With no conference championship to play for next week, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels had one more opportunity to impress the Heisman voters and made it count for his final home game of his Tigers career. Although it was a slow start by Daniels and company trailing 24-14 early in the second half to Texas A&M, it was Daniels’ legs that ignited not only the offense, but the team when he scampered on a 49-yard run to set up a short touchdown plunge to pull within three.
That big run gave the Tigers momentum as they outscored the Aggies 28-6 the rest of the way in order for LSU to close the regular season with a 42-30 win over Texas A&M.
In Daniels’ last-ditch effort to cement his Heisman status, he did what he normally has done this season, and that is carry this team on his back. Out of the 389 total yards from LSU’s offense, 355 of those yards were accounted for by #5. On senior day, Daniels put one more dazzling show in front of the home fans completing 16/24 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns while also adding 120 yards on the ground.
Those statistics helped secure Daniels’ status as having one of the best individual season performances in Tigers history. He set the NCAA record for passing efficiency while finishing the regular season with more yards per game and a better passing rating than any player to win the Heisman Trophy. He also finished the regular season accounting for 50 total touchdowns (40 passing, 10 rushing) and 54 yards short of having 5,000 total yards of offense.
““It’s a Top-10 defense in the country. You throw for four touchdown passes against that defense, you put up 42 points … It sure as heck can’t hurt you. I think he strengthened his case for the Heisman.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on Jayden Daniels’ Heisman Chances
While Daniels certainly continued to etch his name in the record books and strengthened his case for the Heisman, so did his number one receiver Malik Nabers, who is making a great case for the Biletnikoff Award. He finished what could be his last game as a Tiger with six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Nabers is also close to becoming the most productive receiver in LSU history as he passed Wendell Davis for having the most catches in program history. He is also only 22 yards away from having the career LSU receiving record. As many great receivers that have come through the LSU program, that is certainly quite an accomplishment and is also a big reason why the Comeaux product is planning on playing in the Tigers’ bowl game.
“Being the competitor I am, being the dawg that I am, I want to set myself in history. I want to leave my name, at the No. 1 spot as many times as I can.”
LSU WR Malik Nabers on playing the bowl game to pursue the LSU receiving record
While Nabers has been consistently the main target for Daniels, it was the duo of Brian Thomas Jr. and Kyren Lacy that helped LSU pull away from Texas A&M as the dynamic trio all had touchdown catches for the Tigers’ last three scoring drives.
“Our playmakers made plays. Big time players make big time plays in games like this.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on the Tigers’ wide receiver duo
Although both Josh Williams and Logan Diggs did not muster a lot on the ground, they did punch in two more touchdowns on the ground.
Defensively, LSU had their hands full with Bobby Petrino’s offense as the defense could not get off the field to start off the game as the Aggies offense, led by third string quarterback Jaylen Henderson, who threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns, converted their first nine of 13 third downs that helped them jump up to a ten-point lead.
However, that side of the football was much better on the money down as Texas A&M finished 0 for five on their last five third down conversions. That included a missed field goal, an interception by Greg Penn, a three and out, and a turnover on downs.
“We got three consecutive stops being in trail coverage. We hadn’t run it all year. We had to make the adjustment at halftime. We talked to the kids about what we needed them to do, and to their credit, they went out and executed.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on defensive adjustments
Harold Perkins Jr., who was once committed to play at Texas A&M before signing with LSU, finished with 9 tackles, 0.5 sack, 1.5 TFLs, and a quarterback hurry while Penn finished with eight tackles, a sack, and an interception. Ovie Oghoufo posted two sacks while Da’Shawn Womack added a half sack.
LSU will end the regular season at 9-3 with an opportunity to have their second straight 10 win season under Brian Kelly in the bowl game. Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels now can relax knowing that he has done everything he is needed to be considered for the Heisman Trophy in two weeks.
“Obviously, we gotta see what the other guys do, but I think I made my case to get invited up there.”
LSU QB Jayden Daniels on the Heisman Trophy
Check out the photos from LSU/Texas A&M from Billy Metcalf!
