LSU gets Texas A&M at a time when both teams are trying to steady themselves, and the matchup may come down to whether the Tigers can keep a handful of Aggies from taking over the game.
The most important name on that list is quarterback Marcel Reed. He is the clear headliner, and LSU has already seen what he can do against them.
Reed had his breakout moment against the Tigers in 2023, then helped Texas A&M beat LSU in each of the last two meetings, including last year’s game in Baton Rouge. He has not opened this season cleanly, but the talent is still obvious.
Reed is a real threat as a runner, and Blake Baker has now spent two years studying the tape of him slicing through the defense. LSU’s front seven is more athletic now than it has been in that stretch, so this is a telling test for the Tigers.
Reed also has plenty of arm talent, but the numbers through the air have been uneven, with completion under 60% and three interceptions.
Texas A&M also brings a corner LSU will have to account for in Julio Humphrey. He has been excellent in coverage this season, and that matters because LSU has been inconsistent throwing the ball, especially when it attacks the boundary.
Humphrey has been targeted 10 times, given up just five catches, and one of those completions went for 53 yards. He has added two pass breakups and an interception, and the fifth-year player has settled into his biggest role after starting his career with the Georgia Bulldogs.
Mario Craver is another problem LSU has to solve. He has become Reed’s top target and safety blanket, and that was on full display in last week’s loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, when Craver caught 11 passes and no one else on the team had more than two.
He can hit big plays, and even though he lines up outside, much of his damage comes between the numbers. If LSU can take him away, Texas A&M may have to lean on someone else to make the offense go.
The final name is defensive end Anto Saka, a rotational pass-rush piece who is still chasing his breakout game after transferring from the Northwestern Wildcats this offseason. His pressure rate has dipped from a career mark of 16% to 6.3% this year, with two pressures on 32 attempts, according to PFF. That gives LSU’s shaky offensive line, especially on the right side, a chance to feel some heat if Saka can finally get going.
In Other News...
LSU's Offense Just Raised A Bigger Sam Leavitt Concern
LSUs offense took a needed step forward on the ground against Ole Miss, piling up 172 rushing yards and getting a strong day from Dilin Jones, who ran for 106 of them. Even with that improvement, the passing game still left plenty to sort through, and the overall balance of the offense did not fully erase the concerns that have hovered around Sam Leavitt since the start of the stretch.
Leavitt finished 16 of 27 for 158 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while adding 63 rushing yards and another score on the ground. Lane Kiffin pointed to missed chances through the air, said some of the issues were tied to Leavitt missing practice, and stressed that the offense has to protect better and execute cleaner moving forward, which makes the next step for the passing game an important one for LSU. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Turns LSU Loss Into Bigger SEC Scheduling Frustration
Lane Kiffin spent part of his first SEC teleconference back in the LSU spotlight talking less about the loss itself and more about the setting around it. After Ole Miss beat LSU in Oxford in Week 3, Kiffin pointed to the fact that the game was played there for the second straight year, framing it as more than just an inconvenience for the Tigers and more like a scheduling issue with real competitive weight.
For LSU, the complaint lands in a familiar place because Oxford has long been one of the leagues tougher road environments, and Kiffin noted the home-field edge and crowd noise as factors that hurt his team. The bigger frustration now is not just what happened in the game, but how the setup kept LSU in the same uncomfortable spot twice in a row, leaving the scheduling conversation hanging over an otherwise straightforward result. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Gets A Telling Warning From Mike Elko Before SEC Showdown
With LSU heading into another SEC test, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko offered a useful scouting lens on what his defense expects to see when the Tigers line up across from them. Elko pointed to LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt as a competitive, physical presence, the kind of player who can shape a game by staying tough through contact and keeping plays alive.
Elko also touched on how little direct exposure he has had to Lane Kiffins offense, even while making clear he respects what Kiffin has built over the years. For LSU, that combination matters because it frames this matchup as more than a simple talent check. It is also a chess match against a coach who likes what he sees from the Tigers quarterback and knows enough about Kiffin to understand how much discipline this game could demand. [Read more 🡒]