Photo by Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports/Reuters; logos via sportslogos.net
#10 LSU defeated #23 Texas A&M 35-6 on Saturday night in Death Valley. With the win, LSU improved to 3-1 on the year and 1-1 in SEC play.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Texas A&M won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. The Aggies’ special teams sent the kickoff through the back of the end zone, setting Sam Leavitt and the Tigers up at their 25-yard line for the first drive of the game. LSU went three-and-out after Winnie Watkins dropped a pass on a slant route that would have been a first down.
Texas A&M started at its own 30-yard line. Marcel Reed immediately hit the LSU defense with his legs for a 12-yard gain, but the Tigers’ defense settled in on the next set of downs and sent the Aggies to the sidelines.
On the next drive, Leavitt found Eugene Wilson III on a slant over the middle for a 19-yard gain. On the following play, Dilin Jones broke through the A&M defense and rattled off a 36-yard run, breaking several tackles along the way. A few plays later, Jones took a direct snap at the goal line and punched it in for the first score of the game.
The Aggies struggled on their next drive. An ineligible receiver penalty negated a big gain, and the Tigers’ defense held firm on the next two plays, forcing a punt.
On the Tigers’ next drive, it looked like Leavitt would pick up another first down with his legs, but a video review showed he had started his slide too early, resulting in a fourth down.
LSU led Texas A&M 7-0 after one quarter.
A&M started the second quarter with the ball and drove all the way to the LSU 6-yard line. On third-and-goal, Reed overthrew Aaron Gregory in the corner of the end zone, forcing the Aggies to settle for a field goal.
LSU got back on the board in the second quarter on a drive powered by the passing game. On third down, Leavitt hit Watkins for a 35-yard gain. A few plays later, the pair connected again for 36 yards. Leavitt then found Jackson Harris in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown, capping a six-play, 83-yard drive.
A&M got the ball back with under two minutes remaining in the half.
LSU’s defense held the Aggies in check. With under 45 seconds left, Deuce Geralds sacked Reed for a loss of seven yards, and A&M opted to head to the locker room rather than attempt another play. LSU led 14-3.
The first half was a defensive showcase, with LSU holding the advantage. The Tigers held Reed to just 75 passing yards and, more importantly, only 13 yards on the ground.
A&M started the third quarter with the ball. A run, an incomplete pass and a Tamarcus Cooley sack for an 11-yard loss ended the Aggies’ drive shortly after.
LSU got the ball back and faced fourth-and-1 from its own 43-yard line. Lane Kiffin kept the offense on the field and dialed up some trickery. Leavitt faked the handoff to Jones, stalled for a second, then found a wide-open Harris for a 57-yard touchdown.
A&M got the ball back but stalled out again. Desperate to get the offense going, Mike Elko elected to go for it on his own 34-yard line. The LSU defense met Carsyn Baker in the hole and stopped him, forcing a turnover on downs.
The downside to what was an impressive stop was that senior linebacker Whit Weeks limped off the field and went straight to the injury tent.
The LSU offense immediately got back to work. Leavitt found Harris for what looked like his third touchdown of the night, but an ineligible receiver downfield penalty on William Satterwhite negated the play.
Later in the drive, Leavitt limped off the field, bringing Landen Clark in at quarterback. On his first play, Clark ran it in from four yards out for a touchdown, giving LSU a 28-3 lead.
Clark stayed in for Leavitt on the next drive. On the first play, he was intercepted by Marcus Ratcliffe at the LSU 40-yard line.
The A&M offense couldn’t get anything going and went three-and-out, settling for a 53-yard field goal.
On the next drive, Leavitt checked back in and connected with Harris once more, this time for a 40-yard gain. Once the Tigers got inside the 10-yard line, Clark came back in and ran it in for his second rushing touchdown of the night.
At the end of the third quarter, LSU led Texas A&M 35-6.
Reed started the fourth quarter by throwing an interception to Cooley, giving LSU the ball at the A&M 19-yard line.
LSU squandered the opportunity to add to the lead and had to settle for a 24-yard field goal attempt, which missed.
A few more drives came and went, but the score held, sealing a big win for LSU.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jackson Harris
Harris had a fantastic game, hauling in six catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns. His longest of the night was a 57-yard touchdown reception on fourth-and-1. He torched the Aggies’ secondary all night.
BIG NUMBER: 197
The LSU defense held Texas A&M to just 197 total yards on the night. The Tigers finally overcame the running-quarterback threat that had given them trouble so many times over the past few seasons. Reed finished with negative 13 rushing yards, while the Aggies managed just 91 yards on the ground. Through the air, it wasn’t much better. Reed went 10-of-26 for 106 yards and an interception.
UP NEXT: LSU will be back in action on Saturday, October 3rd, at home against the McNeese Cowboys. Kickoff is at 6:45 PM with pregame starting at 4:45 PM, and you can listen to it all on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette & 104.1 Lake Charles – Southwest Louisiana’s Sports Station.
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