Following a tough 34-24 road victory against Mississippi State, No. 14 Texas A&M football is headed back to Kyle Field to face No. 8 LSU in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The 1-5 Bulldogs looked to be a comfortable matchup on paper, but the Aggies’ defense faced more resistance than expected from true freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. A&M’s defense will have to tighten up in the red zone in order to limit the explosive LSU offense.
“We gave up three touchdowns in four trips, and so all of a sudden now it’s a 24-point game instead of a 17-point game,” coach Mike Elko said. “And I think that plays a big difference in the outcome.”
Despite giving up the red zone touchdowns, there were plenty of positives when it came to the defense. The front seven made the Bulldog backfield miserable all afternoon, tallying a season-high 11 tackles for loss that forced many obvious passing downs.
Expect junior JACK Cashius Howell to get more playing time against the Tigers. Howell had an all-around standout performance with a sack, a tackle for loss and an astounding three passes deflected and played well when given more coverage responsibility.
The Wrecking Crew will have its hands full trying to stop LSU freshman running back Caden Durham, who had the best game of his young career last week after tallying 101 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. A hard runner, Durham isn’t afraid of contact and is capable of breaking into the second level.
The disruptive defensive tackle duo of junior Albert Regis and senior Shemar Turner will be there to clean up inside, but A&M’s ends will have a hard time when forced to contain on the outside. LSU’s pair of junior offensive tackles, Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr., are both projected first-round picks and capable of opening big gaps for Durham to run through.
The matchup between Campbell and junior DE Nic Scourton will be one to watch. The nation’s best offensive lineman will be going up against another projected first-round pick, and fireworks should ensue. Look for Scourton to use a variety of speed and power rush moves to try to get free.
The quarterback the Aggie defense will be tasked with bringing down is redshirt junior Garrett Nussmeier. Top 10 in the nation in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, Nussmeier has worked his way up from being a third-stringer to one of the best in the country.
“I think he’s really comfortable in their system,” Elko said. “He’s gotten his opportunities over the first couple years when the opportunities presented themselves, and I think that’s prepared him to come into this stage this year and really be their leader. He can throw the ball over the field. He’s got a tremendous arm, and he’s got a lot of moxie.”
Nussmeier has a plethora of weapons to throw to, but the obvious standout is fifth year wide receiver Kyren Lacy. Like Nussmeier, Lacy has had to wait for his opportunity after being in the shadow of rookie standouts Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Now that he’s the No. 1 guy, Lacy has been able to show out and lead the Tigers in receiving yardage and touchdowns.
Though he isn’t the fastest athlete, Lacy has spectacular route-running skills and is capable of getting open in a second’s notice. The Aggies will have their hands full trying to guard him and should keep a watchful eye on him in the red zone.
The linebacker core of sophomore Taurean York and junior Scooby Williams features usual downhill guys but will have to be on the lookout for passes to the middle of the field. Williams made his first career interception against the Bulldogs last week and is fully capable of making a game-changing play.
