A week after a difficult road loss at Ole Miss, LSU returned to Tiger Stadium with something to prove.
The No. 10 Tigers did exactly that.
LSU dominated No. 23 Texas A&M from start to finish Saturday night, cruising to a 35-6 victory in front of a packed Tiger Stadium. The Tigers controlled the line of scrimmage, created explosive plays through the air and completely disrupted an Aggie offense that struggled to find any rhythm.
Here are three takeaways from LSU’s statement win.
1. LSU’s offense found its rhythm
The biggest question entering Saturday night was how LSU’s offense would respond after the Tigers’ loss at Ole Miss.
The answer came quickly.
LSU opened the scoring on an 82-yard drive in the first quarter, with running back Dilin Jones finishing the possession with a 1-yard touchdown run. Jones also provided one of the drive’s biggest plays, breaking loose for a 36-yard run that helped LSU establish its ground game early.
The Tigers continued to build on that momentum as the game progressed.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt turned in his most productive passing performance of the season, completing 17 of 23 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns. He consistently attacked Texas A&M downfield, helping LSU finish with 506 total yards and an impressive 7.7 yards per play.
Jackson Harris was the biggest beneficiary.
Harris caught six passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, including a 16-yard score late in the first half that gave LSU a 14-3 advantage. His biggest play came early in the third quarter when LSU faced fourth-and-1 from its own 43-yard line.
Instead of punting, coach Lane Kiffin trusted his offense.
Leavitt found Harris wide open down the middle of the field for a 57-yard touchdown, extending LSU’s lead to 21-3. The play was one of the defining moments of the game and showed the type of aggressive approach Kiffin wants his offense to have.
Even after Leavitt dealt with a hamstring issue, LSU’s offense continued to produce. Backup Landen Clark added two rushing touchdowns in the second half, allowing the Tigers to continue putting points on the board without needing to rely solely on the passing game.
2. LSU’s defense completely changed the game
If the offense provided the highlights, LSU’s defense provided the foundation.
The Tigers held Texas A&M to just 197 total yards, including only 91 rushing yards. More importantly, LSU consistently kept Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed from becoming a factor with his legs.
Reed entered the game having caused problems for LSU in previous meetings, but the Tigers’ defensive plan was noticeably different Saturday night. LSU pressured him throughout the game, sacking him four times and holding him to 106 passing yards.
Princewill Umanmielen continued his strong start to the season with another disruptive performance, including a third-quarter sack that helped stop an Aggie drive. Safety Tamarcus Cooley also intercepted Reed in the fourth quarter.
The defensive performance was particularly significant considering what happened in last year’s meeting. Reed accounted for four touchdowns in Texas A&M’s 49-25 win in Baton Rouge, including 108 rushing yards.
This time, LSU never allowed him to find that same rhythm.
The Aggies reached the LSU 6-yard line during an eight-minute drive in the second quarter but had to settle for a field goal. LSU’s defense repeatedly forced Texas A&M to settle for three points or give the ball back entirely.
That defensive consistency allowed LSU’s offense to play aggressively without constantly having to answer Texas A&M scores.
3. LSU showed it could control a game from beginning to end
Perhaps the most important takeaway was the way LSU finished.
After Texas A&M cut the lead to 7-3 in the second quarter, LSU answered with an 83-yard touchdown drive before halftime. Then the Tigers came out of the locker room and immediately forced a three-and-out.
From there, the game belonged to LSU.
The Tigers scored three touchdowns in the second half and never allowed Texas A&M to seriously threaten the lead. After Harris’ 57-yard touchdown made it 21-3, LSU’s defense forced another turnover on downs before Clark added a rushing touchdown.
LSU then put together another 75-yard touchdown drive, with Clark scoring his second touchdown of the night to make it 35-6.
The Tigers finished with 194 rushing yards, 312 passing yards and 30:13 of possession. Texas A&M managed just 3.3 yards per play compared with LSU’s 7.7.
For LSU, the win was more than simply another victory.
After leaving Oxford with a loss the previous week, the Tigers responded with a complete performance against a ranked SEC opponent. LSU controlled the trenches, created explosive plays, forced turnovers and finished drives.
Now 3-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play, LSU will turn its attention to McNeese next Saturday before the SEC schedule continues.
