Texas A&M went into Baton Rouge needing a response and walked out with another harsh reminder of where things stand. No.
10 LSU rolled to a 35-6 win over the No. 23 Aggies on Saturday inside Tiger Stadium, and the result left Texas A&M at 2-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play.
The game never really settled in for the Aggies. They managed only one decent offensive drive all night, and even that possession ended with a 24-yard field goal on fourth-and-goal. By halftime, A&M had produced just one notable explosive play - Reuben Owens’ 16-yard run - while also giving up seven plays of 15 yards or more.
LSU, meanwhile, did enough early to keep the pressure on and then stretched the game out as the tackling issues piled up for Texas A&M. The Tigers’ first touchdown came on their only non-punt drive among the opening seven combined possessions, an 81-yard march in eight plays. After that, the Aggies spent much of the night trying to keep pace and failing to find any real offensive rhythm.
If there was one bright spot, it was punter Tyler White. That says plenty about how the evening went.
The senior averaged 51.9 yards per punt and placed three kicks inside the 20. Kicker David Olano, an Illinois transfer, supplied the rest of the Aggies’ scoring with a 24-yard field goal and a 53-yarder to keep A&M from being shut out.
The backbreaker came late in the third quarter. With 10:57 left in the period, LSU faced fourth-and-1 at its own 43-yard line and converted in a big way. Sam Leavitt hit Jackson Harris on a short pass, and Harris turned it into a 57-yard touchdown to push the Tigers ahead 21-3.
The quarterback situation is only getting louder now. The source material makes clear that the offensive scheme is not the issue, but Marcel Reed’s decision-making is hurting the offense on third down and in extended drives.
Reed has drawn praise for his growth, but his play over the last three games has become enough to force a hard look. Backup Brady Hart got the final A&M drive and threw an interception on his lone pass attempt.
Texas A&M now turns to Arkansas next week at Kyle Field, and that game will say plenty about what the rest of the season looks like. With Missouri, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas still on the schedule, the path back into the College Football Playoff picture is essentially gone unless the Aggies somehow run the table. The bigger question now is whether Coach Elko starts looking at backups and depth to shape the future of the program.
In Other News...
Johnny Manziel Just Said What Texas A&M Fans Are Fearing
Johnny Manziels postgame criticism landed with the kind of force only a former Texas A&M star can bring. After the loss to LSU, he took to social media to question what the Aggies are doing right now, and the reaction was not hard to understand. The offense has struggled to find rhythm, the defense has had its own issues, and the overall look has been of a team still searching for something steady to hang onto in SEC play.
For Aggies fans, the uncomfortable part is that the problems do not seem isolated to one side of the ball. Coaching, cohesion and the lack of a clear offensive identity have all become part of the conversation, with the running game looking like one area that could help set a tone if it ever gets going. Until then, the concern Manziel voiced is the same one hovering over the program: the season feels like it needs a reset, and there is no obvious sign yet of where that comes from. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Craver Is Giving Texas A&M Fans A New Reason To Vent
Texas A&Ms rocky start has already left Aggies fans looking for answers after two straight losses erased the momentum of a 2-0 opening, and now receiver Mario Craver has given them another topic to grumble about. The latest frustration came off the field, where Craver drew criticism on social media after liking Instagram photos of Peyton Blomquist, the Florida Gators fan who went viral during Floridas win over Ole Miss.
For a fan base already uneasy about the direction of the season, the timing could hardly be worse. Even a small social media gesture can become a talking point when a team is trying to steady itself, and Cravers online activity landed in the middle of a week when Texas A&M supporters were already searching for reasons to feel better about a 2-2 start. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Fans Wont Love What Elko Is Facing After LSU Loss
A rough night in Baton Rouge left Texas A&M searching for answers after a 35-6 loss to LSU dropped the Aggies to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play. The offense never found much rhythm, the defense spent too much time on its heels, and the kind of complementary football Mike Elko has been trying to build was nowhere to be found.
Marcel Reeds uneven performance only added to the frustration, but Elko said he is not changing the starting quarterback for now. For a fan base already uneasy about the early conference skid, the bigger concern may be how many areas need fixing at once, from protection and execution on offense to a defense that could not generate pressure or keep LSU from piling up passing yards. [Read more 🡒]