary presents a promising matchup for the Aggies’ signal-caller. (Good Bull Hunting)
How successful will Texas A&M and Conner Weigman be in pushing the ball deep downfield against this LSU secondary? I know I mentioned how good Zy Alexander has been this year. I have also mentioned how the Tigers rank 104th in pass defense heading into this game. If there is a glaring weakness for any team this game, it is that. Outside of Alexander, LSU’s defensive backs have given up 60 receptions on 83 targets for 849 yards and 5 touchdowns. That’s a really enticing matchup for Weigman and this steadily-improving wide receiver corps to attack. #15 has the talent to make that secondary pay this game, but they’ll have to find some big plays through the air.
Can the Aggies force Garrett Nussmeier to make some mental errors and turn the ball over? Winning the turnover battle is always key, and that heavily applies in this contest as well. Nussmeier is a gunslinger and has a talented arm, but he can be prone to making some questionable decisions at times. I feel like the Aggies are going to have to bait him into throwing at least one interception in this game as part of the recipe for success. If they can do that and avoid mistakes on the other end, that will be a huge boost to the Ags’ odds.
Can the Aggies keep being effective on third downs? Last week, a big reason why the A&M offense was able to get some long scoring drives was because of their ability to convert those key downs and keep drives alive, going 9-for-14. Meanwhile, the Ags have a pretty solid third- and fourth-down defense, only allowing conversions at a 35% clip, which is good for 34th in the country; LSU’s offense has a success rate on those downs of 49%, 13th in the nation. It’s common sense, but being able to get a good LSU offense off the field while finding ways to convert those late downs against a Tiger defense that has a success rate ranking 73rd nationally will be critical.
Which receiver is going to step up for Texas A&M in this football game? It’s been a rapidly improving position group that has seen a number of different contributors throughout the season, and it’s felt like there’s been a different dude that’s shone every week. There’s been Noah Thomas against Arkansas, Terry Bussey against Missouri, Cyrus Allen against Florida, Jabre Barber last week versus Mississippi State, even Jahdae Walker against McNeese. Eager to see who that’ll be against an LSU secondary that I feel like is the weakness of that team.
Final Prediction
I’m so nervous for this game.
This type of opportunity has been something A&M fans have been dreaming about for so long. The stakes are the highest they’ve been in so, so long. Arguably the biggest game for postseason implications at least since joining the SEC, maybe even in Kyle Field history? Could be. Regardless, the winner of this game not just goes atop the conference, but I believe has an inside track to get to the SEC Championship and even a College Football Playoff spot. The chance to control their own destiny is for the Ags’ taking.
In recent years (well, more like since 1998), Texas A&M has not positioned themselves into having a game this meaningful, this late in the season. Which is kind of sad, but whatever. Point is, this is the chance that the Aggies and the 12th Man have been patiently waiting for, one that everyone in the A&M community is chomping at the bit at to capitalize on.
I know the Notre Dame game was a letdown. But these Aggies have been getting better and better, week by week. They’ve found their identity, and it’s been steady improvement, knocking off each stigma surrounding the program.
Can’t win a road game? Dominate Florida on the road.
Wilt against a highly-ranked team on a national stage? Blow out Missouri at home.
Can’t beat the Mississippi schools? Go and beat Mississippi State on the road, in a place that has historically given A&M so much trouble.
Now, it’s time to win when the lights are brightest, and when the eyes of the nation are focused on College Station.
Mike Elko has established his culture. The team and fanbase are bought in. It’s translating to success.
But this is the toughest test yet. LSU isn’t no paper tiger. They’re also improving at a rapid pace, and they’re also riding high into this one. They’re a really talented group, and it’s going to be a rock fight. These two teams are built for it.
There are third key things for me to an A&M victory. First, win the battle in the trenches, as I mentioned before. On offense, it’s clearing holes for Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels while protecting Conner Weigman against a good LSU pass rush. On defense, it’s that elite d-line getting to the backfield no matter what, especially in the passing game.
Second - win the turnover battle. It ties into the first point - the pass rush has to get pressure on Garrett Nussmeier to cause him to make some mistakes and turn the ball over. The Aggies have to, have to force him into those scenarios. For Conner Weigman, it’s playing a much cleaner and more consistent game than he did last week. Can’t have those mistakes, because LSU is much better than Mississippi State and will make him pay. A clean game = much higher chances of winning this one.
Finally - give more effort and more strain. Sounds corny, but that’s what Mike Elko has preached to his guys more than anything else. That’s Texas A&M football - if they can impose that on this game and just give more than LSU, that can lead to good things.
It feels like everyone is doubting Texas A&M in this game. Every national media person I’ve seen so far that’s talked about this game is tending to ride with the Tigers. It feels like everyone is doubting the effect the 12th Man can have on this contest.
But something feels different about this game compared to the Notre Dame contest. While it was kind-of blind optimism being a driving force against the Irish, this team is more battle-tested, they’ve grown, and they’re just playing much better than they did in the opener. Combine that with the power of the 12th Man and the pure, electric, unbridled energy that crowd is gonna bring tomorrow and it feels like this program is ready to take that next step.
Win, and you can control everything in front of you.
Win, and you are the lone unbeaten in conference play, atop the SEC.
Win, and you have an inside track to Atlanta.
Win, and you establish yourself as a contender.
I think with the home crowd on the Aggies’ side and how much this team has grown over the duration of the season thus far, I truly believe Texas A&M can pull this one out. It’ll be very tough, and this is the type of game that A&M has loved to lose in the past, but these Ags are battle-tested, improved, and determined, and I really believe they’re up for the challenge when Saturday night hits.
Man, I can’t wait.
That’ll do it for this preview. Get ready for a war, a dogfight, whatever you want to call it. Just get ready. Get to Kyle, wear black, and be loud. Louder than you’ve ever been. It’s all on the line tomorrow night. Everything is there for the taking.
The Aggies just gotta go and grab it.
BTHO lsu.
-Sourav