LSU’s defense walked out of Oxford with a clearer problem than the final score suggested.
The Tigers did recover from a rough opening against Ole Miss. They pressured Trinidad Chambliss, picked him off, sacked him for a 20-yard loss and blanked the Rebels in the third quarter while clawing back from a 17-point hole. But that late surge did not erase what happened before halftime, when Ole Miss rolled up 289 yards and Chambliss completed all eight of his third-down throws while LSU struggled to finish plays and get off the field.
That matters because Texas A&M is next, and Marcel Reed has already made LSU pay twice.
In 2024, Reed came off the bench in the third quarter with the Aggies trailing 17-7 and took over the game. He ran nine times for 62 yards and three touchdowns, completed both of his passes for 70 yards and helped turn that night into a 38-23 Texas A&M win.
Last season in Tiger Stadium, Reed was even more damaging from the start. He rushed 13 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including a 41-yard scoring run, and added 202 passing yards and two more scores in a 49-25 Texas A&M victory. LSU did intercept him twice, but Reed still finished with 310 yards of total offense and four touchdowns.
Across those two games, Reed has rushed for 170 yards and five touchdowns against LSU’s defense. Texas A&M has won those matchups by a combined 39 points.
Reed’s passing remains a question. Kentucky made him look ordinary on Saturday in Texas A&M’s 31-21 home loss, holding him to 26 completions on 49 attempts for 236 yards, with two interceptions.
But even in that game, his legs were still a problem. He had managed only 37 rushing yards on 14 carries through the Aggies’ first two games, then ran for 80 yards and a touchdown against Kentucky to push his season total to 117 yards on 24 carries.
That leaves LSU with a familiar challenge and no easy fix. Blake Baker’s defense has to pressure Reed without giving him the escape routes he has already used to hurt the Tigers.
The rush has to stay tight. The linebackers have to sort out the run and quarterback responsibilities quickly.
The secondary has to hold up when Reed extends plays.
LSU can’t sit back and hope to absorb him, and it can’t overcommit and let him slip free.
There’s also a new wrinkle on defense. Dashawn Spears tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee against Ole Miss and is out for the rest of the season.
That loss stings anywhere, but it hits especially hard against Texas A&M because the STAR spot is built for exactly the kind of stress Reed creates. The STAR has to cover the slot, support the run, tackle in space and handle the quarterback when the play breaks down.
Spears had been one of LSU’s most reliable pieces in that role. After he went down, Tamarcus Cooley moved to STAR and Jhase Thomas replaced Cooley at safety, so the Tigers changed two spots in the secondary, not just one.
Texas A&M is 2-1, coming off a home loss to an unranked opponent, and Reed is still not the kind of passer who should terrify an elite defense. Kentucky showed that much. But LSU has already seen what happens when Reed gets loose, and that history hangs over this matchup.
Clemson and Louisiana Tech let LSU play with a lead and validate the early buzz around the defense. Ole Miss exposed how much work is still left. Texas A&M will now test whether LSU’s second-half adjustment in Oxford was a real answer, or just a temporary fix.
In Other News...
LSUs Quarterback Situation Just Got Dragged Into A New Controversy
LSUs quarterback room has already carried plenty of weight this season, and now Sam Leavitts move to Baton Rouge has been pulled into a very different kind of spotlight. The Tigers loss to Ole Miss was the backdrop, but the noise afterward centered on social media attention around an account believed to be linked to Leavitts father, Jared Leavitt, a former BYU linebacker.
The posts drew controversy for comments about Muslims, and they quickly became part of the conversation around LSUs quarterback situation. As of now, LSU has not issued a statement about the social media posts, and there has been no apology from the account, leaving another off-field issue hanging over a team trying to settle things on the field. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Had Plenty To Say About This Ole Miss Sideshow
The LSU-Ole Miss matchup had plenty of on-field intrigue, but a separate social media subplot quickly grabbed attention around the game. A fan seated next to Barstools Ben Mintz was identified online as Hannah Minch, an Ole Miss supporter who already had a sizable following, and her appearance in the seats turned into one of those viral side stories that can travel fast during a big SEC weekend.
For LSU fans, it was another reminder of how much the conversation around this rivalry now spills well beyond the stadium. Minchs profile surged after the moment spread, while Lane Kiffin added his own layer to the night by speaking about the emotional closure he felt connected to his Ole Miss past and his current LSU role. It left plenty for both fan bases to debate long after the game itself faded from view. [Read more 🡒]
Trinidad Chambliss Had A Message LSU Fans Wont Like
Ole Miss left Baton Rouge with a 32-24 win, and Trinidad Chambliss made sure the tone afterward matched the result. The Rebels quarterback was sharp from the start, finishing 33 of 48 for 363 yards and two touchdowns, and his play helped Ole Miss build a 24-7 lead by halftime before LSU tightened things up in the second half.
Chambliss also had a message for anyone still sizing up the Rebels after the game. He said Ole Miss is here to compete, a confidence that fit the way he played when the pressure was at its highest. For LSU, it was the kind of loss that leaves a sting because the early deficit made the comeback chase so difficult, and because the opposing quarterback sounded anything but surprised by the stage. [Read more 🡒]