Final Stats:
Offensive Cumulative Stats
| STAT | Texas A&M | LSU |
|---|---|---|
| NET TOTAL YARDS | 390 | 389 |
| NET RUSHING YARDS | 96 | 154 |
| Rushing Attempts | 41 | 28 |
| Average Per Rush | 2.3 | 5.5 |
| Rushing TDs | 2 | 2 |
| Yards Gained | 126 | 164 |
| Yards Lost | 30 | 10 |
| NET PASSING YARDS | 294 | 235 |
| Completion-Attempts | 25-35 | 16-24 |
| Completion Percentage | 71% | 67% |
| Avg Per Completion | 11.8 | 14.7 |
| Passing TDs | 2 | 4 |
| TOTAL 1ST DOWNS | 22 | 21 |
| Rushing 1st Downs | 9 | 7 |
| Passing 1st Downs | 13 | 12 |
| Penalty 1st Downs | 0 | 2 |
| TOTAL PLAYS | 76 | 52 |
| Avg Yds/Play | 5.1 | 7.5 |
| Rushing-Passing | 41-35 | 28-24 |
Offense Efficiency Comparison:
| STAT | Texas A&M | LSU |
|---|---|---|
| RED ZONE ATTEMPTS | 3-4 | 4-5 |
| Red Zone Points | 21 | 28 |
| RZ TDs Rush-Pass | 2-1 | 2-2 |
| RZ FG Made-Att | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| RZ Turns | 0 | 1 |
| 3rd Downs | 9-18 | 5-9 |
| 4th Downs | 3-5 | 1-1 |
| Penalties | 4-40 | 6-70 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| Pts Off Turns | 0 | 7 |
| POSSESSION TIME | 36:39 | 23:21 |
Special Teams Comparison:
| STAT | Texas A&M | LSU |
|---|---|---|
| Punts-Avg | 1-52.0 | 3-43.3 |
| Inside20 | 0 | 0 |
| Field Goals | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| Kick Returns | 6-124 | 2-26 |
| Punt Returns | 1–4 | 1-10 |
Defensive Comparison:
| STAT | Texas A&M | LSU |
|---|---|---|
| TACKLES | 50 | 86 |
| Solo Tackles | 26 | 46 |
| Tackles for Loss | 2 | 7 |
| TFL Yards | -8 | -30 |
| Pass Breakups | 2 | 0 |
| QB Hurries | 2 | 3 |
| Sacks | 2 | 4 |
| Sacks Yards | -8 | -20 |
| Takeaways FR-INT | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| Forced Fumbles | 0 | 0 |
| Fumble Recoveries | 0 | 0 |
| FR Yards | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 1 |
| INT Yards | 0 | 0 |
| TDs INT-FR | 0-0 | 0-0 |
LSU Passing:
| # | PLAYER | C-A | YDS | TD | I | C% | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | DANIELS,JAYDEN | 16-24 | 235 | 4 | 0 | 67 | 203.9 |
LSU Receiving:
| # | PLAYER | NO | YDS | TD | LNG | AVG | TGT | C% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | NABERS,MALIK | 6 | 122 | 2 | 45 | 20.3 | 11 | 55 |
| 11 | THOMAS JR.,BRIAN | 5 | 58 | 1 | 23 | 11.6 | 9 | 56 |
| 86 | TAYLOR,MASON | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 4.5 | 2 | 100 |
| 17 | HILTON JR.,CHRIS | 1 | 25 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 1 | 100 |
| 2 | LACY,KYREN | 1 | 15 | 1 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 50 |
| 27 | WILLIAMS,JOSH | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 100 |
| 6 RECEIVERS | 16 | 235 | 4 | 45 | 14.7 | 26 | 62 |
LSU Rushing:
| # | PLAYER | ATT | YDS | TD | LNG | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | DANIELS,JAYDEN | 11 | 120 | 0 | 49 | 10.9 |
| 3 | DIGGS,LOGAN | 5 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 3.4 |
| 21 | CAIN,NOAH | 3 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| 27 | WILLIAMS,JOSH | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 28 | JACKSON,KALEB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 RUSHERS | 28 | 154 | 2 | 49 | 5.5 |
LSU Punting:
| Punter | NO | YDS | AVG | LNG | I20 | 50+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRAMBLETT,JAY | 3 | 130 | 43.3 | 46 | 0 | 0 |
LSU Field Goals:
| Kicker | Time | Dist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 0-0 | LONG OF 0 | |
LSU All Purpose Yards:
| Player | Tot | Rush | Rec | KOR | PR | IR-FR | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NABERS,MALIK | 122 | 0 | 122 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| DANIELS,JAYDEN | 120 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| THOMAS JR.,BRIAN | 58 | 0 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
LSU Defense:
