By suffering a 31-24 loss to Vanderbilt in Week 8, LSU is now just 1-2 in its last three games ahead of a marquee college football Week 9 matchup with Texas A&M. Every game is a big game in the SEC, but Garrett Nussmeier and the Tigers' offense find themselves in a pivotal sink-or-swim position after another disappointing performance.
With Nussmeier entering the year as a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, fans expected a lot from LSU's offense in 2025. However, midway through the season, they have yet to reach that standard. The Tigers have only topped 30 points in one of their first seven games, a Week 4 matchup with Southeastern.
Entering Week 8, LSU is averaging just 25.6 points per game, the fifth-fewest in the SEC. That number drops to 20.5 points per game in the Tigers' six games aside from their 56-point outing against Southeastern. Only Auburn, Florida, South Carolin and Kentucky — four teams with losing records — have put up fewer points on the board on the year.
Despite their low output, LSU is still boasts a 5-2 record, including 2-2 in the conference. Their defense has led the way, but that could pose an issue in Week 9 with star linebacker Whit Weeks trending in the wrong direction.
LSU's early-season wins over Clemson, Florida and South Carolina would have looked good in the preseason, but they appear to be fool's gold in hindsight. If the Tigers are going to beat Texas A&M in Week 9 to collect their first win over a ranked opponent, their offense needs to show up in a way it has not done so far in 2025.
LSU is slowly being exposed as a “pretender” rather than a “contender,” a jarring theme for Brian Kelly-led teams at this point in the college football season. However, they have a prime opportunity to change that narrative at home against the undefeated Aggies. Everything they are playing for, from their championship aspirations to Nussmeier's draft stock, could depend on their Week 9 performance.
Garrett Nussmeier should thrive against beatable Texas A&M secondary
LSU's offense lives and dies with Garrett Nussmeier, and it has been a lot of the latter in recent weeks. Nussmeier enters Week 9 averaging 225.3 passing yards per game in his last three outings while throwing three interceptions in that frame.
Nussmeier is not the Tigers' main issue; LSU's nonexistent run game severely limits its offensive options. The Tigers average just 104.8 rushing yards per game against Power Four opponents, causing them to throw the ball at the 16th-highest rate in the country. They began the season expecting big things from running back Caden Durham, but the sophomore is averaging just 57 rushing yards per game through his first six contests.
The Tigers need Durham to step up, but not in Week 9. The Texas A&M matchup is one that should showcase Nussmeier and the passing attack.
On paper, Texas A&M's defense is solid against the pass. The Aggies have six returning starters holding down the back end, five of whom are upperclassmen. Their experience shows up on the stat sheet, with Mike Elko's defense allowing just 200.9 passing yards per game through seven games.
However, the numbers are not as sharp in context. Texas A&M has thrived when facing limited passing attacks; it held Auburn's Jackson Arnold to 125 passing yards, Mississippi State's Blake Shapen to 142 yards and Utah State's Bryson Barnes to 169 yards. Arnold and Shapen are two of the least-efficient passers in the SEC.
Against better competition, the Aggies' secondary has not been as sturdy. Arkansas' Taylen Green threw for 256 passing yards against them in Week 8, while Notre Dame's CJ Carr notched 293 yards in Week 3. Even Florida's DJ Lagway had one of his best statistical games of the year against Texas A&M, recording 245 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in Week 7.
Nussmeier, even amid his recent slump, is the best quarterback this defense will have faced all season.
LSU should score on Texas A&M
For the second time in the last three weeks, LSU has a lot to prove to its doubters coming off a loss. The Tigers responded to their first loss with a 20-10 win over South Carolina and are back in that same position in Week 9.
LSU's struggles on the road might be a concerning trend, but it remains elite at home. Under Kelly, the Tigers are a stellar 23-2 in Baton Rouge, including 4-0 this season. Coincidentally, the home team has also won the last eight meetings between LSU and Texas A&M.
Expect Kelly's team to lean on its defense again, but this is a prime matchup for Nussmeier and the offense. Elko has been a defensive-minded coach his entire career, but this Texas A&M team might be the softest defense LSU has faced all year.
The Aggies enter Week 9 allowing 23.4 points per game, the fourth-most in the SEC. They have already allowed 20 or more points in over half their games, including two games in which they allowed more than 40. LSU has not faced a defense with similar numbers since Southeastern.
This current state of LSU's offense will not breach 40, but the Tigers' defense is also not one that will allow the Aggies to engage in a shootout.
The 2025 college football season has not gone as LSU had hoped, but it is in excellent position to secure a program-shifting victory over Texas A&M in Week 9. All that will depend on Garrett Nussmeier and the offense capitalizing on their most advantageous opportunity of the season.
