The Chase With Jace:
After both the LSU Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies both lost to non-conference teams in Week 1, there would not be a lot of people that would tell you that just eight weeks later that these same two teams will battle each other with first place in the Southeastern Conference on the line.
Both the Tigers and the Aggies are coming off six straight wins and most importantly, are the only two undefeated teams in the conference.
“Mike Elko is doing a great job with this football team in his first year. Very similar to what our team has been doing. We lost the opener, they lost the opener, and they’re playing better and better each week.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly
Even though Mike Elko is entering his first year as the Aggies’ head coach, Brian Kelly has a familiar past with Texas A&M’s head coach as Kelly hired him to be his defensive coordinator at Notre Dame back in 2017.
“Mike does a great job with the players. He’s demanding, but never demeaning. He has a standard of what he expects. He has always been able to build great relationships with his players. When you have that standard, he is a very bright mind when it comes to defenses and defensive structures. He has layers to everything relative to how you play defense. He has seen every coverage, knows every defensive front. You got a guy that has great experience and he does it at a lot of different levels. I’ve always respected those coaches because that’s where I come from. I started as a Division II head coach. He’s worked his way up and anytime that you can hire an Ivy League grad, it makes me smarter.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on Mike Elko
The same level of respect can be said from Mike Elko when it comes to his appreciation for Brian Kelly in giving him an opportunity to coach under him at Notre Dame.
“I learned a lot. Brian is a really successful head coach that maybe isn’t into the huge self-promotion business. He’s the winningest coach in Notre Dame football history. I don’t know if that’s something that rolls off everyone’s tongue. He’s been successful everywhere he’s been. I’ve had kind of a similar defensive coordinator path that married his head coaching path. It started DII and worked its way all the way through. He had success everywhere he went and I’ve had tons of respect for who he is. I certainly appreciate giving me the opportunity being the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. He does a really good job and does a really good job of getting the best out of his team.”
Texas A&M HC Mike Elko
Despite the mutual respect between the two, the two head coaches know that they have a game to win on Saturday, especially with the winner taking control on top of the SEC standings and also playing a factor in the College Football Playoff Race.
The Tigers are playing with more and more confidence indicated by their most complete performance of the season in a 34-10 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks headlined by complementary performances by Caden Durham, Whit Weeks, and Damian Ramos.
Compared to how the Tigers started when playing on the road against South Carolina to how they performed in Fayetteville, the mindset of this team has changed.
“The first time we played on the road I thought we were reactive. We waited for things to happen. This game we didn’t wait around. That’s how we need to play this weekend against an outstanding A&M team.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly
Also, in front of over 100,000 fans, LSU will have to earn this Saturday’s game against a Top 15 Aggies squad.
“You have to go into that stadium and take something from them. They aren’t going to give it to you. That requires an incredible desire and a want-to. You don’t want to sit around all next week when you don’t have a game with any regrets.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly
Offensively, Garrett Nussmeier has proved to be unfazed in just his limited sample size as the Tigers’ starting quarterback already leading LSU to come from behind fourth quarter drives against South Carolina and Ole Miss. Statistically, he has been playing as good as any quarterback in the country leading the SEC in touchdown passes with 18 while also being 10th in the country with 317 yards passing per game.

Nussmeier has plenty of weapons to throw the football including four receivers with 20+ catches for over 300 yards. Kyren Lacy paces the group with 36 grabs for 512 yards and six touchdowns along with Aaron Anderson (33 catches for 488 yards and 3 TDs), Mason Taylor (36 catches for 348 yards and 1 TD), and CJ Daniels (27 catches for 325 yards), who has been listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest. The good news is that the Tigers may get Chris Hilton Jr. back for the first time this year after dealing with a lingering ankle injury.
“I think more than anything else, you don’t bring a wide receiver back after this long out unless he is properly conditioned because you then pull a hamstring. It’s not the leg anymore. We are not concerned about the leg. This is much more about a conditioning element more than soft tissue or anything else. We think that we are in pretty good condition. It is about getting him game ready.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on Chris Hilton Jr.

