(Photo: Action Network)
Saturday Spotlight
(8) LSU Tigers at (14) Texas A&M Aggies
LSU: I remember covering their first game of the year against the USC Trojans. They were ushering in a new Quarterback after the Heisman Quarterback from last year became the second overall pick in the NFL Draft. That week one showdown was a tough loss, but since then, they’ve been rolling and haven’t lost a game since. They impressed me when they played the South Carolina GameCocks back in September. They were down throughout that game and it appeared to be a blowout looming, but found a way to get back into the game and eventually win. Even the battle against the Ole Miss Rebels was a tight game throughout and they came out on top in that one as well. To me, that saved the LSU Tigers’ playoff chances, and look where they are now, the eighth-ranked team in the country. In SEC play, they’re undefeated with a 3-0 mark and the offense hasn’t missed a beat averaging 34 points per game. Garrett Nussmeier has eclipsed 300 yards passing in five games this season and leads the conference with 18 touchdown passes. The passing attack that Brian Kelly has had this year and even last year with Jayden Daniels, could you imagine if he had something of this caliber during his tenure in South Bend with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? I can guarantee he’d have a championship by now in my opinion. The SEC has been fun to watch once again this year and they’ve been in the fold. Tonight, they will battle Mike Elko and the Aggies.
Texas A&M: The fight I’ve seen under Mike Elko is what I hoped to see when Jimbo Fisher was the Head Coach. That’s exactly why they moved on from him plus, they didn’t reach the goals they were hoping to accomplish during his tenure. Back to Mike now, this is a good football coach and it’s showing. I was concerned about them after their week one loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, They looked so flat offensively and Conner Weigman couldn’t get himself into any rhythm. Since then, they’ve won every game. The last time I sat down and actually watched them was against the Missouri Tigers just a few weeks ago. The Aggies started quickly and never looked back. Earlier in the year, a Quarterback switch was made. They ended up starting Marcel Reed and benched Conner who was struggling early on. Then in the game against Missouri, Conner comes back in and gives this offense the necessary spark it needed. Don’t get me wrong, Marcel showed he’s more than capable of winning games, but he couldn’t throw the football consistently. He was attacking defenses with mobility instead. Now, Conner on the other hand was throwing the ball, and sometimes benching a player can be the best thing because it allows them to regroup, see what they did wrong, then come back on the field and take advantage of your second opportunity. They’re back home tonight for a huge showdown with Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers.
LSU X-Factor: Braydn Swinson– He’s played like the SEC Defensive Player of the Year all season. Braydn is top five in the conference in both sacks and tackles for loss. Also, he’s wreaked havoc in opposing offenses’ backfields. He transferred to LSU from Oregon and has fit in naturally. Braydn lines up all over the field from the edge to the middle sitting on the line of scrimmage. He gets home to the Quarterback and makes tackles in the open field.
Texas A&M X-Factor: Shemar Stewart– He’s the other half of the elite tandem of pass rushers playing on the opposite side of Nic Scourton. With Nic expected to see a bulk of the double and maybe even triple teams, this is where Shemar can shine tonight. The Aggies use him inside and out on the defensive line. Along with Nic, this pass-rushing tandem has a combined total of 6.5 sacks. They will need to knock Nussmeier off his spot tonight.
Final Thoughts: This is a huge game not only in the SEC but also being considered a playoff game. The winner will be in great shape and the loser won’t necessarily be out of it, but they’ll have a tougher path to the playoffs. Both of these offenses are clicking because of the Quarterbacks. The Aggies have the talent and upside to match these Tigers punch for punch, but the difference in this game will be on the lines and in the trenches. Both defenses can get after the Quarterback, but LSU is stronger and they will come up and make a play when it matters. Watch LSU’s pass protection and how they keep Nussmeier upright on his feet. Le’Veon Moss will be a key factor tonight as well. The Aggies are second in the SEC in rushing production. Run the football, win your third down conversions and all will fall into place. I see this as a back-and-forth battle that will come down to the fourth quarter. This will be one of the better offenses the Aggies will have seen all year as LSU is very efficient in moving the chains. They are second in passing behind the Ole Miss Rebels in the conference. We will be in for a classic tonight at Kyle Field and I like LSU to get a big win in a tough environment.
Prediction: LSU 30, Texas A&M 28
