By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE — LSU had a football history with Texas A&M long before the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012.
Though the Tigers have won 8 of 11 meetings with A&M as fellow SEC West Division members, this rivalry is rarely boring because of the subplots surrounding it or how the game transpires.
There have been Heisman Trophy winners (A&M’s Johnny Manziel in 2012 and LSU’s Joe Burrow in 2019) and a coach who was almost fired after the game but wasn’t (Les Miles in 2015).
And LSU interim coach (Ed Orgeron in 2016) trying to win the game and the permanent head coaching job, a 7-overtime thriller at A&M won by the Aggies (in 2018 featuring a postgame fight between an LSU staffer and A&M coach Jimbo Fisher’s nephew) and Burrow’s emotional home finale (2019) as the eventual national champion Tigers closed the regular season 12-0.
Two years ago in 2021 in Baton Rouge, the quarterback (Max Johnson) who threw the game-winning TD pass for LSU in a 27-24 win 20 days later transferred to Texas A&M where he has started eight games in the last two injured-riddled seasons.
Saturday’s regular-season finale between the 14th-ranked Tigers (8-3 overall, 5-2 SEC West) and the unranked Aggies (7-4, 4-3 SEC West) brings some fresh storylines.
Like an 11 a.m. kickoff, the earliest ever in the 62nd game between the teams.
Like Texas A&M coached by an interim since Fisher was fired two weeks ago after six seasons of mostly mediocre records.
Like an LSU senior quarterback in his last home game, who’s now the favorite of some Las Vegas oddsmakers to win the Heisman Trophy, needing a huge performance in his last chance to impress Heisman voters.
Like the Tigers, despite their season-long defensive woes, trying to stay on track to reach their revamped goal of a second straight 10-win season under head coach Brian Kelly.
“This is about leaving a legacy and that is another opportunity to win 10 games,” Kelly said. “They have that chance to finish the season strong and this is an important game.”
Kelly said earlier this week he expected A&M, an 11-point underdog, to play hard for interim coach Elijah Robinson. Last week, Robinson got his first win as the boss man in the Aggies’ 38-10 win over Abilene Christian.
The Aggies have talent. A&M’s last four of Fisher’s last five recruiting classes ranked in the top 6 nationally according to Rivals.com, including having the nation’s No. 1 class in 2022.
Fisher’s downfall – he was 45-25 overall and 27-21 before he was fired with a record buyout of $77 million – was he never developed a consistent playmaking quarterback or could keep one healthy.
Also, A&M, as it is this season, has been top-loaded with defensive talent. The Aggies rank No. 1 nationally in tackles for loss with 94, No. 2 in sacks with 40 and No. 1 in the SEC in total defense (286.5 ypg allowed) and rushing defense (102.4 ypg allowed).
A&M has three defenders with double-digit TFL totals, led by junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (16 TFL, 7 sacks), a former Covington (La.) High star.
“There’s depth on the defensive line and physically gifted versatile athletes,” Kelly said of A&M’s defense. Cooper’s all over the field, you’ve got to know where he is. They have an aggressive defensive playcaller. They mix things up very well, especially the third down packages.”
It might be the biggest defensive challenge of the season for LSU senior quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has virtually come from nowhere to put himself on the cusp of winning the Heisman Trophy.
The Tigers rank No. 1 nationally in total offense (562.2 ypg), scoring offense (46.8) ppg, passer rating (195.98), yards per play (8.6), and plays of 20+ yards (94), 30+ yards (49), and 40+ yards (27). LSU is No. 2 in passing TDs (37), offensive TDs (67), first downs (287) and third-down conversions (63-of-111, 57 percent).
It’s all because of Daniels and his two 1,000-yard receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, a solid corps of running backs and a veteran offensive line. Daniels leads the nation in total offense (417.4), passing TDs (36), TDs responsible for (46), passer rating (208.34), and rushing yards by a QB (1,014). He’s No. 2 in passing yards (325.2).
The former Arizona State transfer, who has an 18-7 record as a starter in two seasons at LSU, has thrown for 3,577 yards and 36 TDs and rushed for 1,014 yards and 10 TDs this year. He has a chance to become the third player (joining Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Clemson’s DeShaun Watson) in NCAA FBS (Division 1 history) to pass for 4,000 and rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
“I knew I could come here and make an impact.,” Daniels said of his transfer to LSU “but not of this magnitude like being in the Heisman conversation and stuff like that. That’s not what I dreamt about.
“For me, it was trying to get a fresh start, just to make a name for myself and go out there and find the joy in football again. Just to refocus myself and rebrand who I wanted to be as a football player.”
GO FIGURE
5: Rushing TDs allowed by Texas A&M’s defense this season
8: Consecutive quarters Texas A&M’s defense hasn’t allowed an offensive touchdown
13: Straight LSU offensive possessions with a TD (not counting possessions to run out the clock at the end of the Florida and Georgia State games)
81: Plays this season gaining 20 yards or more by LSU QB Jayden Daniels
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com