| # | Player (Starter) | TotTk | Solo | Sack | TFL | Int | BrUp | QBH | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Perkins Jr.,Harold (LB) | 9 | 6 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Sam,Andre | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Speights,Omar (LB) | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Penn III,Greg (LB) | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Burns,Major (DB) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Jones,Sai’vion (DE) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Toviano,Javien | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | Smith,Maason (DE) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Ryan,Sage (DB) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Stamps,Ashton (DB) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Weeks,Whit (LB) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 90 | Guillory,Jacobian (DL) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Oghoufo,Ovie (LB) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Swinson,Bradyn (DE) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Yaites,Ryan (DB) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 94 | Shand,Paris (DE) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 99 | Jefferson,Jordan (DT) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Welch,Laterrance (DB) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Allen,Jordan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Womack,Da’Shawn (DE) | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Langlois,Matthew (DB) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Weeks,West (LB) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | Roy,Slade | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 83 | McGohan,Jackson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Lacy,Kyren | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Nabers,Malik | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Thomas Jr.,Brian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Williams,Josh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Diggs,Logan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Ramos,Damian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 86 | 46 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
LSU Punt Returns:
| Returner | NO | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLAYTON JR.,GREGORY | 1 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
LSU Kick Returns:
| Returner | NO | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NICHOLAS,JAVEN | 1 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 0 |
| WOMACK,DA’SHAWN | 1 | -1 | -01 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 2 | 26 | 13 | 27 | 0 |
LSU Team Stats By Quarter:
| 1st | Rush | Pass | CAI | TotY | Avg | 3rds | Pens | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | 7-39 | 5-30 | 4-5-0 | 69 | 5.8 | 2-3 | 1-15 |
| 2nd | 5 | 6-31 | 5-22 | 3-5-0 | 53 | 4.8 | 1-2 | 2-25 |
| 3rd | 2 | 6-52 | 4-20 | 2-4-0 | 72 | 7.2 | 1-2 | 1-5 |
| 4th | 11 | 9-32 | 10-163 | 7-10-0 | 195 | 10.3 | 1-2 | 2-25 |
| Total | 21 | 28-154 | 24-235 | 16-24-0 | 389 | 7.5 | 5-9 | 6-70 |
LSU Scoring Summary:
| Qtr | Clock | Score | Type | Play | Drive | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 07:52 | TD | RUSH | Diggs,Logan 1 yd rush | 9/60/04:04 | 7-0 |
| 2 | 05:04 | TD | PASS | Nabers,Malik 6 yd reception thrown by Daniels,Jayden | 7/65/03:13 | 14-10 |
| 3 | 07:51 | TD | RUSH | Williams,Josh 1 yd rush | 8/73/03:09 | 21-24 |
| 4 | 11:52 | TD | PASS | Thomas Jr.,Brian 23 yd reception thrown by Daniels,Jayden | 3/61/00:59 | 28-24 |
| 4 | 08:25 | TD | PASS | Nabers,Malik 21 yd reception thrown by Daniels,Jayden | 4/53/01:19 | 35-24 |
| 4 | 04:19 | TD | PASS | Lacy,Kyren 15 yd reception thrown by Daniels,Jayden | 7/75/03:01 | 42-30 |
Texas A&M Passing:
| # | PLAYER | C-A | YDS | TD | I | C% | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | HENDERSON,JAYLEN | 25-35 | 294 | 2 | 1 | 71 | 155.1 |
Texas A&M Receiving:
| # | PLAYER | NO | YDS | TD | LNG | AVG | TGT | C% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | SMITH,AINIAS | 8 | 59 | 0 | 14 | 7.4 | 11 | 73 |
| 9 | WALKER,JAHDAE | 4 | 80 | 0 | 33 | 20 | 6 | 67 |
| 3 | THOMAS,NOAH | 4 | 32 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 67 |
| 42 | WRIGHT,MAX | 2 | 60 | 1 | 51 | 30 | 4 | 50 |
| 19 | JOHNSON,JAKE | 2 | 17 | 1 | 14 | 8.5 | 2 | 100 |
| 8 | MOSS,LE’VEON | 2 | 16 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 100 |
| 7 | MUHAMMAD III,MOOSE | 2 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 100 |
| 35 | BAILEY,DAVID | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 16 | 1 | 100 |
| 8 RECEIVERS | 25 | 294 | 2 | 51 | 11.8 | 34 | 74 |
Texas A&M Rushing:
