10 Things We Learned From Texas A&M’s Big Win Over LSU

10. Are LSU's Playoff Hopes Extinguished?

The LSU Tigers have two losses and are entering a bye week with a 6-2 record. Their hopes to make the SEC Championship Game took a significant hit with the loss to Texas A&M, but are their playoff hopes dead as well? The Tigers have a loss to mediocre USC and then at Texas A&M in convincing fashion. They also have a win at South Carolina and in overtime at home over Ole Miss, plus a blowout win at Arkansas. There is not much meat on that bone yet, and one more loss would eliminate them from consideration. If LSU beats Alabama on November 9 (thus knocking the Tide out entirely), won at Florida, and then beat Vanderbilt and Oklahoma to finish 10-2, they should still be in contention, but there is now zero margin for error.

2024 CFB Playoff Odds: LSU +220

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.

2. Running For the Win

Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein wants a balanced attack, but when the ground game was rolling, the Aggies leaned on their strength and rode a balanced rushing attack to victory. Texas A&M got 91 yards from Amari Daniels (7.6 yards per carry), 83 yards from Le’Veon Moss (5.9 yards per rush and two touchdowns), 62 yards and three scores from quarterback Marcel Reed and ten yards on two carries from Terry Bussey. That added up to 245 yards on 46 carries for an average of 5.3 yards per rush and five rushing touchdowns. Once it got rolling in the second half, LSU’s improved defense had no answer.

3. Marcel Reed's Big 2nd Half

With the Texas A&M Aggies trailing by ten points in the third quarter, backup quarterback Marcel Reed was put into the game by Mike Elko. Conner Weigman had, to put it charitably, struggled. He was 6/18 for only 64 yards and had -14 rushing yards. The offense needed a jolt, and Elko asked Reed to provide it. It did not take long for the game to flip. Reed quickly found the end zone on a designed run, and the entire atmosphere at Kyle Field changed. It was a palpable shift, even on television. He ended up with 70 yards on two completions plus three rushing touchdowns, and Texas A&M’s defense took care of the rest.

SEC Championship Odds: Texas A&M +460

4. Turnovers to Touchdowns

The first half belonged to LSU, but the second half flipped Texas A&M’s way because of two things: the Aggies' running game and LSU's turnovers, which Texas A&M turned into points. LSU’s lack of running game put increasing pressure on Garrett Nussmeier, who threw a trio of second-half interceptions. Those three turnovers turned into 17 points by the Texas A&M Aggies, and they were the deciding factor in this contest.

5. Mike Elko's Rising Stock

The hiring of Mike Elko went under the radar as SEC and college football fans largely focused on Alabama’s vacancy and subsequent hiring of Kalen DeBoer. DeBoer is a terrific coach, as evidenced by his winning at various stops and levels of the sport. Elko will not take a backseat to anyone and has quickly established Texas A&M as a real force in the SEC. Texas A&M has access to talent and the resources to match nearly anyone in the country and pushed all the right buttons on Saturday evening. Moving from Weigman to Reed worked wonderfully at the time, and the defensive pressure they could apply after making LSU one-dimensional had Elko’s defensive fingerprints all over it. Elko is a great coach, and Texas A&M will be a tough out for as long as he is there.

6. Garrett Nussmeier's Eventful Day

Looking at Garrett Nussmeier's stat line is an interesting exercise. The LSU quarterback had 25 completions for 405 yards through the air and two touchdowns. Texas A&M took away the middle of the field and forced the Tigers to work on the margins. For the most part, LSU found success there and had big play after big play. Aaron Anderson had 126 yards, Kyren Lacy had five catches for 106 yards, and Caden Durham had 56 yards on screen receptions. However, Nussmeier was forced to throw the ball 50 times and had three critical second-half interceptions, and those turnovers eventually decided the game. Throwing for 405 yards is incredible, but it ultimately felt a little empty as LSU fell to 6-2.

7. Big Day for Pass-Catchers

As mentioned, Texas A&M planned to remove the middle of the field and force LSU to throw the ball to the outside. Aaron Anderson and Kyren Lacy stepped up and consistently made big plays to keep LSU ahead in the first half and alive in the contest into the fourth quarter. Anderson had a 76-yard reception and a touchdown, and Lacy was terrific in the first half and ended up with 106 yards and multiple 20+-yard receptions. The Tigers only scored 23 points, but it was not because of a lack of plays by the receivers.

8. Run Over

LSU’s improved defense was humming in the first half. Texas A&M only had seven points and limited Conner Weigman to six completions for 64 yards. Everything changed when Marcel Reed was put into the game, and it was clear the Tigers had no plan for the running game with the electric backup quarterback. Amari Daniels and Le’Veon Moss went wild, running for over 80 yards and at least 5.9 yards per carry. Reed had 62 yards on his own and was a significant threat in the red zone with three rushing touchdowns. LSU has improved on defense but took a big step backward on Saturday night in College Station.

9. Lack of Running Game Haunts LSU Again

Garrett Nussmeier had to throw 50 passes, and the LSU Tigers were, once again, one-dimensional on offense. In their last outing, Caden Durham had a terrific game at Arkansas, and it felt like the LSU offense had figured out some balance on offense. Saturday night in College Station was a significant step backward, as Josh Williams had 23 yards, and Caden Durham only had 15 yards on 11 carries. In total, they had 35 yards with just 1.6 yards per rush. Having a complete lack of balance is a significant hindrance for the LSU Tigers, and despite having a pair of future NFL tackles, they just cannot consistently run the ball.

10. Are LSU's Playoff Hopes Extinguished?

The LSU Tigers have two losses and are entering a bye week with a 6-2 record. Their hopes to make the SEC Championship Game took a significant hit with the loss to Texas A&M, but are their playoff hopes dead as well? The Tigers have a loss to mediocre USC and then at Texas A&M in convincing fashion. They also have a win at South Carolina and in overtime at home over Ole Miss, plus a blowout win at Arkansas. There is not much meat on that bone yet, and one more loss would eliminate them from consideration. If LSU beats Alabama on November 9 (thus knocking the Tide out entirely), won at Florida, and then beat Vanderbilt and Oklahoma to finish 10-2, they should still be in contention, but there is now zero margin for error.

2024 CFB Playoff Odds: LSU +220

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.