Now that’s how you bounce back from a tough road loss in the Southeastern Conference.
LSU led wire-to-wire Saturday night in Tiger Stadium in a brutal 35-6 beatdown of Texas A&M, dropping the Aggies to 0-2 in SEC play.
Texas A&M dropped 49 points on LSU in Death Valley last season, and 38 points in 2024, but did not score a touchdown against the Tigers’ stout defense this time. Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed looked like Superman the last two years against LSU, bending the Tigers’ previous defensive units to his will as he ran wild up and down the field.
Reed finally met his Kryptonite on Saturday, as LSU’s defense smothered him all game. The Tigers sacked Reed four times, limited him to 106 yards passing, and most importantly, prevented Reed from beating him with his legs. Reed tallied minus 13 rushing yards, compared to 62 and three rushing touchdowns in 2024 and 108 yards and two touchdowns last season.
After suffering a second loss, the return of “Texas 8-4” is in play.
The nickname Texas 8-4 is a rhythmic parody of Texas A&M that mocks the Aggies’ history of mediocrity since joining the Southeastern Conference.
Since Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012, the Aggies have finished the regular season exactly 8-4 six times and finished 7-5 another four times. Typically, Texas A&M would start those seasons hot, winning nearly every game, then implode by mid-October, losing most of those games in conference play during the second half of the season. This is who the Aggies are, a middle of the road program despite spending insane amounts of money on coaches, and now rosters.
The Aggies were LSU’s whipping boy when the matchup resumed during the 21st century, as the Tigers won the first seven meetings from 2011-2017. The contest officially graduated to rivalry status in 2018, after the Aggies won a seven-overtime thriller that prompted the NCAA to alter the overtime rules. The home team in the rivalry won every year until 2025, when Texas A&M pummeled LSU in Baton Rouge and ended the Brian Kelly era.
Depending on how you feel about Kelly, some LSU fans probably thanked the Aggies in hindsight for that beating, which ultimately paved the way for LSU to hire Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin’s Tigers played like a team with something to prove against Texas 8-4 after losing to Ole Miss last weekend. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker has been scheming for years trying to stop Reed, and his latest unit had a defensive masterpiece against the elusive Aggie quarterback.
On the flipside, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt played his best game in purple and gold so far this season, in part, because he got injured. Leavitt suffered a right hamstring injury in second quarter against Texas A&M, forcing the rabid scrambler to remain in the pocket much longer than usual this season. As a result, Leavitt produced his best passing game of the season, completing nearly 75 percent of his passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns.
Last week, the Ole Miss defense dared Leavitt to beat him with his arm, and he could not. This week, Leavitt exhibited poise in the pocket and seemed noticeably calmer operating Kiffin’s offense.
If Leavitt can continue to strike a balance of passing and rushing efficiency once his leg heals, the sky is the limit for this LSU offense. Pair that with a nasty Tiger defense, and watch out SEC.
My favorite play of the game
It must be the fourth-down conversion touchdown. In classic Kiffin playcalling fashion, the Tigers surprised the Texas A&M defense on fourth-and-one, near midfield, opting not for a rush, but for a sneaky 57-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jackson Harris. Add in Kiffin’s sprint down the sideline and signature fist pump as the play concluded, and that deserves a massive chef’s kiss.
Looking ahead
LSU hosts McNeese State in Tiger Stadium this Saturday night, its final non-conference game before the SEC gauntlet really heats up. This is a great game to bring your young kids to because the crowd will likely be smaller, both inside and outside the stadium. Plus, you don’t have to feel guilty leaving early to beat the traffic because the Tigers should win by 50 points.