| # | PLAYER | ATT | YDS | TD | LNG | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | MOSS,LE’VEON | 9 | 45 | 1 | 11 | 5 |
| 2 | OWENS,RUEBEN | 6 | 21 | 0 | 12 | 3.5 |
| 16 | HENDERSON,JAYLEN | 16 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0.6 |
| 4 | DANIELS,AMARI | 5 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 1.8 |
| 24 | CROWNOVER,EARNEST | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 35 | BAILEY,DAVID | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 54 | NABOU JR.,MARK | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 RUSHERS | 41 | 96 | 2 | 12 | 2.3 |
Texas A&M Punting:
| Punter | NO | YDS | AVG | LNG | I20 | 50+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONSTANTINOU,NIK | 1 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 0 | 1 |
Texas A&M Field Goals:
| Kicker | Time | Dist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bond,Randy | 2nd-08:17 | 48 | GOOD |
| Bond,Randy | 3rd-01:16 | 31 | MISSED |
| TOTAL | 1-2 | LONG OF 48 | |
Texas A&M All Purpose Yards:
| Player | Tot | Rush | Rec | KOR | PR | IR-FR | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWENS,RUEBEN | 99 | 21 | 0 | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SMITH,AINIAS | 92 | 0 | 59 | 37 | -4 | 0 | 0 |
| WALKER,JAHDAE | 80 | 0 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Texas A&M Defense
| # | Player (Starter) | TotTk | Solo | Sack | TFL | Int | BrUp | QBH | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mathews,Jacoby (DB) | 8 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | Cooper,Edgerrin (LB) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1 | Anderson,Bryce (DB) | 7 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | York,Taurean (LB) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Richardson,Demani (DB) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Jackson,McKinnley (DL) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Harmon,Deuce (DB) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Russell Jr.,Chris (LB) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | Nolen,Walter (DL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Stewart,Shemar (DL) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Turner,Shemar (DL) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Diggs,Fadil (DL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Regis,Albert (DL) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 92 | Sylla,Malick (DL) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Johnson,Jake | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | Wright,Max | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 54 | Nabou Jr.,Mark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Moss,Le’Veon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | Bond,Randy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 50 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Texas A&M Punt Returns:
| Returner | NO | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMITH,AINIAS | 1 | -4 | -04 | 0 | 0 |
Texas A&M Kick Returns:
| Returner | NO | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWENS,RUEBEN | 3 | 78 | 26 | 35 | 0 |
| SMITH,AINIAS | 2 | 37 | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| TEASE,MICAH | 1 | 9 | 09 | 9 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 6 | 124 | 21 | 35 | 0 |
Texas A&M Team Stats By Quarter:
| 1st | Rush | Pass | CAI | TotY | Avg | 3rds | Pens | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | 11-18 | 7-37 | 5-7-0 | 55 | 3.1 | 2-4 | 0-0 |
| 2nd | 7 | 11-18 | 13-115 | 11-13-0 | 133 | 5.5 | 5-7 | 1-15 |
| 3rd | 8 | 13-59 | 6-60 | 4-6-0 | 119 | 6.3 | 2-4 | 0-0 |
| 4th | 3 | 6-1 | 9-82 | 5-9-1 | 83 | 5.5 | 0-3 | 3-25 |
| Total | 22 | 41-96 | 35-294 | 25-35-1 | 390 | 5.1 | 9-18 | 4-40 |
Texas A&M Scoring Summary:
| Qtr | Clock | Score | Type | Play | Drive | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 13:43 | TD | RUSH | Moss,Le’Veon 2 yd rush | 17/67/09:02 | 7-7 |
| 2 | 08:17 | FG | Bond,Randy 48 yd Field Goal | 9/35/04:05 | 7-10 | |
| 2 | 00:14 | TD | PASS | Johnson,Jake 14 yd reception thrown by Henderson,Jaylen | 13/78/04:45 | 14-17 |
| 3 | 11:04 | TD | RUSH | Nabou Jr.,Mark 1 yd rush | 7/75/03:56 | 14-24 |
| 4 | 07:20 | TD | PASS | Wright,Max 51 yd reception thrown by Henderson,Jaylen | 3/64/01:01 | 35-30 |
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