The Texas A&M football team had a non-conventional way of preparing for LSU in Week 9, to say the least. The game had added significance for strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt, who had a personal vendetta against Tigers head coach Brian Kelly.
Moffitt spent 21 seasons with LSU, working in Baton Rouge from 2000 to 2021, before he was not retained by Kelly's staff when the 64-year-old took over. Moffitt has hardly forgotten the move and had the team prepare for Week 9 by attacking a tackling dummy with Kelly's face on it.
“Coach Moffitt wanted this game just as bad as anyone else, and I remember Thursday, he brought in a tackling dummy with Brian Kelly's face on it,” said Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, via On3 Sports. “We all started kicking and stomping and stuff like that. But yeah, this one was an important one to him.”
Moffitt stuck with LSU through multiple head coaching tenures. He initially joined the program as a member of Nick Saban's staff and was retained by Les Miles in 2005 and by Ed Orgeron in 2016.
Before joining the Tigers, Moffitt spent four seasons as Tennessee's strength and conditioning coach and over a decade with Miami.
Texas A&M remains undefeated with Week 9 win over LSU
Moffitt's tackling dummy strategy evidently worked, as Texas A&M rolled past LSU with another dominant victory. The Aggies' 49-25 win improved them to 8-0 on the year, making them the only undefeated team remaining in the SEC.
Texas A&M held LSU to 270 total yards, including just 60 yards on the ground. Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier struggled yet again, posting just 168 passing yards while averaging 4.8 yards per attempt.
The Aggies entered halftime trailing by four, but found a second gear in the second half. Texas A&M came out firing out of the break and out-scored LSU 35-7 over the final 30 minutes.
Although Texas A&M has another big game against Missouri in Week 11, after its Week 10 bye, it will likely be favored to win out its remaining games. The Aggies avoid matchups with Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss and Tennessee in the 2025 regular season.
Texas A&M entered Week 9 ranked No. 3, where it will likely remain for another week. As well as the team performed in a featured spot, the Aggies will not rise above Ohio State or Indiana.
