LSU’s defense has spent the season looking like a wall. Through three games, the Tigers have piled up the kind of numbers that usually belong to a team that is smothering people at every level: No. 13 in total defense, No. 6 in tackles for loss, No. 1 in sacks and No. 1 in the country against the run.
That last number jumps off the page. LSU has given up just 99 rushing yards on 82 carries so far, and no opponent has been able to lean on the ground game for long. The pressure up front has been a huge part of that, especially after the Ole Miss game showed how disruptive it can be when LSU gets into an offense early and forces hurried decisions.
But Texas A&M is bringing something LSU hasn’t really had to deal with yet.
Marcel Reed is not just a quarterback who can run. He’s a quarterback who can turn a busted play into a chunk gain before the defense realizes what’s happening. That’s the wrinkle LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker has to solve on Saturday, and it’s one he knows well.
Texas A&M is averaging 171.7 rushing yards per game, but the bigger issue for LSU is Reed himself. Against Kentucky, he led the Aggies with 80 rushing yards, mixing designed runs with scrambles that kept drives alive and changed the feel of the game.
LSU’s answer will start the way it usually does: pressure. The Tigers are expected to try to disrupt Reed’s timing as a passer and force him off schedule.
But that alone won’t be enough. LSU has to stay disciplined, keep contain, and never lose sight of the quarterback.
The traditional run game, at least, doesn’t look like the part LSU should fear most. The Tigers just shut down one of the country’s best running backs last week. The real problem is Reed’s ability to extend plays and punish any lapse in coverage once he breaks free.
Baker’s defenses have had trouble with that before. In the last two meetings, Reed rushed for 170 yards and five touchdowns against his teams.
Lane Kiffin said LSU understands the difference here.
“I think we lead the country in rush defense, but that hasn’t been against a ton of quarterback-schemed runs,” Kiffin said. “So, that’s a different set of challenges.”
For LSU, the secondary will be just as important as the front seven. If Reed escapes the pocket, the defensive backs can’t freelanced their way out of their assignments in a panic to get to him. One player vacating his area is all Reed needs to find a window.
Ty Benefield said the Tigers know the discipline has to be there.
“Stay disciplined in coverage; don’t be too greedy," Benefield said. "He’s going to test your rules.”
That’s the job in front of LSU now: keep Reed from turning broken plays into explosive ones, and the Tigers’ top-ranked run defense can keep its perfect reputation intact.
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