The LSU Tigers (5-2) are set to face the Texas A&M Aggies (5-2) in a week eight matchup.
LSU suffered its second loss of the season last Saturday when the Tigers traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, and fell to the Vanderbilt Commodores 31-24. Diego Pavia and company had possession of the football for over 36 1/2 minutes and rushed the ball 45 times against a Whit Weeks and Bernard Gooden-less LSU defense.
Texas A&M has gone unscathed to this point, garnering a perfect 7-0 record, leading to being ranked the third-best team in the country. The Aggies most recently defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 45-42 after recording nearly 500 yards of offense.
The kickoff between LSU and Texas A&M from Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 25th.
PLAYOFF HOPES
To put it simply, LSU needs to win this game on Saturday. Not only do the Tigers need to beat the Aggies, but they also need to win out if they want to make it to the College Football Playoff for the first time in the Brian Kelly era.
LSU has lost twice this season, falling in two road matchups to the Ole Miss Rebels by five and by a touchdown to the Vanderbilt Commodores. There is no margin for error for the Tigers. This latest loss dropped them to number 20 in the rankings, and now they must finish the regular season with a five-game winning streak to secure a spot in the tournament.
If LSU were to run the table, it would have to beat No. 3-ranked A&M, No. 4-ranked Alabama, Arkansas, Western Kentucky, and No. 13-ranked Oklahoma.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
This series between the Tigers and Aggies has been back-and-forth in the last eight matchups, and there’s been a common theme. The home team wins.
Since 2017, the host team has won this matchup, with LSU getting the better of A&M that year, 45-21. That win for the Tigers concluded a seven-game win streak over the Aggies that goes back to the 2011 season.
The last time the Bayou Bengals lost at home to A&M was before the turn of the century in 1994. LSU lost that September 3rd matchup 18-13 in a season where the Tigers finished with a 4-7 record. In the last 15 games against Texas A&M, LSU has won 10 times, and this newest edition of the rivalry will be an evening kickoff. The Tigers are 112-15 at home versus SEC opponents at night since 2000. Also, Coach Kelly has only lost a home night game against an SEC opponent once in his tenure in Baton Rouge, and that was against Alabama last season.
NO WHIT WEEKS
Star linebacker Whit Weeks and defensive lineman Bernard Gooden are expected to miss their second consecutive game. It was apparent that the Bayou Bandit defense missed those two players last week against Vanderbilt.
The Commodores ran it down the Tiger defense’s throat for 239 yards. LSU struggled to slow down Vanderbilt’s running backs and quarterback Diego Pavia, who rushed for a game-high 86 yards in the Tigers’ loss.
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed is a true dual-threat in the pass and run game. Reed gave LSU nightmares last season after replacing Conner Weigman in the middle of the contest to help lead a comeback against the Tigers. In 2025, Reed has a 15/4 TD/INT ratio and has rushed for 241 yards and reached pay dirt four times. This could be another long day for the Bayou Bengals if those two don’t suit up on Saturday.
SERIES RECORD: LSU Leads 35-21-3
Last 5 Meetings:
2024: Texas A&M 38 – LSU 23
2023: LSU 42 – Texas A&M 30
2022: Texas A&M 38 – LSU 23
2021: LSU 27 – Texas A&M 24
2020: Texas A&M 20 – LSU 7
STAT LEADERS:
LSU
Garrett Nussmeier: 154-232, 1,638 Yards, 11 TD, 5 INT
Caden Durham: 74 Carries, 342 Yards, 2 TD
Aaron Anderson: 24 Catches, 323 Yards
Damien Shanklin & Harold Perkins: 2 Sacks
AJ Haulcy: 52 Tackles (33 Solo)
Tamarcus Cooley & Dashawn Spears: 2 INT
Damian Ramos: 13-of-16 Field Goals, Long of 52, 18-of-18 PAT
Texas A&M
Marcel Reed: 125-202, 1,770 Yards, 15 TD, 4 INT
Le’Veon Moss: 70 Carries, 389 Yards, 6 TD
Mario Craver: 35 Catches, 668 Yards, 4 TD
Cashius Howell: 8.5 Sacks
Taurean York: 41 Tackles (19 Solo)
Daymion Sanford & Scooby Williams: 1 INT
Randy Bond: 9-of-14 Field Goals, Long of 49, 20-of-20 PAT