The offense has gotten better in the run game thanks to the emergence of Caden Durham, who is coming off a 100 yard and three touchdown performance against the Razorbacks. This was the first three touchdown performance by a LSU runner since 2022, and the most impressive fact was that the Duncanville freshman did it while not being at 100 percent.
“I am really impressed with a freshman running back that is not playing at 100 percent, but in there playing with grit, toughness, and just the kind of resolve he has. Not a lot of guys would be in the game. He is playing at 80-85%. He’s got vision, toughness, keeps his legs moving, and again, injuries are hard to deal with at any position, but if you are a running back and you have an injury and you are still fighting through it, it says a lot about the young man.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on Caden Durham
LSU will have a challenge of not only playing on the road in a hostile environment at Texas A&M, but they will also be playing against one of the best defensive fronts in college football. Taurean York leads the Aggies in tackles with 40 and 1.5 sacks. Purdue transfer Nic Scourton is one of the best pass rushers in the country leading the team in sacks with 4.5 sacks this season. On the backend, Will Lee and Dalton Brooks have 28 tackles while Marcus Ratcliffe leads the team in interceptions with three.
“You know that this is going to be a fundamentally sound defense. They take the ball away. They are second in the SEC in takeaways. They got an outstanding front. It reminds me of Ole Miss’ front. It is a big physical group and they have a lot of transfers that can really change the complexion. Nic Scourton from Purdue is a big, physical defensive end. You still have Shemar Stewart, who is athletic and has been there. Linebackers are athletic and can run. It is led by York, who is a smart savvy guy. He is the green dot and does a good job back there. We looked at Will Lee in the portal. Fast, physical, really smart cornerback. Again, this is a really good fundamentally sound defense that is going to make you earn everything.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on Texas A&M’s defense

LSU’s defense is playing at a high level as well led by the emerging play of Whit Weeks, who has 28 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two PBUs, and an interception over the last two games. Like the Aggies, the Tigers have had strong play as of late at all three levels of the defense as Bradyn Swinson is having an All-SEC year with seven sacks and Zy Alexander is also playing lockdown at the cornerback spot in the secondary.
LSU was able to hold a vaunted Arkansas rushing attack last week to only 37 yards rushing, but their biggest challenge this season is facing against the leading rusher in the SEC in former Istrouma running back Le’Veon Moss, who also ranks 13th in the country by averaging 218 yards rushing per game and rushing for 674 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
When the Aggies need to throw the football, Conner Weigman has been their guy throwing for 718 yards and three touchdowns as Weigman has returned back to action after suffering an injury earlier this season. His go to receiver is Noah Thomas, who leads the team with 21 catches for 289 yards and three touchdowns.
With two evenly matched teams on paper, the margin of error is mighty slim and if that’s the case, the Tigers have to like their chances as Damian Ramos has converted 12 of 14 field goal attempts and has been perfect on his extra points.
“His mechanics and his routine are so flawless in terms of what he does. His ability to repeat his mechanics really separates him so when it’s time to kick, it’s push play.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on Damian Ramos
Over the last seven meetings, the home team has won including a 42-30 victory by LSU last year. The Tigers will look to end that streak with their last win at Kyle Field coming in 2016.
If they are able to do so, then the Tigers are really set up for a serious run heading into the bye week.
LSU Keys to Victory:
1. Start off fast on the road like against Arkansas. Keep the crowd out of the game.
2. Force Texas A&M to be one-dimensional and force Conner Weigman to beat you throwing the football.
3. Take away the pre-snap penalties and finish in the red zone.
4. Keep Garrett Nussmeier clean in the pocket.
Matchup to Watch: Will Campbell vs. Nic Scourton
There is a lot of NFL talent out there on the field on Saturday and two of those prospects will be matched up against each other in Will Campbell and Nic Scourton. Both players are projected high first round NFL draft picks and whoever comes up on the winning side of this 1v1 matchup could also help decide this outcome.
Prediction: LSU 31, Texas A&M 24
This LSU team is getting more and more confident and these games on the road early in the season especially against South Carolina and Arkansas has made this a battle tested Tigers team including a dramatic overtime win over Ole Miss. It is tough to play in Kyle Field, but this LSU team does have a lot of advantages or at least plays up to par to Texas A&M’s biggest strengths. This game will go down to the trenches. If LSU can continue its balance offensively while continuing to protect Garrett Nussmeier and if LSU’s defensive front can build on their positive performance with their rushing defense, then this could be a pretty good day for the road team.
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