One of the biggest matchups in Week 9 of the college football season is a top 25 SEC matchup that pits No. 3 and undefeated Texas A&M against No. 20 LSU. The Aggies have been one of the best teams in the nation so far this season, while LSU will be hungry coming off of its second loss of the year against Vanderbilt.
This is a fascinating game in Death Valley because it is a bit of strength-on-strength between the two teams. Both the LSU offense and the Texas A&M defense have been struggling a bit recently, but the Aggies offense and the LSU defense have both become some of the best units in football, and they will go head to head on Saturday night.
Mike Elko's offense is a balanced unit, so it won't show up near the tip of any of the traditional statistical leaderboards. However, the Aggies can get it done on the ground and through the air and have plenty of explosiveness to get it done. Marcel Reed has emerged as a dark horse Heisman Trophy contender, Mario Craver currently ranks fifth in the nation in receiving yards (674) and KC Concepcion has six touchdowns on the year.
On the other side, the LSU defense has shown that it can trouble even the best offenses. Blake Baker's unit struggled a bit in the loss to Vanderbilt, but it also gave Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss fits in a low-scoring loss earlier in the season. Star linebacker Whit Weeks also missed the Vanderbilt game and is doubtful for Saturday's game, which would be a massive absence in the middle of the LSU defense.
To this point in the year, LSU has the No. 9 scoring defense in college football, giving up just 14.6 points per game on the year.
So who will come out on top in this battle of elite units? Here are three ways LSU can get the edge.
Load the box and make Reed win through the air
Texas A&M has a balanced offense and a passing game that is capable of ripping off explosive plays at any time. However, making Reed beat you as a passer is still the best bet to slowing down this Texas A&M offense.
The Aggies lost star running back Le'Veon Moss due to an ankle injury, but Rueben Owens II has filled in admirably and is keeping the ground game going. Reed also helps pitch in running the ball, which gives Texas A&M an extra body blocking in the running game. The Aggies are coming off of one of their best rushing performances of the season, notching over 200 yards on the ground and scoring three rushing touchdowns in a win over Arkansas.
Unfortunately for LSU, Brian Kelly's squad has struggled to stop some of the best rushing attacks it has faced this season. Vanderbilt ran for 239 yards in Week 8 and Ole Miss racked up 166 yards on the ground in a win earlier in the year. Therefore, LSU will have to put some extra bodies near the line of scrimmage in this one.
Reed has been accurate for the most part and is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country, but he can still spray balls and hasn't proven that he can consistently beat you from the pocket. If LSU makes him do that, maybe he coughs up some mistakes throughout the game.
One thing that LSU does pretty well is spy quarterbacks, which should come in handy against Reed and his scrambling ability. Harold Perkins Jr. is one of the most athletic linebackers in the nation, which allows him to track down scramblers. That will be key to keep Reed contained in this game.
Trust your corners, don't be afraid to heat Reed up
One of the strengths of this LSU defense is its aggressiveness, both in the way that they play and the way the defense is called. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker isn't afraid to heat up opposing quarterbacks with exotic blitz packages, especially in obvious passing situations. Just ask Cade Klubnik and Clemson, who were flummoxed by the pressure all game long back in Week 1.
Blitzing Texas A&M is a scary proposition. Craver and Concepcion are both a big play waiting to happen and Reed has shown that he can get them the ball down the field. However, LSU has to take the risk to heat Reed up and leave its corners in some one-on-one situations in an attempt to create some big plays of their own.
PJ Woodland will get a lot of attention on the outside as the second cornerback, and he will be the one that really has to hold his own if the Tigers want to have a chance at containing this offense. On the other side, Mansoor Delane has established himself as one of the best cover corners in college football and has a chance to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft next spring.
Baker will be forced to send pressure at Reed, so it will be on these defensive backs to hold up on the outside to keep LSU in the game.
Shorten the game
It's a bit of a cliche, but it also falls on the offense to slow down an elite offense on the other side. LSU hasn't exactly excelled at keeping opposing quarterbacks on the sidelines this season, but it will have to start in this game.
If LSU can't run the ball with Caden Durham and control the clock and the tempo of the game, Reed and his star receivers are just going to have too many opportunities and the big plays will come eventually.
LSU hasn't always been able to run the football efficiently this season, and Brian Kelly hasn't always wanted to talk about it after games. The burden has largely fallen on a banged-up Garrett Nussmeier, and he hasn't been able to produce at the same level that he did last season. That will have to change on Saturday is LSU wants to pull off the stunning upset and give Texas A&M its first loss of the year.
